DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Acknowledgement of Amendment
Applicant amendment filed 07/02/26 has been acknowledged.
Applicant amended Claims 1 and 4.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-4 are pending in the application and examined on merits herein.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 20210129260) in view of Toshimitsu et al. (JP H0734620), Dictus et al. (US 2023/0107357), and Polito et al. (NPL).
In re Claim 1, Chen teaches a processing method (Abstract) of a wafer 10 (Fig. 3A, paragraph 0032) having a first surface 10a (paragraph 0032) and a second surface 10b (paragraph 0036) on an opposite side to the first surface, including arranging a thermocompression bonding sheet 60 (paragraph 0036) on the first surface 10a of the wafer 10 (as shown in Figs. 3A-3B and 4A-4C) and processing the second surface 10b of the wafer (as shown in Figs. 6, paragraph 0047), the processing method comprising:
a thermocompression bonding step of (Figs. 3A-3B), bringing (the) a third surface (of a thermocompression bonding sheet 60) into contact with the first surface 10a (paragraph 0036), heating (Figs. 4A-4C, paragraphs 0039-0040) the thermocompression bonding sheet 60, and thermocompression bonding the thermocompression bonding sheet 50 to the first surface 10a of the wafer 10 to obtain the wafer 10 with the thermocompression bonding sheet 60 thermocompression bonded thereon (paragraph 0040); and
a processing step of, after performing the thermocompression bonding step, holding the wafer, with the thermocompression bonding sheet thermocompression bonded thereon, on a chuck table 110 (Fig. 6, paragraph 0046) with the second surface 10b of the wafer exposed upward, and processing the second surface (paragraph 0047).
Chen does not teach that a thermocompression bonding step is conducted while heating the thermocompression bonding sheet with an infrared heater or a warm air heater while the bonding itself is conducted with a compression bonding roller – Chen teaches using a heating roller instead.
Toshimitsu teaches (Fig. 5, page 5, paragraph 3 from the top) conducting thermocompression bonding by using a compression bonding roller (not the heating roller) and by using a warm air heating.
Chen and Toshimitsu teach analogous arts directed to thermocompression bonding and one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application would have had a reasonable expectation of success in modifying the Chen method with the Toshimitsu method, since they are from the same field of endeavor related to thermocompression bonding, and the Toshimitsu method created a successfully operated device.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application to modify the Chen thermocompression bonding by substituting the heating roller with a simpler non-heating roller, but adding an air heater into a bonding chamber, when the manufacturer does not have a heating roller but has a simple compression roller.
Chen/Toshimitsu does not teach a plasma processing step conducted on the first surface of the wafer, and also subjecting the third surface of the thermocompression bonding sheet, the third surface facing the first surface, to plasma processing, wherein the above-described thermocompression bonding step is conducted after the plasma processing. However, Chen teaches that the wafer comprises a plurality of devices 12 created therein and exposed by the first wafer surface 10a (paragraph 0032); Chen further teaches that the thermocompression bonding sheet 60 is made from polyolefin-based resin, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene (paragraph 0036).
Dictus teaches that when semiconductor devices are created in wafers using a photolithographic process, a photoresist is used (Fig. 1, paragraph 0044-0047), remains of which are removed by plasma dry etching (Figs. 3A-3B, paragraphs 0092, 0043, 0088, 0114, 0136, 0157) at atmospheric conditions (Abstract, paragraph 0093).
Polito teaches that atmospheric pressure plasma is used to improve adhesive properties such polymers as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene (Abstract).
Chen/Toshimitsu and Dictus teach analogous arts directed to processing wafers comprised semiconductor devices. Chen/Toshimitsu and Polito teach analogous arts directed to use of similar thermocompression materials. And one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application would have had a reasonable expectation of success in modifying the Chen/Toshimitsu’ wafer processing method in view of the dictus and Polito teachings, since they are from the same field of endeavor, and Dictus and Polito’ teaching are successfully used in the art.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application to modify the Chen/Toshimitsu method by using the dry plasma etching (per Dictus) for removing remains of a photoresist on the first side of the wafer when they are left after creation of devices in the wafer, since these sacrificial materials are not needed for to be created devices.
It would have been further obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application to also conduct an atmospheric plasma treatment on the third surface of the thermocompression bonding sheet (per Polito), if it is created from materials requiring a step of functionalization for improving their adhesion with the first side of the wafer during the thermal compression bonding.
In re Claim 2, Chen/Toshimitsu/Dictus/Polito teaches the processing method according to Claim 1 as cited above.
Chen further teaches that in the processing step (Fig. 6, paragraphs 0046-0047), grinding processing is applied to the second surface of the wafer.
In re Claim 3, Chen/Toshimitsu/Dictus/Polito teaches the processing method according to Claim 1 as cited above, wherein, as shown for Claim 1, in the plasma processing step, atmospheric-pressure plasma processing is applied.
In re Claim 4, Chen/Toshimitsu/Dictus/Polito teaches the processing method according to Claim 1 as cited above, wherein, as shown for Claim 1, a plurality of devices are formed, respectively, on the first surface 10a of the wafer in regions defined by intersecting dividing lines 14 (Fig. 7B, paragraph 0051).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’ arguments (REMARKS, filed 07/02/26) have been fully considered.
Examiner agrees with the amendment to Claim 4 (REMARKS, page 4, Objection to Specification and Rejection Under 112(b).
Examiner agrees with Applicant that Chen does not teach a new limitation of the amended Claim 1, but disagrees that the new limitation makes Claim 1 patentable (REMARKS, pages 4-5) – as the current Office Action shows, the new limitation is known in the prior arts.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to GALINA G YUSHINA whose telephone number is 571-270-7440. The Examiner can normally be reached between 8 AM - 7 PM Pacific Time (Flexible).
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/GALINA G YUSHINA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2811, TC 2800,
United States Patent and Trademark Office
E-mail: galina.yushina@USPTO.gov
Phone: 571-270-7440
Date: 07/08/26
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