DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group-I in the reply filed on 07/06/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1-5, 8-9, 11-12 and 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KANG et al. (US PGpub: 2018/0350630 A1), hereinafter KANG.
Regarding claim 1, KANG teaches an apparatus, in Paragraphs [0016] - [0020]; FIG. 1, 2A-2E, comprising:
a die (110) including a plurality of die connectors (116); and
a package substrate including a first metallization structure disposed below the die (FIG. 1, 2A-2E), the first metallization structure comprising:
a plurality of dielectric layers (140);
a plurality of metal layers (Not marked) disposed in the plurality of dielectric layers;
a plurality of vias (124, 125) configured to couple adjacent metal layers of the plurality of metal layers through the plurality of dielectric layers; and
a plurality of buried bump structures (170) disposed in a top dielectric layer (160) of the plurality of dielectric layers, wherein the plurality of buried bump structures is directly coupled to the plurality of die connectors (116).
Regarding claim 2, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of buried bump structures (170) is planar with a top surface of the top dielectric layer (160) of the plurality of dielectric layers. Claim 2 is also described in WATANABE et al. (US 2017/0347455 A1): the plurality of buried bump structures (P) is planar with a top surface of the top dielectric layer (300a) of the plurality of dielectric layers (see figure 2).
Regarding claim 3, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of buried bump structures (170) is recessed (by etching, FIG. 1 and Paragraph [0021]) from a top surface of the top dielectric layer (160) of the plurality of dielectric layers.
Regarding claim 4, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first metallization structure comprises: a plurality of escape lines (180) disposed between adjacent buried bump structures (170) of the plurality of buried bump structures (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 5, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of escape lines (180) is configured in a three-line escape pattern (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 8, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first metallization structure comprises Ajinomoto build-up film (ABF) (Paragraph [0018, The third dielectric layer 160 may be composed of one of ajinomoto-buildup film, prepreg insulation, resin coated copper, photo-sensitive resistor material, or similar material). It can be manipulated to have metallic structure comprising ABF in Paragraph [0207] of Lin et al. (US PGpub 2025/0125273 A1).
Regarding claim 9, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the package substrate further comprises: a base substrate comprising a core including pre-impregnated reinforcement embedded therein (Paragraph [0018], The third dielectric layer 160 may be composed of one of ajinomoto-buildup film, prepreg insulation, resin coated copper, photo-sensitive resistor material, or similar material. Not to mention, according to specification of this application, the core 135 may include prepreg (also known as PPG), which may include polymer resins with fiber glass sheets impregnated therein.)
Regarding claim 11, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the package substrate further comprises: a second metallization structure (at the bottom) comprising a plurality of dielectric layers (150), a plurality of metal layers (190 or 290) and a plurality of vias, and wherein the first metallization structure is disposed on a first side of the base substrate opposite the die and the second metallization structure is disposed on a second side of the base substrate opposite the first metallization structure.
PNG
media_image1.png
482
696
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 12, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second metallization structure comprises: fiberglass impregnated with resin (prepreg), Ajinomoto build-up film (ABF), or a resin coated copper (RCC) build-up film (Paragraph [0018], The third dielectric layer 160 may be composed of one of ajinomoto-buildup film, prepreg insulation, resin coated copper, photo-sensitive resistor material, or similar material). It can be manipulated to have metallic structure comprising ABF in Paragraph [0207] of Lin et al. (US PGpub 2025/0125273 A1.
Regarding claim 15, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of: a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit; a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, an internet of things (IoT) device, or a device in an automotive vehicle (Paragraph [0023], Claim 30).
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 5-6 and 13-14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KANG et al. (US PGpub: 2018/0350630 A1), hereinafter KANG, in view of KANG.
Regarding claim 6, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 5, wherein a spacing between one of the adjacent buried bump structures (170) and an adjacent escape line (180) is approximately 8 micrometers (Paragraph [0018]. Looking at 170 width and 180 width the spacing can be adjusted within the range).
Regarding claim 7, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 6, wherein a width of each of the plurality of escape lines is approximately 6 micrometers (Paragraph [0018]. Looking at 170 width can be adjusted within the range).
Regarding claim 13, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein a pitch of the plurality of buried bump structures is approximately 64 micrometers (a pitch of 64Um can be possible between plurality of 170 or 270. Looking at FIG. 1, 170 width can be 16-40um, so the pitch between two 170 can easily be manipulated to have exact width of 64ums) .
Regarding claim 14, KANG teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width of each of the plurality of buried bump (170) structures is approximately 18 micrometers (in Paragraph [0018], . plurality of pads 170 may be between 16 μm to 40 μm in width. 18 micrometers is within the range).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KANG et al. (US PGpub: 2018/0350630 A1), hereinafter KANG, in view of MANEPALLI et al. (US PGpub: 2023/0087838 A1), hereinafter MANEPALLI.
Regarding claim 10, KANG does not explicitly teach the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the base substrate comprises: at least one plated through hole (PTH) disposed through the core configured to couple portions of metal layers on opposite sides of the core.
However it can be interpreted in MANEPALLI that at least one plated through hole (PTH) disposed through the core configured to couple portions of metal layers on opposite sides of the core (Paragraph [0042], [0043], [0050], [0069]). After creating the vias or trenches, a metallization process may be applied in order to create a conductive pathway through the vias or trenches, for example a plated through hole (PTH).
Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use KANG’s apparatus with other teaching from MANEPALLI so that finer pitch vias may result in better signaling, allowing more I/O signals to be routed through the glass wafer and to other coupled components such as a substrate.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHEIKH MARUF whose telephone number is (571)270-1903. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8am-6pm EDT.
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 Dicke can be reached on 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.
/SHEIKH MARUF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
Prosecution Insights