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 Objections
Claims 4-7 are objected to because of the following informalities: each of claims 4-7 recite “The method for claim…”, which should be corrected to “The method of claim…”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 11 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 11, the claim recites “The method for claim 9”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 9 claims “a sensor package”, not a method. The scope of limitations on a “method for claim 9” are indefinite as they are never described. For the purpose of examination, the examiner interprets the claim as reciting “the sensor package of claim 9”.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite in that it fails to point out what is included or excluded by the claim language. This claim is an omnibus type claim. For the purpose of examination, the examiner interprets the claim as reciting “the sensor package of claim 9”.
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 1-5 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Male et al. (US 20180190628 A1, hereinafter M1), and further in view of Beyne et al. (US 20180061741 A1, hereinafter B1) and Fan et al. (US 20230132008 A1, hereinafter F1).
Regarding independent claim 1, M1 discloses, in M1 FIG. 12-19 and associated text, A method for forming a sensor package, comprising: providing a substrate (silicon substrate 902), wherein one or more connectors are attached onto a front side of the substrate (die pads 122, die wires 124, and/or metallization structure conductors 909, where the front side is considered the side of 902 facing toward metallization structure 904); forming a sacrificial layer (SL1, SL2, SL3, and SL4), and wherein the sacrificial layer is molded as including a base portion (SL1 and/or SL2), a step portion with a periphery smaller than a periphery of the base portion (SL3), and at least one extrusion portion on the base portion (SL4); applying an encapsulant material surrounding the base portion of the sacrificial layer, to enlarge the encapsulant layer (molded package structure 102); removing the sacrificial layer from the encapsulant layer (SL1-SL4 are removed as shown in M1 FIG. 16 and block 1918), to form a cavity corresponding to the step portion and the base portion of the sacrificial layer (cavity 110 corresponds to the former location of SL1-SL3), and to form at least one hole corresponding to the at least one extrusion portion on the enlarged encapsulant layer (port opening 118 corresponds to the former location of SL4); and attaching a cap onto the enlarged encapsulant layer to cover the cavity (seal structure 120 covers cavity 110). M1 does not explicitly disclose forming an encapsulant layer on the front side of the substrate, wherein the one or more connectors are exposed from the encapsulant layer; forming the sacrificial layer on the encapsulant layer, wherein a periphery of the sacrificial layer is smaller than a periphery of the encapsulant layer; and/or positioning a sensor within the cavity and connecting the sensor to the one or more connectors.
However, in the same field of endeavor, B1 discloses, in B1 FIG. 2A-2H and associated text, forming an encapsulant layer on the front side of the substrate (mold material 2’/substrate 2 formed on carrier wafer 25), wherein the one or more connectors are exposed from the encapsulant layer (TSV inserts 16 are exposed from substrate 2 following the step from B1 FIG. 2C to 2D).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the package of M1 with the method of forming a substrate with connections exposed from an encapsulant layer of B1 where B1’s resulting substrate 2 corresponds to M1’s metallization structure 904 and M1’s sacrificial layer is formed on the encapsulant layer (M1’s SL1-SL4 would be formed on B1’s substrate 2, which is an encapsulation layer), wherein a periphery of the sacrificial layer is smaller than a periphery of the encapsulant layer (M1’s SL1-SL4 are smaller in periphery than 904), which would provide a process which allows for testing of the die in the first part of the encapsulation prior to subsequent attachment of dies and encapsulation material (B1 [0009]).
Additionally, in the same field of endeavor, F1 discloses in F1 FIG. 2 associated text positioning a sensor within the cavity and connecting the sensor to the one or more connectors (optical sensing layer 211 is positioned in the cavity enclosed by 201 and 206 and connected to wirings 217).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the sensor of F1 with package of M1, as modified by B1, positioned within the cavity and connected to a connector (i.e. B1’s TSV 16, as combined) to provide additional functionality to the package in the form of optical sensing capabilities.
Regarding dependent claim 2, M1, as modified by B1 and F1, discloses the method of claim 1. The combined reference does not explicitly disclose before forming an encapsulant layer on the front side of the substrate, the method further comprises: attaching one or more electronic components onto the front side of the substrate.
However, in the same field of endeavor, B1 discloses in B1 FIG. 2A-2C before forming an encapsulant layer on the front side of the substrate, the method further comprises: attaching one or more electronic components onto the front side of the substrate (logic die 1 is attached to 25 before molding material 2’).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the logic die of B1 with the sensor package of M1, as modified by B1 and F1, to provide a device with the capabilities of a logic dies such as signal processing for the optical sensor of the combined reference.
Regarding dependent claim 3, M1, as modified by B1 and F1, further discloses in B1 FIG. 2F and associated text The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more electronic components are electrically coupled to the one or more connectors (die 1 is connected to TSV 16 by connecting device 18 (B1 [0035])).
Regarding dependent claim 4, M1, as modified by B1 and F1, further discloses in B1 FIG. 2C-2D and associated text The method for claim 1, wherein forming an encapsulant layer on the front side of the substrate further comprises grinding a portion of the encapsulant layer to expose the one or more connectors (excess mold material 2’ is removed by grinding to expose TSV 16 (B1 [0037])).
Regarding dependent claim 5, M1, as modified by B1 and F1, further discloses the method for claim 1. The combined reference does not explicitly disclose the sacrificial layer comprises a photoresist material. However, photoresist as a sacrificial material was well-known in the art before the effective filing date of the invention and one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that photoresist could be used as the sacrificial material of M1’s layers SL1-SL4. Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use photoresist as the sacrificial material because Applicant has not disclosed that photoresist provides an advantage, is used for a particular purpose, or solves a stated problem. One of ordinary skill in the art, furthermore, would have expected Applicant’s invention to perform equally well with any kind of sacrificial material because any kind of sacrificial material is capable of forming the structure as claimed. Therefore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to use photoresist as the sacrificial material.
