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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on May 22nd, 2024 has been considered.
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.
The following title is suggested: Wiring board including a surface treatment layer that covers an upper surface and side surfaces of a pad, semiconductor device, and wiring board manufacturing method.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 7, line 4, “a area” should be --an area--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakajima (U.S. Pub. 2023/0109322) in view of Imafuji et al. (U.S. Pub. 2018/0096926).
In re claim 1, Nakajima discloses a wiring board 10 comprising an insulating layer 200 that includes a first surface (top surface) and a second surface (bottom surface) on an opposite side of the first surface, and includes an opening portion that is formed so as to penetrate through the first surface and the second surface (see paragraph [0045] and fig. 15); a connection terminal 410 that is arranged in the opening portion (see paragraph [0048] and fig. 15); and a wiring structure (111,114) that is formed on the second surface of the insulating layer 200 and connected to the connection terminal 410 (see paragraph [0057] and fig. 15), wherein the connection terminal 410 includes a pad that is formed in the opening portion and that has a bottom surface located on a same plane as the second surface of the insulating layer 200; the pad protrudes from the first surface of the insulating layer 200 at a position of the opening portion (see paragraph (see paragraphs [0041], [0042], [0071] and fig. 15).
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Nakajima is silent to wherein a surface treatment layer that covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the pad and the surface treatment layer forms a gap between the surface treatment layer and an inner wall surface of the opening portion.
However, Imafuji discloses in a same field of endeavor, a wiring board, including, inter-alia, a wiring board 1 comprising an insulating layer 40 that includes a first surface and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface, and includes an opening portion that is formed so as to penetrate through the first surface and the second surface (see paragraph [0024] and fig. 1A); a connection terminal (31,32,33,34) that is arranged in the opening portion (see paragraph [0032] and fig. 1A); wherein the connection terminal (31,32,33,34) includes a pad that is formed in the opening portion and that has a bottom surface located on a same plane as the second surface of the insulating layer 40 (see paragraph [0032] and fig. 1A); and a surface treatment layer 35 that covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the pad, the pad protrudes from the first surface of the insulating layer 40 at a position of the opening portion, and the surface treatment layer 35 forms a gap between the surface treatment layer 35 and an inner wall surface of the opening portion (see paragraph [0034] and fig. 1B).
Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Imafuji into the wiring board of the Nakajima in order to enable wherein a surface treatment layer that covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the pad and the surface treatment layer forms a gap between the surface treatment layer and an inner wall surface of the opening portion in Nakajima to be formed in order to improve adhesion between the wiring structure and the insulating layer (see paragraph [0041] of Imafuji) and provide an effect of increasing migration resistance so as to improve reliability (see paragraph [0042] of Imafuji). Furthermore, it would have been obvious because all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR), 550 U.S. 398 (2007). “If a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond that person’s skill.” Id.
In re claims 2 and 3, as applied to claim 1 above, Nakajima and Imafuji are silent to wherein the pad has a tapered shape in which a diameter increases from the upper surface to the bottom surface and wherein the inner wall surface of the opening portion is a tapered surface that is inclined, in a cross-sectional shape, in accordance with the tapered shape of the pad.
However, Nakajima discloses wherein the wiring board including a wiring structure 114 has a tapered shape in which a diameter increases from the upper surface of the insulating layer 112 to the bottom surface of the insulating layer 112 and wherein the inner wall surface of the opening portion is a tapered surface that is inclined, in a cross-sectional shape, in accordance with the tapered shape of the wiring structure 114 (see paragraph [0057] and fig. 16).
Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be motivated to use the technique for forming the wiring structure of Nakajima to form the pad of Nakajima so that the pad has a tapered shape in which a diameter increases from the upper surface to the bottom surface and wherein the inner wall surface of the opening portion is a tapered surface that is inclined, in a cross-sectional shape, in accordance with the tapered shape of the pad since it is respectfully submitted that the configuration regarding about the shape of the pad was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the pad was significant (In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)).
In re claim 4, as applied to claim 1 above, Nakajima and Imafuji are silent to wherein the surface treatment layer forms the gap with a width smaller than a thickness of the surface treatment layer, in a space formed with the inner wall surface of the opening portion.
However, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to optimize the width of the gap to be smaller than the thickness of the surface treatment layer, in a space formed with the inner wall surface of the opening portion during routine experimentation since where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation. See in re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
In re claim 6, as applied to claim 1 above, Nakajima in combination with Imafuji discloses wherein the surface treatment layer and the pad are formed of mutually different metals (see paragraphs [0029], [0035] of Imafuji).
In re claim 7, as applied to claim 1 above, Nakajima in combination with Imafuji discloses wherein the wiring structure (10,20) includes a third surface contacting with the second surface of the insulating layer, and the third surface has a area that is not covered with the insulating layer 40 and the connection terminal 30 and that faces the gap (see paragraphs [0025], [0027] and fig. 1A of Imafuji).
