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
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the second to last line reads “configured to obtain the at least one glass substrate via,” where it appears, “configured to obtain a detection result of the at least one glass via” is intended. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong (WO 2022265871 A1) in view of Goers (US 10794679 B2).
Regarding claim 1¸Hong teaches a detection device for a through glass via (TGV) substrate, comprising:
a first depth of field camera (602; paragraph 106) and a first light source (paragraph 104), respectively arranged above and below a glass substrate with at least one glass substrate via (TGV 606 inside glass substrate, as illustrated in figure 6 and described in paragraph 104), and obliquely facing an upper surface and a lower surface of the glass substrate respectively, or alternatively, respectively arranged below and above the glass substrate, and obliquely facing the lower upper surface and the upper lower surface of the glass substrate respectively (figures 6-7; paragraph 104); and
a microcontroller (computing device in abstract), electrically connected with the first depth of field camera and the first light source (abstract);
wherein the first light source is configured to emit a first collimated beam which obliquely irradiates the glass substrate (paragraph 104), the first depth of field camera is configured to obtain a first image (paragraph 104), and the microcontroller is configured to obtain the at least one glass substrate via according to the first image (abstract and paragraphs 80-86).
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Hong doesn’t explicitly teach the light source is collimated.
Like Hong (and like the instant application), Goers is directed to a detection device for a through glass via substrate (glass substrate with through holes in paragraphs 46 and 2) and teaches that having a collimated light source provides the benefit of uniform illumination of the target substrate (paragraph 43).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that the light source is collimated in order to have uniform illumination of the target substrate.
Regarding claim 11¸Hong teaches a detection method for a through glass via (TGV) substrate, executed by a via waist depth detection device for the through glass via substrate (TGV 606 inside glass substrate, as illustrated in figure 6 and described in paragraph 104), the via waist depth detection device comprises a first depth of field camera (602; paragraph 106) and a first light source (paragraph 104), the first depth of field camera and the first collimated light source are arranged above and below a glass substrate with at least one glass substrate via respectively, and obliquely face an upper surface and a lower surface of the glass substrate respectively, or alternatively, the first depth of field camera and the first collimated light source are respectively arranged below and above the glass substrate, and obliquely face the lower surface and the upper surface of the glass substrate respectively (figures 6-7; paragraph 104); and the detection method comprises:
controlling, by a microcontroller (computing device in abstract) of the via waist depth detection device for the through glass via substrate, the first depth of field camera and the first light source (abstract) to make the first light source emit a first beam that obliquely irradiates the glass substrate and to make the first DOF camera obtain a first image (paragraph 104); and
obtaining, by the microcontroller of the via waist depth detection device for the through glass via substrate, at least one detection result of the at least one glass substrate via according to the first image (abstract and paragraphs 80-86).
Hong doesn’t explicitly teach the light source is collimated.
Like Hong (and like the instant application), Goers is directed to a detection device for a through glass via substrate (glass substrate with through holes in paragraphs 46 and 2) and teaches that having a collimated light source provides the benefit of uniform illumination of the target substrate (paragraph 43).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that the light source is collimated in order to have uniform illumination of the target substrate.
Claims 2 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong and Goers as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Cheng (CN115500020).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Hong doesn’t explicitly teach the detection result comprises a waist depth of the glass substrate via.
However, Hong and Goers teach determining a geometric profile of the via which implicitly includes a waist depth (as explained in paragraphs 13 and 83, Hong teaches that the images are used to create images of the vias [which include illustrate the waist and the waist depth] and from the via images, the shapes of the vias are mapped to coordinates; these coordinates implicitly encode the waist depth. Additionally, it is known to measure a wide variety of geometric parameters of vias (e.g. see Hong, Goers [such as paragraphs 4-5) and additional prior art). Additionally, like Hong (and like the instant application), Cheng is also concerned with substrates with vias and teaches that the waist depth of the vias are an important aspect of the substrates functionality (paragraphs 17, 34, and 5). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that the detection result comprises a waist depth of the glass substrate via in order to achieve a full characterization of the via, including all relevant geometric parameters that could have affect the functionality of the substrate, including waist depth.
Claims 3-5 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong and Goers as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of An (US 2023/0221261) and Cho (US 20200378899 A1).