Regarding dependent claim 7, M1, as modified by B1 and F1, further discloses in F1 FIG. 2 and associated text The method for claim 1, wherein the sensor is a lidar sensor (the optical sensor 211 is part of an optical distance sensing module (F1 [0019]), therefore interpreted as a lidar sensor). The combined reference does not explicitly disclose the cap is an optical filter.
However, in the same field of endeavor, F1 discloses in F1 FIG. 2 and associated text the cap is an optical filter (light filtering glass 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to substitute the optical filter 204 of F1 for the seal structure 120 in the sensor package of M1, as modified by B1 and F1, which one of ordinary skill in in the art would recognize as providing the advantage of selectively filtering out wavelengths of light other than those emitted by the lidar module to reduce noise for the sensor.
Additionally, in the event the applicant disagrees that F1’s optical sensing layer 211 is a lidar sensor – which the examiner does not concede, lidar was a well-known form of optical distance sensing in the art before the effective filing date of the invention and one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that any optical sensor used for distance sensing – such as that disclosed by the combined reference – is capable of performing the function of a lidar sensor. Therefore, if not inherent that the optical sensor 211 is a lidar sensor, it would have been obvious to use a lidar sensor in its place to provide sensor package 211 with lidar capabilities.
Regarding dependent claim 8, M1, as modified by B1 and F1, further discloses A sensor package formed according to the method of claim 1 (the references, as combined, result in said sensor package).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over M1, and further in view of B1, F1, and Zou et al. (WO 2024109625 A1, hereinafter Z1, of which EP 4626035 A1 serves as an English translation).
Regarding dependent claim 6, M1, as modified by B1 and F1, discloses the method for claim 5. The combined reference does not explicitly disclose each of the at least one extrusion portion has a diameter of 10 μm or less.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Z1 discloses each of the at least one hole has a diameter of 10 μm or less (the diameter of the release holes 8 is between 0.15 and 0.5 μm (Z1 [0059])).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to limit the diameter of extrusion portions of the sacrificial layer of M1, as modified by B1 and F1, to produce the 0.15 to 0.5 μm diameter holes of Z1 to provide dust-proof release holes, improving the performance and reliability of the sensor package (Z1 [0060]).
Claims 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over M1, and further in view of F1.
Regarding independent claim 9, M1 discloses A sensor package, comprising: a substrate (silicon substrate 902); one or more electronic components formed on a front side of the substrate (i.e. bond wires 124); one or more connectors on the front side of the substrate (coil structures 906/908); an encapsulant layer on the front side of the substrate (molded package structure 102), wherein the encapsulant layer includes a cavity (cavity 110) and at least one hole on a front side of the encapsulant layer (port 118), and wherein the one or more connectors are exposed in the cavity (906/908 are exposed in 110); and a cap on the encapsulant layer to cover the cavity (seal structure 120 covers 110). M1 does not explicitly disclose a sensor within the cavity, wherein the sensor is connected with the one or more connectors.
However, in the same field of endeavor, F1 discloses in F1 FIG. 2 and associated text a sensor within the cavity (optical sensing layer 211 in the cavity enclosed by 201 and 206), wherein the sensor is connected with the one or more connectors (211 is connected with wirings 217).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the sensor of F1 with package of M1, positioned within the cavity and connected to a connector (i.e. M1’s 906/908) to provide additional functionality to the package in the form of optical sensing capabilities.
Regarding dependent claim 11, M1, as modified by F1, further discloses in F1 FIG. 2 and associated text The sensor package of claim 9, wherein the sensor is a lidar sensor (the optical sensor 211 is part of an optical distance sensing module (F1 [0019]), therefore interpreted as a lidar sensor). The combined reference does not explicitly disclose the cap is an optical filter.
However, in the same field of endeavor, F1 discloses in F1 FIG. 2 and associated text the cap is an optical filter (light filtering glass 204).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to substitute the optical filter 204 of F1 for the seal structure 120 in the sensor package of M1, as modified by B1 and F1, which one of ordinary skill in in the art would recognize as providing the advantage of selectively filtering out wavelengths of light other than those emitted by the lidar module to reduce noise for the sensor.
Additionally, in the event the applicant disagrees that F1’s optical sensing layer 211 is a lidar sensor – which the examiner does not concede, lidar was a well-known form of optical distance sensing in the art before the effective filing date of the invention and one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that any optical sensor used for distance sensing – such as that disclosed by the combined reference – is capable of performing the function of a lidar sensor. Therefore, if not inherent that the optical sensor 211 is a lidar sensor, it would have been obvious to use a lidar sensor in its place to provide sensor package 211 with lidar capabilities.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over M1, and further in view of F1 and Z1.
Regarding dependent claim 6, M1, as modified by F1, discloses the sensor package of claim 9. The combined reference does not explicitly disclose the at least one hole has a diameter of 10 μm or less.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Z1 discloses the at least one hole has a diameter of 10 μm or less (the diameter of the release holes 8 is between 0.15 and 0.5 μm (Z1 [0059])).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to limit the diameter of extrusion portions of the sacrificial layer of M1, as modified by B1 and F1, to produce the 0.15 to 0.5 μm diameter holes of Z1 to provide dust-proof release holes, improving the performance and reliability of the sensor package (Z1 [0060]).
Conclusion
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure:
US 20100200898 A1, pertaining to a lidar sensor package.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EVERETT TRAJAN RIRIE whose telephone number is (571) 272-9559. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thu 8:30 am - 6:30 pm.
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 at (571) 270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EVERETT T RIRIE/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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