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 information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 6/24/24. 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 § 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 2 and 12 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2 and 12 recite the limitation that the photosensitive insulating layer includes “at least one selected from acrylate resin, novolac resin, and PHS resin.” There is a grammatical incongruity between the phrase “at least one” and the conjunction “and”. As written, it is unclear if the “at least one” is selected from at least one acrylate resin AND at least one novolac resin AND at least one PHS resin. Alternatively, the claim could be interpreted as the “at least one” is selected from the group of acrylate resin AND novolac resin AND PHS resin (i.e., the “at least one” is selected acrylate resin OR novolac resin OR PHS). Because both interpretations have differing metes and bounds, the claim is rendered indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the latter interpretation (i.e., the “at least one” is selected from “the group of...”). However, appropriate correction and/or clarification is requested.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-11, and 13-20 are allowed.
Claim 1 contains allowable subject matter because of the limitation of forming a semiconductor package by forming a photosensitive insulating layer on the lower redistribution wiring layer; radiating a first light onto the photosensitive insulating layer through a first mask to form a first hardened portion on the central region; radiating a second light onto the photosensitive insulating layer through a second mask to form a second hardened portion on the peripheral region, the second hardened portion surrounding through opening regions; removing non-hardened portions in the through opening regions and at least a portion of the first hardened portion; and forming conductive structures in the through opening regions. Claims 3-10 depend on claim 1.
Claim 11 contains allowable subject matter because of the limitation of forming a semiconductor package by forming a lower redistribution wiring layer having a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, the lower redistribution wiring layer having bonding pads that are exposed from an upper surface thereof; forming a photosensitive insulating layer on the upper surface of the lower redistribution wiring layer; radiating a first light having a first wavelength onto the photosensitive insulating layer through a first mask to form a first hardened portion in the central region; radiating a second light having a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength onto the photosensitive insulating layer through a second mask to form a second hardened portion on the bonding pads, the second hardened portion surrounding through opening regions; removing the photosensitive insulating layer in the through opening regions and at least a portion of the first hardened portion; and forming conductive structures on the bonding pads in the through opening regions. Claims 13-19 depend on claim 11.
Claim 20 contains allowable subject matter because of the limitation of forming a semiconductor package by forming a lower redistribution wiring layer having a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, the lower redistribution wiring layer having bonding pads that are exposed from an upper surface thereof; forming a photosensitive insulating layer on the upper surface of the lower redistribution wiring layer; forming a first hardened portion having a first hardness on the central region by radiating a first light having a first wavelength on the photosensitive insulating layer; forming a second hardened portion having a second hardness higher than the first hardness by radiating a second light having a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength onto the photosensitive insulating layer, the second hardened portion surrounding through opening regions on the bonding pads; removing the photosensitive insulating layer on the through opening regions and at least a portion of the first hardened portion; and forming conductive structures on the bonding pads in the through opening regions.
The closest prior art is Yoo et al. (U.S. 2020/0373216) which discloses a semiconductor package (1000, Fig. 5) with a lower redistribution wiring layer (101, Fig. 5) having a central region (center portion containing 105, Fig. 5) and a peripheral region (laterally surrounding center portion containing 105, Fig. 5) and conductive structures (107, 109, Fig. 5) within the peripheral region. However, Yoo does not disclose forming the conductive structures by radiating a first light onto the photosensitive insulating layer on the lower redistribution wiring layer through a first mask to form a first hardened portion on the central region; radiating a second light onto the photosensitive insulating layer through a second mask to form a second hardened portion on the peripheral region, the second hardened portion surrounding through opening regions; removing non-hardened portions in the through opening regions and at least a portion of the first hardened portion; and forming the conductive structures in the through opening regions and this is not otherwise rendered obvious from the prior art.
Conclusion
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/REEMA PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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