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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (encompassing claims 1-8 and 15-20) in the reply filed on 7/9/26 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 11/3/25. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Haba et al. (U.S. 2014/0131900 A1; “Haba”).
Regarding claim 1, Haba discloses a device, comprising:
A substrate (14, Fig. 4) having a non-conductive film (“mask material”; [0022]) disposed on a first surface ([0022]);
A die (12, Fig. 4) having a plurality of pins including VSS pins (36A, Fig. 4) and non-VSS pins (40, Fig. 4) having an insulating layer (42, Fig. 4), wherein the plurality of pins are coupled to the substrate through the non-conductive film ([0032], [0022], Fig. 4); and
A conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4) disposed between the die (12, Fig. 4) and the substrate (14, Fig. 4), wherein the conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4) is coupled to the VSS pins (36A, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2, Haba discloses the non-conductive film (“mask material”; [0022]) is separated from the die (12, Fig. 4) by a gap.
Regarding claim 3, Haba discloses the gap between the non-conductive film (“mask material”; [0022]) and the die (12, Fig. 4) is occupied by the conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, Haba discloses the conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4) comprises a conductive paste ([0028]).
Regarding claim 5, Haba discloses the insulating layer (42, Fig. 4) is disposed between the non-VSS pins (40, Fig. 4) and the conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4) ([0025]-[0026]).
Regarding claim 7, Haba discloses the substrate comprises a VSS plane configured to operate at a ground or negative potential ([0032]).
Regarding claim 15, Haba discloses an electronic device, comprising:
An integrated (IC) package that comprises:
A substrate (14, Fig. 4) having a non-conductive film (“mask material”; [0022]) disposed on a first surface ([0022]);
A die (12, Fig. 4) having a plurality of pins including VSS pins (36A, Fig. 4) and non-VSS pins (40, Fig. 4) having an insulating layer (42, Fig. 4), wherein the plurality of pins are coupled to the substrate through the non-conductive film ([0032], [0022], Fig. 4); and
A conductive underfill (50, Fig. 4) disposed between the die (12, Fig. 4) and the substrate (14, Fig. 4), wherein the conductive underfill (50, Fig. 4) is coupled to the VSS pins (36A, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 16, Haba discloses Haba discloses the non-conductive film (“mask material”; [0022]) is separated from the die (12, Fig. 4) by a gap.
Regarding claim 17, Haba discloses the gap between the non-conductive film (“mask material”; [0022]) and the die (12, Fig. 4) is occupied by the conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 18, Haba discloses the conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4) comprises a conductive paste ([0028]).
Regarding claim 19, Haba discloses the insulating layer (42, Fig. 4) is disposed between the non-VSS pins (40, Fig. 4) and the conductive underfill (46, Fig. 4) ([0025]-[0026]).
Regarding claim 20, Haba discloses the electronic device comprises a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant ([0047]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haba et al. (U.S. 2014/0131900 A1; “Haba”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lin et al. (U.S. 2014/0252573 A1; “Lin”).
Regarding claim 6, Haba discloses the insulating layer (42, Fig. 4) may comprise a poly-p-xylene or parylene ([0026]) but does not disclose it may be silicon dioxide. However, Lin discloses utilizing silicon oxide as an insulating layer ([0050].) This has the advantage of utilizing a reliable insulating material. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Haba the insulating layer being silicon dioxide, as taught by Lin, so as to utilize a reliable insulating material.
Regarding claim 8, Haba discloses the substrate comprises non-VSS pins (40, Fig. 4) ([0032]) but does not disclose the substrate comprises a VDD plane. However, Lin discloses non-VSS pins comprising a VDD plane configured to operate at a ground or positive potential ([0055]). This has the advantage of providing power delivery at a lower impedance. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Haba with a VDD plane configured to operate at a ground or positive potential, as taught by Lin, so as to improve power delivery to the device.
Conclusion
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/REEMA PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812 8/31/2026
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