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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 10, 17-18, and 21-26 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Invention II and Species A, C, and D, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species B in the reply filed on 17 June 2026 is acknowledged.
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 17 June 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the grounds that the process cannot be used to make another materially different product, and the product cannot be made by another materially different process. This is not found persuasive because the first die can be coupled to the package substrate prior to the first stiffener structure, as explained in the office action dated 28 April 2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
Claims 1-7, 11-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Lim et al (US 20180342467 A1, hereinafter “Lim”).
Regarding Claim 1 - Lim discloses an integrated circuit (IC) package, comprising: a package substrate comprising a first side extending in a first direction (X-direction in annotated Fig. 3B); a first die coupled to the first side of the package substrate (306 [0047] and Fig. 3B); a first stiffener structure adjacent to the first die in the first direction and coupled to the first side of the package substrate (322 [0047] and Fig. 3B), the first stiffener structure comprising: a first cavity extending adjacent to the first side of the package substrate (324 [0047] and Fig. 3B); and a first electrical component coupled to the first side of the package substrate (312-1 [0050] and Fig. 3B), the first electrical component at least partially embedded in the first cavity (Fig. 3B).
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Regarding Claim 2 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first stiffener structure does not intersect the first die in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (Z-direction in annotated Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 3 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first cavity does not intersect the first die in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (Z-direction in annotated Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 4 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first electrical component is fully embedded in the first cavity (312 in 314 [0047] and Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 5 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first stiffener structure further comprises: a first surface adjacent to the package substrate (S1 in annotated Fig. 3B); and a second surface opposite the first surface in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (S2 in annotated Fig. 3B); the first cavity extending through to the first surface of the first stiffener structure to extend adjacent to the first side of the package substrate (324 extends to S1 in annotated Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 6 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first stiffener structure further comprises: a first outer side wall adjacent to the first die (W1 in annotated Fig. 3B); and a second outer side wall opposite the first outer side wall in the first direction (W2 in annotated Fig. 3B); the first cavity between the first outer side wall and the second outer side wall in the first direction (324 is between W1 and W2 in X-direction in Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 7 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 6, further comprising an underfill material adjacent to the first side of the package substrate and the first die (Underfill material may be between 106 (306) and 118 (318) [0033] and Fig. 3B); wherein the first outer side wall is adjacent to the underfill material (IF there is underfill material at 306, it is adjacent to 322 as in Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 11 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first stiffener structure comprises a ring-shaped stiffener structure ([0043] and Fig. 3A).
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Regarding Claim 12 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 11, wherein the ring-shaped stiffener structure is adjacent to a perimeter of the package substrate (322 close to perimeter of 310, as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B).
Regarding Claim 13 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein: the first stiffener structure further comprises a second cavity extending adjacent to the first side of the package substrate (324 on right side of Fig. 3B); and further comprising: a second electrical component coupled to the first side of the package substrate, the second electrical component at least partially embedded in the second cavity (312-2 [0050] and Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 14 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 13, wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are part of a common cavity in the first stiffener structure 9312-1 and 312-2 are embedded in one or more cavities 324 [0050]).
Regarding Claim 15 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, further comprising: a second stiffener structure outside the first die in the first direction and coupled to the first side of the package substrate (373 [0052] and Fig. 3C), the second stiffener structure comprising: a second cavity extending adjacent to the first side of the package substrate (363 [0052] and Fig. 3C); and a second electrical component coupled to the first side of the package substrate, the second electrical component at least partially embedded in the second cavity (362-2 [0052] and Figs. 3C and 3D).
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Regarding Claim 16 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first electrical component is electrically coupled to the first die through the package substrate (306 electrically connected to 312-1 via 328 [0050] and Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 19 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first die comprises a first chiplet (306 [0047] and Fig. 3A); and further comprising a second chiplet coupled to the first side of the package substrate (302 [0047] and Fig. 3A); wherein: the first chiplet electrically coupled to the second chiplet through the package substrate (Both electrically connected to package substrate [0047]); and the first stiffener structure is further adjacent to the second chiplet in the first direction (322 adjacent to 302 in Fig. 3A).
Regarding Claim 20 - Lim further discloses the IC package of claim 1 integrated into a device selected from the group consisting of: a set top box; an entertainment unit; a navigation device; a communications device; a fixed location data unit; a mobile location data unit; a global positioning system (GPS) device; a mobile phone; a cellular phone; a smart phone; a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone; a tablet; a phablet; a server; a computer; a portable computer; a mobile computing device; a wearable computing device; a desktop computer; a personal digital assistant (PDA); a monitor; a computer monitor; a television; a tuner; a radio; a satellite radio; a music player; a digital music player; a portable music player; a digital video player; a video player; a digital video disc (DVD) player; a portable digital video player; an automobile; a vehicle component; avionics systems; a drone; and a multicopter (The disclosed IC may be included in a computing device 900 [0084], and used in mobile applications such as cell phones and laptop computers, etc. [0097]).
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 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al (US 20180342467 A1, hereinafter “Lim”), in view of the following arguments.
Regarding Claim 8 - Lim discloses all the limitations of claim 7.
Lim fails to explicitly disclose the first outer side wall (S1 in annotated Fig. 3B) is in contact with the underfill material.
However, the extent reached by the underfill in the X-direction and Y-direction is a matter of routine optimization as a result of the deposition process. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider making the underfill material contact the first outer sidewall as a result of routine optimization of the deposition process. See MPEP 2144.05(II).
Regarding Claim 9 - Lim discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Lim fails to explicitly disclose the first electrical component is a first distance in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction between 0.65 and 1.2 millimeters (mm) from a side wall of the first die adjacent to the first stiffener structure.
However, given that the package substrate may be 12 mm by 12 mm to 50 mm by 50 mm, for example (Lim [0055]), and a cavity in the stiffener structure may be on the order of 3 mm by 2 mm for example (Lim [0041]), a distance from a side wall of the first die adjacent to the first stiffener structure of 0.65 and 1.2 mm is prima facie obvious as a matter of routine optimization, as this distance range is on the same order of magnitude as the given cavity dimensions, and one order of magnitude less than the given package substrate dimensions. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider setting a distance from a side wall of the first die adjacent to the first stiffener structure to a range of 0.65 and 1.2 mm as a matter of routine optimization. See MPEP 2144.05(II).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON MCDONALD whose telephone number is (571) 272-5944. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a-6p Eastern, alternating Fridays out of office.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio Maldonado can be reached at (571) 272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON MCDONALD/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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