Regarding claim 3, in the above combination the first depth of field camera and the first collimated light source are respectively arranged above and below the glass substrate (see citations above, such as Hong, figures 6-7).
Hong doesn’t explicitly teach a second depth of field camera and a second collimated light source, the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source are respectively arranged below and above the glass substrate, and obliquely face the lower surface and the upper surface of the glass substrate respectively; wherein the microcontroller is electrically connected with the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source, the second collimated light source is configured to emit a second collimated beam which obliquely irradiates the glass substrate; an optical band of the first collimated beam is different from an optical band of the second collimated beam, the second depth of field camera is configured to obtain a second image, and the microcontroller is configured to obtain the at least one detection result of the at least one glass substrate via according to the first image and the second image.
Like Hong (and like the instant application), An is directed to a detection device for a through glass via (TGV) and teaches a second depth of field camera (two cameras 1015 and 1016) and a second light source (two light sources 1006 and 1008), the second depth of field camera and the second light source obliquely face the glass substrate (1002); wherein the microcontroller (1024) is electrically connected with the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source (connected lines in figure 10 and associated text), the second collimated light source is configured to emit a second collimated beam which obliquely irradiates the glass substrate (figure 10); an optical band of the first collimated beam is different from an optical band of the second collimated beam (paragraph 150), the second depth of field camera is configured to obtain a second image (figure 10; paragraph 152), and the microcontroller is configured to obtain the at least one detection result of the at least one glass substrate via according to the first image and the second image (paragraph 152).
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It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that it comprises a second depth of field camera and a second collimated light source, the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source obliquely face the glass substrate respectively; wherein the microcontroller is electrically connected with the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source, the second collimated light source is configured to emit a second collimated beam which obliquely irradiates the glass substrate; an optical band of the first collimated beam is different from an optical band of the second collimated beam, the second depth of field camera is configured to obtain a second image, and the microcontroller is configured to obtain the at least one detection result of the at least one glass substrate via according to the first image and the second image – in order to obtain additional information about he sample simultaneously, especially since An teaches that different wavelengths provide sensitivity to different features (paragraph 150).
The above combination doesn’t explicitly teach the second camera and second light source are respectively arranged below and above the glass substrate.
Like Hong (and like the instant application), Cho is directed to an optical detection device for glass and teaches light sources (350, 310, 220, and 210) arranged on both sides of glass and imagers (240, 340) on both sides of the glass.
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It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that the second camera and second light source are respectively arranged below and above the glass substrate in order to accurately measure both sides of the glass substrate.
Regarding claim 4, in the above combination each of a color of the first collimated beam and a color of the second collimated beam are selected from red, green and blue, and the color of the first collimated beam is different from the color of the second collimated beam (An, paragraphs 108, 122, 125, and 154).
Regarding claim 5, the above combination suggests each of an extending direction of an image-capturing end of the first depth of field camera and an extending direction of an emitting end of the first collimated light source has a first inclination angle of 30-45 degrees from the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass substrate, each of an extending direction of an image-capturing end of the second depth of field camera and an extending direction of an emitting end of the second collimated light source has a second inclination angle of 30-45 degrees from the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass substrate, and the first inclination angle is identical to or different from the second inclination angle (suggested by Hong, for example, by the multiple different angles of illumination and detection, including angles that substantially overlap the claimed angles, as discussed in paragraphs 103-105, 122, 145; similarly, for the overlapping angles of An, in paragraphs 12 and 126, which also includes a specific example in the range in paragraph 166). Additionally, Hong and An recognize that this is a variable that can be optimized for expected desired results and teaches examples that are both in this range and that substantially overlap this range (Hong, for example, by the multiple different angles of illumination and detection, including angles that substantially overlap the claimed angles, as discussed in paragraphs 103-105, 122, 145; similarly, for the overlapping angles of An, in paragraphs 12 and 126, which also includes a specific example in the range in paragraph 166). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that each of an extending direction of an image-capturing end of the first depth of field camera and an extending direction of an emitting end of the first collimated light source has a first inclination angle of 30-45 degrees from the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass substrate, each of an extending direction of an image-capturing end of the second depth of field camera and an extending direction of an emitting end of the second collimated light source has a second inclination angle of 30-45 degrees from the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass substrate, and the first inclination angle is identical to or different from the second inclination angle – in order to optimize the angle for the geometric features and defect features of the glass substate that one is interested in analyzing.
