DETAILED ACTION
Examiner’s Note
Applicant is reminded that the Examiner is entitled to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Furthermore, the Examiner is not limited to Applicants' definition which is not specifically set forth in the claims. See MPEP 2111, 2123, 2125, 2141.02 VI, and 2182.
Examiner has cited particular paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. See MPEP 2141.02 VI.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election with traverse of Invention II (method of making semiconductor device), reflected in claims 6-20 in the reply filed on 07/22/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1-5 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142 (b), as being drawn to the nonelected group.
Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.03(a)).
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 14-20 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the conductive ink coating" in line 12 and 13 . There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purpose, this limitation will be considered as “the ultraviolet curable conductive ink coating”.
As claims 15-20 depend on the above rejected claim 1, they are also being rejected on the same reason.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-13 are allowed.
Claims 14-20 will be allowed after withdrawal of the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as described above.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding independent claims 6 and 14, the applicant has sufficiently claimed and defined a method for forming an electronic package, whereby the prior arts of record and to the examiner's knowledge do not teach or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, the instant invention regarding the method for forming an electronic package comprising: forming an ultraviolet curable conductive ink coating on the substrate to cover the encapsulant layer and the first set of conductive patterns; disposing an ultraviolet impervious mask above the first set of conductive patterns; curing the ultraviolet curable conductive ink coating by ultraviolet exposure to transform a portion of the ultraviolet curable conductive ink coating covering the encapsulant layer to a shielding layer; and removing the ultraviolet impervious mask and an uncured portion of the ultraviolet curable conductive ink coating from the substrate. The closest prior art of record, Kim et al. ( US 20200194379 A1) teaches, providing a substrate (140) comprising a substrate surface, a first set of conductive patterns (150) and a second set of conductive patterns (146) on the substrate surface; attaching at least one electronic component (104) on the substrate surface to electrically connect the at least one electronic component with the second set of conductive patterns (146); forming an encapsulant layer (166, fig. 1C) over the at least one electronic component (104), wherein the encapsulant layer (166) exposes the first set of conductive patterns (150). Kim et al. further teaches, forming a mask layer (186, fig. 2c) and a metal shielding layer (190) above the first and second set of conductive patterns and etching the mask layer (186, fig. 2e) and a part of the metal shielding layer (190) to expose the first set of conductive patterns (150). But Kim et al. but fails to teach, forming the shielding layer using an ultraviolet curable conductive ink coating and an ultraviolet impervious mask and curing the ultraviolet curable conductive ink coating by ultraviolet exposure. None of the prior arts of record, either singularly or in combination, can be used to modify the device of Kim et al. to teach the above missing feature with obvious motivation or without breaking the device of Kim et al.
The dependent claims are rejected as they depend on the allowed independent claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD M HOQUE whose telephone number is (571)272-6266 and email address is mohammad.hoque@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-7PM EST.
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/MOHAMMAD M HOQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
