DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is responsive to an Application filed on 09/01/2024, which is a continuation application of U.S. Application No. 17/493,853, filed on 10/05/2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/105,377, filed on 10/26/2020, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/177,992, filed on 04/22/2021.
Currently, claims 1-22 are examined as below.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) filed on 09/01/2024 and 06/10/2026. The IDS have 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:
(Marked-Up Version) Lidded Semiconductor Package Having Two-Part Lid
(Clean Version) Lidded Semiconductor Package Having Two-Part Lid
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14-15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0176357 A1 to Yu et al. (“Yu”).
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Regarding independent claim 1, Yu in Figs. 1A, 5C and Annotated Fig. 5C teaches a semiconductor package SD3 (Fig. 5C & ¶ 63, semiconductor device SD3), comprising:
a substrate 200 (¶ 63, substrate 200) having a top surface and a bottom surface (Fig. 5C);
a semiconductor die 110 (Figs. 1A, 5C, Annotated Fig. 5C, ¶ 25, ¶ 63, semiconductor die 110 including components 112, 114, 116 and 118) mounted on the top surface of the substrate 200; and
a two-part lid 510C, 540 (Fig. 5C, ¶ 65, a collective of cover 510C and support 540) mounted on a perimeter of the top surface of the substrate 200 and housing the semiconductor die 110, wherein the lid 510C, 540 comprises an annular lid base 540 (Fig. 5C, ¶ 63, support 540 has an annular shape) and a cover plate 510C (Fig. 5C, ¶ 65, cover 510C which is secured by a fastener 920, which is a screw, such that the cover 510C can be removed by unscrewing the fastener i.e., removable) removably installed on the annular lid base 540, wherein the cover plate 510C comprises a central heat slug CHS (Annotated Fig. 5C, ¶ 45, ¶ 65, portion CHS is a part of the cap 512C similar to the cap 512A, which includes a thermally conductive material i.e., central heat slug) and an outwardly protruding flange OPF (Annotated Fig. 5C) integrally constructed with the central heat slug CHS, wherein a top surface of the annular lid base 540 is capped by the outwardly protruding flange OPF (Annotated Fig. 5C).
Regarding claim 2, Yu in Annotated Fig. 5C further teaches the central heat slug CHS is thicker than the outwardly protruding flange OPF (Annotated Fig. 5C).
Regarding claim 4, Yu in Fig. 1A and Annotated Fig. 5C further teaches the annular lid base 540 comprises vertical walls VW (Annotated Fig. 5C) spaced apart from the semiconductor die 110 and an annular, horizontal inner flange IFG (Annotated Fig. 5C, ¶ 63, inner flange IFG of the support 540 which has an annular shape) inwardly protruding beyond the vertical walls VW, wherein the horizontal inner flange IFG overlaps with a peripheral portion of the semiconductor 110 100 (Annotated Fig. 5C, a side surface of the flange IFG overlaps with a peripheral side surface of die 110).
Regarding claim 6, Yu in Figs. 1B and Annotated Fig. 5C further teaches the inner flange IFG defines a central opening OP (Annotated Fig. 5C, ¶ 63, opening OP that accommodates the semiconductor package 100A) that exposes a rear surface 100b (Fig. 1B, Annotated Fig. 5C ¶ 30, backside surface 110b of semiconductor die 110) of the semiconductor die 110.
Regarding claim 8, Yu in Figs. 1B-1D and Fig. 5C further teaches the semiconductor die 110 is mounted on the top surface of the substrate 200 in a flip-chip manner (Figs. 1B-1D, 5C, ¶ 30-¶ 35, ¶ 63, semiconductor die 110 is formed in Figs. 1C-1D, in which the wafer RW is overturned for placing connectors 170 on the active surface 110a and singulated to form the semiconductor die 110, and the semiconductor die 110 is flipped so the active surface 110a face down toward the substrate 200).
Regarding claim 10, Yu in Figs. 1D and 5A further teaches a gap between the semiconductor die 110 and the substrate 200 is filled with an underfill layer 180 (Figs. 1D, 5A, ¶ 63-¶ 64, underfill 180).
Regarding independent claim 14, Yu in Figs. 1A and 5C teaches a semiconductor package SD3 (Fig. 5C & ¶ 63, semiconductor device SD3), comprising:
a substrate 200 (¶ 63, substrate 200) having a top surface and a bottom surface (Fig. 5C);
a semiconductor die 110 (Figs. 1A, 5C, ¶ 25, ¶ 63, semiconductor die 110 including components 112, 114, 116 and 118) mounted on the top surface of the substrate 200; and
a two-part lid 510C, 540 (Fig. 5C, ¶ 65, a collective of cover 510C and support 540) mounted on a perimeter of the top surface of the substrate 200 and housing the semiconductor die 110, wherein the lid 510C, 540 comprises an annular lid base 540 (Fig. 5C, ¶ 63, support 540 has an annular shape) and a cover plate 510C (Fig. 5C, ¶ 65, cover 510C which is secured by a fastener 920, which is a screw, such that the cover 510C can be removed by unscrewing the fastener i.e., removable) removably installed on the annular lid base 540, wherein the cover plate 510C is affixed to a top surface of the annular lid base 540 with a screw bolt 920 (Fig. 5C, ¶ 65, fastener 920 is a screw).
