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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 4 is 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.
Regarding claim 4, the claim recites the limitation “ceramic”. There is no disclosure of a ceramic in claim 3 or claim 1 upon which claim 4 depends. Therefore it is unclear as to what the limitation “ceramic” references. For purposes of examination, Examiner interprets “ceramic” as the “ceramic carbon” recited in claim3.
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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Puligadda et al. (US 2022/0127496 A1, hereinafter Puligadda ‘496) in view of Arana et al. (US2007/0004171 A1, hereinafter Arana ‘171).
With respect to Claim 1 Puligadda ‘496 discloses a method for attaching and detaching wafers (Fig 1a-8), said method comprising:
forming a reusable carrier (22, Fig 1a, Para [0031]) by depositing (disclosed in Para [0033]) a layer of partially transparent light-absorbing material (LAM) (30, Fig 1a, Para [0033]) on a transparent carrier (24, Fig 1a, Para [0033]);
disposing a curable adhesive (18, Fig 1a, Para [0020]) on a wafer (12, Fig 1a, Para [0019]);
placing said wafer (10) on said reusable carrier (22) with said partially transparent LAM layer (30) in contact with (30 in contact with 18 disclosed in Fig 1b and Para [0037]) said curable adhesive (18) to form a carrier stack (36, Fig 1b, Para [0038]);
processing said wafer (12)(processing of wafer 12 disclosed in Para [0039]);
sending a light pulse (38, Fig 1c, Para [0040]) through (light pulse through 24 disclosed in Fig 1c and Para [0040 and 0041]) said transparent carrier (24) to facilitate separation (38 facilitating separation from 24 disclosed in Para [0040 and 0047]) of said wafer (12) from said transparent carrier (24).
But Puligadda ‘496 fails to explicitly disclose the curable adhesive is a UV light curable adhesive and directing a UV light through said transparent carrier and said partially transparent LAM layer in order to cure said UV light-curable adhesive.
Nevertheless, in a related endeavor (Fig 1-10 of Arana ‘171), Arana ‘171 teaches a UV light curable adhesive (114, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0033]) and directing a UV light (130, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0033]) through (UV cure through 123 and 120 disclosed in Fig 4 of Arana ‘171 and Para [0033]) said transparent carrier (120, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0029]) and said partially transparent LAM layer (123, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0024]) in order to cure said UV light-curable adhesive (114)(130 used to cure 114 through 123 and 120 disclosed in Fig 4 of Arana ‘171 and Para [0033]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate Arana ‘171’s UV light curable adhesive and directing a UV light through said transparent earner and said partially transparent LAM layer in order to cure said UV light-curable adhesive into Puligadda ‘496’s method. Puligadda ‘496 discloses a method for bonding and debonding a carrier wafer and device wafer using high-intensity light. Puligadda ‘496 is open to various commercially available adhesives in the method that can be removed by heat (Para [0021]). Arana ‘171 also teaches a method for bonding and debonding a carrier and a device wafer. Arana ‘171 teaches that a UV cure material can be used as the bonding adhesive, can be cured through the transparent carrier and LAM. A person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the UV cure material of Arana ‘171 and the thermal cure material of Puligadda ‘496 are both well-known materials to provide adhesion. There would be a high expectation of success in substituting the well-known UV cure adhesive for the thermal cure adhesive (MPEP 2144.06 (II)) for the purpose of adhesion between the layers. Further the ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Puligadda ‘496 in the manner set forth above, at least, because one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the UV cure material can provide a faster cure time than the thermal cure material which would increase process speed.
As incorporated, the UV light curable adhesive (114) taught by Arana ‘171 would be used as the adhesive (18) of Puligadda ‘496 such that UV light would pass through transparent carrier (24 of Puligadda ‘496) and partially transparent LAM (30 of Puligadda ‘496) to cure the adhesive (18 of Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171).
With respect to Claim 2 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 1, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said transparent carrier (24) is quartz, glass, ceramic, or polymer (24 as glass disclosed in Para [0032]).
With respect to Claim 3 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 1, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said partially transparent LAM layer (30) includes metal, metal alloy, ceramic carbon, or polymer (Para [0033] discloses 30 includes metals).
With respect to Claim 4 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 3, wherein said ceramic (Note above Examiner’s interpretation of “ceramic” as “ceramic carbon”) includes oxides, nitrides, or carbides (the embodiment of metals was addressed by prior art in claim 3, so ceramic carbon does not apply).
With respect to Claim 5 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 1, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said wafer (12) is made of semiconductor, glass, or polymer (Para [0019] discloses 12 as glass).
