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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Claim 15 recites “an underfill disposed between the electronic device and the circuit substrate to laterally encapsulate a plurality of conductive connectors, wherein the underfill has an inclined sidewall extending outward away from the first lateral device side to the first substrate side,” which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. To be more specific, FIG. 7 shows an underfill (750) disposed between the electronic device (152 inside 130+160, not labelled in FIG. 7, but labelled in FIG. 3) and the circuit substrate (760). However, the underfill (750) cannot laterally encapsulate a plurality of conductive connectors (specification states 770 as conductive connectors), and the underfill (750) cannot have an inclined sidewall extending outward away from the first lateral device side to the first substrate side (the bottom side of 760), instead, FIG. 7 shows that the inclined sidewall extending to the second substrate side (the top side of 760). Even though 740 is mapped as the plurality of conductive connectors, the first substrate side has to be the bottom side of 760 since claim 15 recites “an electronic device comprising a first device side (bottom side of 152) facing toward the second substrate side (therefore, the second substrate side is the top side of 760)”. When the second substrate side is the top side of the 760, the first substrate side is the bottom side of 760 since claim 1 also recites “a second substrate side opposite the first substrate side.” Claims 16-20 depend upon claim 15.
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 15 -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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the substrate device side" in 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of examination, “the substrate device side” is interpreted as “the second substrate side.” Claim 15 also recites “an underfill disposed between the electronic device and the circuit substrate to laterally encapsulate a plurality of conductive connectors, wherein the underfill has an inclined sidewall extending outward away from the first lateral device side to the first substrate side.” It is unclear regarding the scope of “a plurality of conductive connectors” and “the underfill has an inclined sidewall extending outward away from the first lateral device side to the first substrate side”. Claims 16-20 depend upon claim 15.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious all the claimed subject of base claim 1, in particular, after the forming the plurality of first traces, forming a protective layer on the plurality of first traces, wherein the protective layer covers top surfaces of the plurality of first traces and extends to cover a top surface of the first dielectric material; forming a second dielectric material on the protective layer; and performing a planarization process to remove a portion of the second dielectric material and a portion of the protective layer until the plurality of first traces are exposed. Therefore, claim 1 is allowable. Accordingly, claims 2-8 are allowable as they depend upon claim 1.
The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious all the claimed subject of base claim 9, in particular, a first pillar structure embedded in the second dielectric material and extending on a top surface of the first dielectric material without penetrating through the top surface of the first dielectric material; a second pillar structure aside the first pillar structure, wherein the second pillar structure penetrates through the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material to be in contact with the conductive pad of the die at the topmost surface; and a protective layer extending between a side surface of the first pillar structure and a side surface of an upper portion of the second pillar structure. Therefore, claim 9 is allowable. Accordingly, claims 10-14 are allowable as they depend upon claim 9.
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record, not relied upon for rejection, but is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US Patent No.: 9,620,482 B1;
US Patent No.: 9,461,018 B1;
US PG-Pub No.: 2017/0032977 A1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XIA L. CROSS whose telephone number is (571)270-3273. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am-5:30 pm.
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/XIA L CROSS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892
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