In re claim 8, as applied to claim 7 above, Nakajima in combination with Imafuji discloses wherein the third surface contacts with the pad and the surface treatment layer 35 (see paragraph [0030] and fig. 1A of Imafuji).
In re claim 9, Nakajima discloses a semiconductor device comprising a wiring board 10; a semiconductor chip 610 that is mounted on the wiring board (see paragraph [0071] and fig. 24); and an underfill material 613 that is filled in a space between the wiring board 10 and the semiconductor chip 610 (see paragraph [0072] and fig. 24), wherein the wiring board 10 includes an insulating layer 200 that includes a first surface (top surface) and a second surface (bottom surface) on an opposite side of the first surface, and includes an opening portion that is formed so as to penetrate through the first surface and the second surface (see paragraphs [0037], [0044], [0045] and fig. 24); a connection terminal 410 that is arranged in the opening portion; and a wiring structure (111,114) that is formed on the second surface of the insulating layer 200 and connected to the connection terminal 410 (see paragraph [0038] and fig. 24), the connection terminal 410 includes a pad that is formed in the opening portion and that has a bottom surface located on a same plane as the second surface of the insulating layer 200 (see paragraphs [0041], [0042] and fig. 24); the pad protrudes from the first surface of the insulating layer 200 at a position of the opening portion, and the gap is filled with the underfill material 613 (see paragraph [0072] and fig. 24).
Nakajima is silent to an insulating layer that includes a first surface coming into contact with the underfill material and a surface treatment layer that covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the pad, the pad protrudes from the first surface of the insulating layer at a position of the opening portion, the surface treatment layer forms a gap between the surface treatment layer and an inner wall surface of the opening portion, and the gap is filled with the underfill material.
However, Imafuji discloses a semiconductor device comprising a wiring board 1; a semiconductor chip 60 that is mounted on the wiring board 1 (see paragraphs [0024], [0038] and fig. 2); and an underfill material 80 that is filled in a space between the wiring board 1 and the semiconductor chip 60, wherein the wiring board 1 includes an insulating layer 40 that includes a first surface coming into contact with the underfill material 80 and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface, and includes an opening portion that is formed so as to penetrate through the first surface and the second surface (see paragraph [0038] and fig. 2); a connection terminal (31,32,33,34) that is arranged in the opening portion; the connection terminal (31,32,33,34) includes a pad that is formed in the opening portion and that has a bottom surface located on a same plane as the second surface of the insulating layer 40 (see paragraph [0032] and fig. 2); and a surface treatment layer 35 that covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the pad, the pad protrudes from the first surface of the insulating layer 40 at a position of the opening portion, the surface treatment layer 35 forms a gap between the surface treatment layer 35 and an inner wall surface of the opening portion, and the gap is filled with the underfill material 80 (see paragraphs [0028], [0030] and fig. 2).
Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Imafuji into the semiconductor device of the Nakajima in order to enable an insulating layer that includes a first surface coming into contact with the underfill material and a surface treatment layer that covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the pad, the pad protrudes from the first surface of the insulating layer at a position of the opening portion, the surface treatment layer forms a gap between the surface treatment layer and an inner wall surface of the opening portion, and the gap is filled with the underfill material in Nakajima to be formed in order to improve adhesion between the wiring structure and the insulating layer (see paragraph [0041] of Imafuji) and provide an effect of increasing migration resistance so as to improve reliability (see paragraph [0042] of Imafuji). Furthermore, it would have been obvious because all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR), 550 U.S. 398 (2007). “If a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond that person’s skill.” Id.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakajima (U.S. Pub. 2023/0109322) in view of Imafuji et al. (U.S. Pub. 2018/0096926), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kondo et al. (U.S. Pub. 2011/0308849).
In re claim 5, as applied to claim 1 above, Nakajima and Imafuji are silent to wherein, in the insulating layer, surface roughness of the first surface is larger than surface roughness of the second surface.
However, Kondo discloses in a same field of endeavor, a wiring board including, inter-alia, wherein, in the insulating layer 26, surface roughness of the first surface is larger than surface roughness of the second surface (see paragraph [0104] and fig. 7A).
Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Kondo into the wiring board of the Nakajima in order to enable wherein, in the insulating layer, surface roughness of the first surface is larger than surface roughness of the second surface in Nakajima to be formed in order to improve adhesion between the insulating layer and the underfill material.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Muramatsu et al. (U.S. Pub. 2010/0252304) discloses a semiconductor device including, inter-alia, a wiring board 10 (see paragraph [0012] and fig. 2); a semiconductor chip 1 that is mounted on the wiring board 10; and an underfill material 3 that is filled in a space between the wiring board 10 and the semiconductor chip 1 (see paragraph [0052] and fig. 2), wherein the wiring board 10 includes an insulating layer 17 that includes a first surface coming into contact with the underfill material 3 and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface, and includes an opening portion that is formed so as to penetrate through the first surface and the second surface; a connection terminal 16 that is arranged in the opening portion (see paragraph [0045] and fig. 1).
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/KHIEM D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892
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