With respect to Claim 6 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 1, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said forming a reusable carrier (22) further includes depositing said LAM layer (30) on said transparent carrier (24) via a vacuum deposition or a wet deposition process (Para [0033 and 0036] disclose depositing 30 on 24 using vacuum deposition).
With respect to Claim 7 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 1, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said sending a light pulse (38) further includes sending a light pulse from a flashlamp through said transparent carrier (24)(Para [0040 and 0041] disclose the use of a flashlamp to send light pulse through carrier 24).
With respect to Claim 8 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 1, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said method further includes cleaning said reusable carrier (22) and said partially transparent LAM (30) on said transparent carrier (24) for future use (Para [0050] discloses carrier 24 and LAM 30 cleaned to prepare for future use).
With respect to Claim 9 Puligadda ‘496 discloses a method for attaching and detaching wafers (Fig 1a-8), said method comprising:
forming a reusable carrier (22, Fig 1a, Para [0031]) by depositing (disclosed in Para [0033]) a layer of partially transparent light-absorbing material (LAM) (30, Fig 1a, Para [0033]) on a transparent carrier (24, Fig 1a, Para [0033]);
disposing a curable adhesive (18, Fig 1a, Para [0020])(Para [0051] discloses 18 disposed on 30 and 24) on said partially transparent LAM layer (30) on said transparent carrier (24);
placing a wafer (12, Fig 1a, Para [0019]) on said curable adhesive (18) to form a carrier stack (36, Fig 1b, Para [0038]);
processing said wafer (12)(processing of wafer 12 disclosed in Para [0039]);
sending a plurality of light pulses (38, plurality of light pulses from lamp 38 disclosed in Para [0041, 0042 and 0044]) through said transparent carrier (24) to detach said wafer (12) from said transparent carrier (24) (light pulses from 38 facilitating separation from 24 disclosed in Para [0040, 0044 and 0047]).
But Puligadda ‘496 fails to explicitly disclose the curable adhesive is a light-curable adhesive and directing a light through said transparent earner and said partially transparent LAM layer in order to cure said light-curable adhesive.
Nevertheless, in a related endeavor (Fig 1-10 of Arana ‘171), Arana ‘171 teaches a light curable adhesive (114, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0033]) and directing a light (130, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0033]) through (light (using UV wavelength) cure through 123 and 120 disclosed in Fig 4 of Arana ‘171 and Para [0033]) said transparent carrier (120, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0029]) and said partially transparent LAM layer (123, Fig 4 of Arana ‘171, Para [0024]) in order to cure said light-curable adhesive (114)(130 used to cure 114 through 123 and 120 disclosed in Fig 4 of Arana ‘171 and Para [0033]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate Arana ‘171’s light curable adhesive and directing a light through said transparent earner and said partially transparent LAM layer in order to cure said light-curable adhesive into Puligadda ‘496’s method. Puligadda ‘496 discloses a method for bonding and debonding a carrier wafer and device wafer using high-intensity light. Puligadda ‘496 is open to various commercially available adhesives in the method that can be removed by heat (Para [0021]). Arana ‘171 also teaches a method for bonding and debonding a carrier and a device wafer. Arana ‘171 teaches that a UV light cure material can be used as the bonding adhesive, can be cured through the transparent carrier and LAM. A person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the UV light cure material of Arana ‘171 and the thermal cure material of Puligadda ‘496 are both well-known materials to provide adhesion. There would be a high expectation of success in substituting the well-known UV light cure adhesive for the thermal cure adhesive (MPEP 2144.06 (II)) for the purpose of adhesion between the layers. Further the ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Puligadda ‘496 in the manner set forth above, at least, because one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the UV light cure material can provide a faster cure time than the thermal cure material which would increase process speed.
As incorporated, the light curable adhesive (114) taught by Arana ‘171 would be used as the adhesive (18) of Puligadda ‘496 such that light would pass through transparent carrier (24 of Puligadda ‘496) and partially transparent LAM (30 of Puligadda ‘496) to cure the adhesive (18 of Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171).
With respect to Claim 10 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 9, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said transparent carrier (24) is quartz, glass, ceramic, or polymer (24 as glass disclosed in Para [0032]).
With respect to Claim 11 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 9, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said partially transparent LAM layer (30) includes metal, ceramic, carbon, or polymer (Para [0033] discloses 30 includes metals).
With respect to Claim 12 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 9, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said wafer (12) is made of semiconductor, glass, or polymer (Para [0019] discloses 12 as glass).