Regarding claim 8, in the above combination the first image reveals an upper opening, a lower opening and a via of the at least one glass substrate via of the glass substrate (since the camera is focused on the vias of the glass substrate), and reveals a part of the glass substrate near the upper opening, the lower opening and the via, wherein the upper opening, the lower opening and the via in the first image form a dog-bone shape unit (because this is the shape of the via as illustrated in Hong, figures 8-10, 12; An, figure 2A, 9A), a color of the dog-bone shape unit is a color of the first collimated beam (since this is the color of the light beam and the substrate is made of glass), and a color of an area outside the dog-bone shape unit is a mixed color of the color of the first collimated beam and a color of the second collimated beam (because the region around the via will include some of the scattered light from the other light beam).
Regarding claim 9, in the above combination the second image reveals an upper opening, a lower opening and a via of the at least one glass substrate via of the glass substrate (since the camera is focused on the vias of the glass substrate), and reveals a part of the glass substrate near the upper opening, the lower opening and the via, wherein the upper opening, the lower opening and the via in the second in image form another dog-bone shape unit (because this is the shape of the via as illustrated in Hong, figures 8-10, 12; An, figure 2A, 9A), a color of the other dog-bone shape unit is a color of the second collimated beam (since this is the color of the light beam and the substrate is made of glass), and a color outside the other dog-bone shape unit is a mixed color of the color of a first collimated beam and the color of the second collimated beam (because the region around the via will include some of the scattered light from the other light beam).
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong, Goers, An, and Cho, as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Dufour (US 9933400 B1).
Regarding claim 6, Hong teaches a 1st base to support a 1st camera (figure 7) and a 4th base to support a first light source (figure 7), an upper base, common base, and lower base, where the upper base supports the 1st base and the lower base supports the 4th base (figure 7). Therefore, Hong teaches a base structure comprising a common base, an upper base, a lower base, a first base, a fourth base, wherein the upper base, the lower base are arranged on an upper half and a lower half of the common base respectively, the first base arranged on a left half of the upper base respectively, the fourth base are arranged on a a right half of the lower base respectively, the first base and the second base are configured to support and fix the first depth of field camera, and fourth base are configured to support and fix the second depth of field camera and the first collimated light source respectively.
Hong doesn’t explicitly teach the second base and third base for the other light source and other camera.
However, in the above combination, the other light source is on the same side as the first camera and the second camera is on the same side as the first light source (see combination above). Like the above combination (and like the instant application), Dufour is concerned with the problem of mounting light sources and cameras and teaches the second base and third base for the other light source and other camera (figure 1). In other words, Dufour teaches that when the light source and camera are on the same side of the target, they are supported by the a first and second base on an upper base (figure 1).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that it comprises a base structure comprising a common base, an upper base, a lower base, a first base, a second base, a third base and a fourth base, wherein the upper base, the lower base are arranged on an upper half and a lower half of the common base respectively, the first base and the second base are arranged on a left half and a right half of the upper base respectively, the third base and the fourth base are arranged on a left half and a right half of the lower base respectively, the first base and the second base are configured to support and fix the first depth of field camera and the second collimated light source respectively, and the third base and the fourth base are configured to support and fix the second depth of field camera and the first collimated light source respectively – in order to ensure one maintains accurate alignment and therefore minimizes errors and noise.
Regarding claim 7, in the above combination the common base is fixed in a main frame body, and a glass substrate supporting structure is movably arranged in the main frame body, so that the glass substrate moves relative to the first depth of field camera, the second depth of field camera, the second collimated light source and the first collimated light source in response to movement of the glass substrate supporting structure; or alternatively, the common base is moveably arranged in the main frame body, and the glass substrate supporting structure is fixed in the main frame body, so that the glass substrate moves relative to the first depth of field camera, the second depth of field camera, the second collimated light source and the first collimated light source in response to movement of the common base (Hong, paragraphs 100 and 103).
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong and Goers as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of An.
