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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/ Restrictions
Applicant's election of group I without traverse: claims 15-20, in the “Response to Election / Restriction Filed - 06/29/2026”, cancellation of claims 1-14 and submission of new claims 21-34 is/are acknowledged. This office action considers claims 1-20, in “Claims - 06/29/2026”, pending for prosecution. Claims 15-34 are pending and have been examined.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made the instant application has a US provisional application 63589141 filed on 10/10/2023.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) that forms the basis for the rejection set forth in this Office action:
(a) NOVELTY; PRIOR ART.—A person shall be entitled to a patent unless—
(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;
Notes: when present, semicolon separated fields within the parenthesis (; ;) represent, for example, as (30A; Fig 2B; [0128]) = (element 30A; Figure No. 2B; Paragraph No. [0128]). For brevity, the texts “Element”, “Figure No.” and “Paragraph No.” shall be excluded, though; additional clarification notes may be added within each field. The number of fields may be fewer or more than three indicated above. These conventions are used throughout this document.
Claim 15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (US 20190393159 A1 – hereinafter Chen).
Regarding Claim 15, Chen teaches a method (see the entire document; Fig. 1; specifically, ([0016] - [0032]), and as cited below), comprising:
providing a first semiconductor die (100 – Fig. 1- [0016]) that includes a first bonding via ({BP1, BV1, 108a} – [0027], [0020]) in a first plurality of dielectric layers ({BLD1, 106} – {0020], [0027]) of the first semiconductor die (100);
providing a second semiconductor die (200 – [0028]) that includes a second bonding via ({BV2, 208a} – [0032], [0031]) and a bonding pad (BP2 – [0032]) coupled with the second bonding via ({BV2, 208a}) in a second plurality of dielectric layers ({BDL2, 206} – [0032], [0031]) of the second semiconductor die (200);
aligning the first semiconductor die (100) and the second semiconductor die (200) (see [0023]-[0026] for alignment) such that a first bonding surface (top of surface of BP1) of the first bonding via ({BP1, BV1, 108a}) is located within a second perimeter of a second bonding surface of the bonding pad (perimeter of lower surface of BP2), and such that a first perimeter of the first bonding surface (perimeter of top surface of BP1) and the second perimeter of the second bonding surface (perimeter of lower surface of BP2) partially overlap (Fig. 1 shows lower surface of BP2 and upper surface of BP1 overlap); and
bonding, after aligning the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die, the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die at the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface (Fig. 1 shows 100 and 200 are bonded at upper surface of BP1 and lower surface of BP2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-26 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 the Examiner’s Reasons for Allowance:
The prior art fails to disclose and would not have rendered obvious:
Regarding claim 16: The method of claim 15, further comprising: forming the second bonding via; forming the bonding pad on the second bonding via; and forming a shielding grid, wherein the shielding grid surrounds the bonding pad.
Claim 17 depends from claim 16.
Regarding claim 18: The method of claim 15, wherein forming the first bonding via comprises: forming the first bonding via to have a semicircular top view shape; and wherein forming the bonding pad comprises: forming the bonding pad to have a circle top view shape.
Regarding claim 19: The method of claim 15, wherein forming the first bonding via comprises: forming the first bonding via to have an obround top view shape; and wherein forming the bonding pad comprises: forming the bonding pad to have at least one of: another obround top view shape, a circle top view shape, or a cruciate top view shape.
Regarding claim 20: The method of claim 15, wherein forming the first bonding via comprises: forming the first bonding via such that a first surface area of the first bonding surface is less than a second surface of the second bonding surface of the bonding pad.
Regarding claim 21: The method of claim 15, wherein the first bonding surface has a rectangular top view shape with rounded ends, wherein the second bonding surface has a circle top view shape, and wherein the rounded ends of the first bonding surface overlap with portions of a circumference of the second bonding surface.
Regarding claim 22: The method of claim 15, wherein the first bonding surface has an obround top view shape, wherein the second bonding surface has a cruciate top view shape, and wherein the first bonding surface overlaps with a segment of the second bonding surface.
Regarding claim 23: The method of claim 15, wherein the first bonding surface has a first obround top view shape, wherein the second bonding surface has a second obround top view shape, and wherein a first top view length of the first bonding surface is less than a second top view length of the second bonding surface.
Regarding claim 24: The method of claim 15, wherein the first bonding surface has a semicircular top view shape, wherein the second bonding surface has a circle top view shape, and wherein the first bonding surface overlaps with a portion of the second bonding surface.
Regarding claim 25: The method of claim 15, wherein the first bonding surface has a first circle top view shape, wherein the second bonding surface has a second circle top view shape, and wherein a first circumference of the first bonding surface is less than a second circumference of the second bonding surface.
Regarding claim 26: The method of claim 25, wherein the first bonding surface is offset relative to a center of the second bonding surface.
REASON FOR ALLOWANCE
Claims 27-34 are allowed over prior art.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance, which paraphrases and summarizes the claimed invention without intending to be limiting, wherein the legally defined scope of the claimed invention is defined by the allowed claims themselves in view of the written description under 35 USC 112. This statement is not intended to necessarily state all the reasons for allowance or all the details why the claims are allowed and has not been written to specifically or impliedly state that all the reasons for allowance are set forth (MPEP 1302.14).
Regarding claim 27, the reference(s) of the Prior Art of record and considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure and to the examiner’s knowledge do(es) not teach or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, the instant invention regarding a method in their entirety (the individual limitations may be found just not in combination with proper motivation).
The most relevant prior art reference(s) (US 20190393159 A1 to Chen) substantially teach(es) some of limitations in claim 27 as indicated in the rejections of claim 15, but not the limitations of “a first device layer; a first interconnect structure, above the first device layer, comprising a first metal layer…… a second device layer; a second interconnect structure, below the second device layer, comprising a second metal layer” as recited in claim 27. Therefore, the claim 27 is deemed patentable over the prior art.
Regarding claims 28-33, they are allowed due to their dependencies on claim 27.
Regarding claim 34, Chen teaches some of limitations in claim 27 as indicated in the rejections of claim 15, but not the limitations of “wherein less than an entirety of the second bonding surface is bonded with the first bonding surface” as recited in claim 34. Therefore, the claim 34 is deemed patentable over the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD A. RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571) 270-0168 and email is mohammad.rahman5@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio J. Maldonado can be reached on (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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/MOHAMMAD A RAHMAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
Prosecution Insights