With respect to Claim 13 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 9, and Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 further discloses wherein said light-curable adhesive (18 as modified by Arana ‘171 described above) is a UV light-curable adhesive (18 as modified by Arana ‘171 described above , Para [0033] of Arana ‘171 discloses adhesive as UV curable),
and Arana ‘171 discloses said directing further includes directing a UV light (UV light from source 130 used to cure 114 through 123 and 120 disclosed in Fig 4 of Arana ‘171 and Para [0033]) through said transparent carrier (120).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate Arana ‘171’s further teaching of said directing further includes directing a UV light through said transparent carrier into Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171’s method. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to further modify Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 in the manner set forth above, at least, because one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that using a UV light to cure the UV curable material through the transparent carrier can provide a faster process than curing outside the carrier.
As incorporated, the UV light cure taught by Arana ‘171, described above, would be used as the curing process of (18 of Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171) and would pass through the transparent carrier (24 of Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171).
With respect to Claim 14 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 9, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said forming a reusable carrier (22) further includes depositing said LAM layer (30) on said transparent carrier (24) via a vacuum deposition or a wet deposition process (Para [0033 and 0036] disclose depositing 30 on 24 using vacuum deposition).
With respect to Claim 15 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 9, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said sending a light pulse (38) further includes sending a light pulse from a flashlamp through said transparent carrier (24)(Para [0040 and 0041] disclose the use of a flashlamp to send light pulse through carrier 24).
With respect to Claim 16 Puligadda ‘496 as modified by Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 9, and Puligadda ‘496 further discloses wherein said method further includes cleaning said reusable carrier (22) and said partially transparent LAM (30) on said transparent carrier (24) for future use (Para [0050] discloses carrier 24 and LAM 30 cleaned to prepare for future use).
Claims 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arana ‘171.
With respect to Claim 17 Arana ‘171 discloses a reusable carrier (Fig 1-10) comprising:
a transparent carrier (120, Fig 4, Para [0024]); and
a layer of partially transparent light-absorbing material (LAM) (123, Fig 4, Para [0024]) deposited on (123 on 120 disclosed in Fig 4) said transparent carrier (120), wherein said partially transparent LAM layer (123) transmits 0.1% to 20% of light (Para [0029] of Arana ‘171 discloses 123 absorbs at least 90% of incident radiation (light), therefore 123 transmits at least 10% of light) within a wavelength range of 150 to 500 nm (Para [0029] of Arana ‘171 further discloses the above transmittance at 170nm and 2500nm), wherein said transparent carrier (120) and said partially transparent LAM (123) are cleanable for future usage (Para [0038] discloses adhesive residue (residue of 123) on carrier (120) cleaned for future use).
But Arana ‘171 fails to explicitly disclose said partially transparent LAM layer transmits 0.1% to 20% of light within a wavelength range of 150 to 500 nm, as described above, However, Arana ‘171 discloses said partially transparent LAM layer transmits 0.1% to 20% of light within a wavelength range of 170 to 2500 nm. MPEP 2144.05 I states “In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art a prima facie case of obviousness exists.”
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing data, absent unexpected results, to have the partially transparent LAM layer transmits 0.1% to 20% of light within a wavelength range of 150 to 500 nm.
With respect to Claim 18 Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the reusable carrier of Claim 17, and Arana ‘171 further discloses wherein said transparent carrier (120) is quartz, glass or polymer (120 as glass disclosed in Para [0029]).
With respect to Claim 19 Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the reusable earner of Claim 17, and Arana ‘171 further discloses wherein said partially transparent LAM layer (123) includes metal, ceramic, carbon or polymer (Para [0042] discloses 123 includes zinc oxide (Examiner notes Specification of Instant Application defines “ceramic” as “oxides, nitrides and carbides” in Para [0015]).
With respect to Claim 20 Arana ‘171 discloses all limitations of the method of Claim 17, but Arana ‘171 fails to explicitly disclose wherein said partially transparent LAM layer is stable at a temperature beyond 400 °C and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is within 9 x 10-6 °C-1 of said transparent carrier.
Nevertheless, Arana ‘171 discloses the partially transparent LAM layer is an oxide which is the same material disclosed in the instant application in Para [0015] of the specification. Arana ‘171 also discloses the transparent carrier as glass which is the same material disclosed in the instant application in Para [0014] Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness exists as the identical partially transparent LAM layer and transparent carrier of the instant application and prior art of Arana ‘171 must behave the same. MPEP 2112.01(I)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL A. BERRY whose telephone number is (703)756-5637. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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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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/PAUL A BERRY/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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