Regarding claim 13, the above combination suggests each of an extending direction of an image-capturing end of the first DOF camera and an extending direction of an emitting end of the first collimated light source has a first inclination angle of 30-45 degrees from the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass substrate (suggested by Hong, for example, by the multiple different angles of illumination and detection, including angles that substantially overlap the claimed angles, as discussed in paragraphs 103-105, 122, 145; similarly, for the overlapping angles of An, in paragraphs 12 and 126, which also includes a specific example in the range in paragraph 166). Additionally, Hong and An recognize that this is a variable that can be optimized for expected desired results and teaches examples that are both in this range and that substantially overlap this range (Hong, for example, by the multiple different angles of illumination and detection, including angles that substantially overlap the claimed angles, as discussed in paragraphs 103-105, 122, 145; similarly, for the overlapping angles of An, in paragraphs 12 and 126, which also includes a specific example in the range in paragraph 166). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above combination such that each of an extending direction of an image-capturing end of the first DOF camera and an extending direction of an emitting end of the first collimated light source has a first inclination angle of 30-45 degrees from the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass substrate – in order to optimize the angle for the geometric features and defect features of the glass substate that one is interested in analyzing.
Regarding claim 14, in the above combination the first image reveals an upper opening, a lower opening and a via of the at least one glass substrate via of the glass substrate (since the camera is focused on the vias of the glass substrate), and reveals a part of the glass substrate near the upper opening, the lower opening and the via; the upper opening, the lower opening and the via in the first image form a dog-bone shape unit (because this is the shape of the via as illustrated in Hong, figures 8-10, 12; An, figure 2A, 9A), a color of the dog-bone shape unit is a color of the first collimated beam, and a color of an area outside the dog-bone shape unit is different from the color of the first collimated beam (since this is the color of the light beam and the substrate is made of glass), and a color outside the other dog-bone shape unit is a mixed color of the color of a first collimated beam and the color of the second collimated beam (because the region around the via will include some of the scattered light from the other light beam).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record (taken alone or in combination) fails to anticipate or render obvious, “…a second depth of field camera and a second collimated light source, wherein when the first depth of field camera and the first collimated light source are respectively arranged above and below the glass substrate, the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source are respectively arranged below and above the glass substrate, and obliquely face the lower surface and the upper surface of the glass substrate respectively, and when the first depth of field camera and the first collimated light source are respectively arranged below and above the glass substrate and, the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source are respectively arranged above and below the glass substrate, and obliquely face the upper surface and the lower surface of the glass substrate respectively; wherein the microcontroller is electrically connected with the second depth of field camera and the second collimated light source, the second collimated light source is configured to emit a second collimated beam which obliquely irradiates the glass substrate; an optical band of the first collimated beam is different from an optical band of the second collimated beam, the second depth of field camera is configured to obtain a second image, and the microcontroller is configured to obtain the at least one detection result of the at least one glass substrate via according to the first image and the second image… wherein the first image reveals an upper opening, a lower opening and a via of the at least one glass substrate via of the glass substrate, and reveals a part of the glass substrate near the upper opening, the lower opening and the via, wherein the upper opening, the lower opening and the via in the first image form a dog-bone shape unit, a color of the dog-bone shape unit is a color of the first collimated beam, and a color of an area outside the dog-bone shape unit is a mixed color of the color of the first collimated beam and a color of the second collimated beam … wherein the second image reveals an upper opening, a lower opening and a via of the at least one glass substrate via of the glass substrate, and reveals a part of the glass substrate near the upper opening, the lower opening and the via, wherein the upper opening, the lower opening and the via in the second in image form another dog-bone shape unit, a color of the other dog-bone shape unit is a color of the second collimated beam, and a color outside the other dog-bone shape unit is a mixed color of the color of a first collimated beam and the color of the second collimated beam … wherein the microcontroller is further configured to process two overlapped dog-bone shape units in the first image so as to separate the two overlapped dog-bone shape units in the first image from each other, and process two overlapped dog-bone shape units in the second image so as to separate the two overlapped dog-bone shape units in the second image from each other,” in combination with the other claimed limitations.
Additional Prior Art
Watanabe (US 20240027340 A1) teaches having different bands provides the benefit of obtaining multiple images at multiple locations with different optical characteristics quickly (paragraphs 128-131)
Hwang (US 20130044209 A1) discloses glass substrate (1) with light sources (30) and cameras (10 and 20)
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Conclusion
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/RUFUS L PHILLIPS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2877