CTNF 18/544,590 CTNF 90499 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 07-42-05 AIA A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle , 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on April 24, 2026 has been entered. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claims 3 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 3 recites “the metallic nanoparticles include carbon particles.” The meaning of the recitation could not be determined because carbon is not a metallic element. Claim 15 recites “the metallic nanoparticles include carbon particles.” The meaning of the recitation could not be determined because carbon is not a metallic element. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – 07-12-aia AIA (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. 07-15-03-aia AIA Claim s 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yanaura (U.S. Patent No. 10,892,203) . Regarding to claim 13, Yanaura teaches a method comprising: forming a patterned region on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate (Figs. 1-2, column 4, lines 53-57, patterned region 11 formed on top surface of semiconductor substrate 6 ); forming circuitry in the patterned region (Figs. 1-2, column 4, lines 53-57, circuitry 10 formed in the patterned region 11 ); and forming a layer including metallic nanoparticles on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate and external to the semiconductor substrate, in which the second surface opposes the first surface (Fig. 1, column 4, lines 40-44, layer including metallic nanoparticles formed on bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate 6 and external to the semiconductor substrate 6 , for bonding the semiconductor substrate 6 to the DBC substrate 3 ). Regarding to claim 14, Yanaura teaches forming a layer including metallic nanoparticles on a second surface includes depositing the metallic nanoparticles on the second surface; and sintering the metallic nanoparticles (column 4, lines 42-44) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 07-20-aia AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanaura (U.S. Patent No. 10,892,203), as applied to claim 13 above, in view of Zhao et al. (U.S. Patent No. 10,828,730) . Regarding to claim 13, Yanaura discloses the metallic nanoparticle layer is solder bonding layer (column 4, line 42-44). Yanaura does not specifically disclose the bonding layer includes a transition metal, the transition metal including at least one of: silver, nickel, ruthenium, cobalt, molybdenum, or iridium. Zhao discloses a bonding layer include a transition metal, the transition metal including at least one of: silver, nickel, ruthenium, cobalt, molybdenum, or iridium (column 4, lines 5-12). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yanaura in view of Zhao to include in the metallic nanoparticles a transition metal including at least one of silver, nickel, ruthenium, cobalt, molybdenum, or iridium in order to increase adhesion . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanaura (U.S. Patent No. 10,892,203), as applied to claim 13 above . Regarding to claim 18, Yanaura is silent about the size of the metallic nanoparticles, However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to configure the metallic nanoparticles to be between 4 nm and 150 nm in diameter in order to increase bonding stability, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955) . Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-2 and 4-12 are allowed . The reasons for allowable of claim 1 and its dependent claims are provided in the previous Office Action. Claims 16 and 19-21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding to claim 16, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “depositing the metallic nanoparticles on the second surface includes depositing the metallic nanoparticles on the second surface using an inject printer” in combination with the limitations recited in claims 13-14. Regarding to claim 19, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “forming a dielectric layer on the second surface, and wherein forming a layer of metallic nanoparticles on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate includes forming the layer of metallic nanoparticles and carbon particles on the dielectric layer” in combination with the limitations recited in claim 13. Regarding to claim 21, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “the layer includes carbon particles” in combination with the limitations recited in claim 13. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VU A VU whose telephone number is (571)270-7467. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:00AM - 5:00PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, CHAD M DICKE can be reached at (571) 270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /VU A VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897 Application/Control Number: 18/544,590 Page 2 Art Unit: 2897 Application/Control Number: 18/544,590 Page 3 Art Unit: 2897 Application/Control Number: 18/544,590 Page 4 Art Unit: 2897 Application/Control Number: 18/544,590 Page 6 Art Unit: 2897 Application/Control Number: 18/544,590 Page 7 Art Unit: 2897
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