Regarding claim 15, Yu in Fig. 1A and Annotated Fig. 5C further teaches the annular lid base 540 comprises vertical walls VW (Annotated Fig. 5C) spaced apart from the semiconductor die 110 and an annular, horizontal inner flange IFG (Annotated Fig. 5C, ¶ 63, the inner flange IFG of the support 540 which has an annular shape) inwardly protruding beyond the vertical walls VW, wherein the horizontal inner flange IFG overlaps with a peripheral portion of the semiconductor 110 100 (Annotated Fig. 5C, a side surface of the flange IFG overlaps with a peripheral side surface of die 110).
Regarding claim 17, Yu in Figs. 1B and Annotated Fig. 5C further teaches the inner flange IFG defines a central opening OP (Annotated Fig. 5C, ¶ 63, opening OP that accommodates the semiconductor package 100A) that exposes a rear surface 100b (Fig. 1B, Annotated Fig. 5C ¶ 30, backside surface 110b of semiconductor die 110) of the semiconductor die 110.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 3, 11-13 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of US 2010/0276799 A1 to Heng et al. (“Heng”).
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Regarding claim 3, Yu does not explicitly disclose the outwardly protruding flange is affixed to the top surface of the annular lid base by using an adhesive layer.
Heng recognizes a need for securing the lid to the stiffener frame (¶ 32). Heng satisfies the need by providing a outwardly protruding flange (Fig. 2, left end or right end of lid 29) that is affixed to a top surface of a lid base 90 (¶ 32, stiffener frame 90) by using an adhesive layer 105 (Fig. 2, ¶ 32, adhesive 105).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the adhesive layer taught by Heng for affixing the outwardly protruding flange to the annular lid base taught by Yu, so as to further securing the lid to the stiffener frame (Heng: ¶ 32).
Regarding claim 11, Yu in Fig. 5C teaches the lid 510C, 540.
Yu does not explicitly disclose the lid is metal lid.
Heng recognizes a need for providing a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (¶ 4) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (¶ 30). Heng satisfies the need by providing a lid 29, 90 (Fig. 2, ¶ 29-¶ 30, a collective of lid 29 and stiffener frame 90), which is a metal lid (¶ 29-¶ 30, the lid 29 includes a nickel plated copper, and the stiffener frame 90 includes copper, nickel, stainless steel titanium, aluminum).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the materials of the lid and stiffener frame taught by Heng for the lid taught by Yu, so as to provide a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (Heng: ¶ 4) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (Heng: ¶ 30).
Regarding claim 12, Yu does not explicitly disclose the annular lid base 540 and the cover plate 510C are made of stainless steel, aluminum, copper or alloys thereof.
Heng recognizes a need for providing a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (¶ 30). Heng satisfies the need by providing a lid base 29 (Fig. 2, ¶ 29, lid 29) and a cover plate 90 (Fig. 2, ¶ 30, stiffener frame 90) that are made of stainless steel, aluminum, copper or alloys thereof (¶ 29-¶ 30, copper).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the material of the lid and stiffener frame taught by Heng for the annular lid base and the cover plate taught by Yu, so as to provide a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (Heng: ¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (Heng: ¶ 30).
Regarding claim 13, Yu does not explicitly disclose the annular lid base 540 and the cover plate 510C are made of different materials.
Heng recognizes a need for providing a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (¶ 30). Heng satisfies the need by providing a lid base 29 (Fig. 2, ¶ 29, lid 29 including nickel plated copper) and a cover plate 90 (Fig. 2, ¶ 30, stiffener frame 90 including stainless steel) are made of different materials.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the materials of the lid and the stiffener frame taught by Heng for the annular lid base and the cover plate taught by Yu, so as to provide a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (Heng: ¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (Heng: ¶ 30).
Regarding claim 21, Yu does not explicitly disclose the annular lid base 540 and the cover plate 510C are made of stainless steel, aluminum, copper or alloys thereof.
Heng recognizes a need for providing a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (¶ 30). Heng satisfies the need by providing a lid base 29 (Fig. 2, ¶ 29, lid 29) and a cover plate 90 (Fig. 2, ¶ 30, stiffener frame 90) that are made of stainless steel, aluminum, copper or alloys thereof (¶ 29-¶ 30, copper).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the material of the lid and stiffener frame taught by Heng for the annular lid base and the cover plate taught by Yu, so as to provide a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (Heng: ¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (Heng: ¶ 30).
Regarding claim 22, Yu does not explicitly disclose the annular lid base 540 and the cover plate 510C are made of different materials.
Heng recognizes a need for providing a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (¶ 30). Heng satisfies the need by providing a lid base 29 (Fig. 2, ¶ 29, lid 29 including nickel plated copper) and a cover plate 90 (Fig. 2, ¶ 30, stiffener frame 90 including stainless steel) are made of different materials.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the materials of the lid and the stiffener frame taught by Heng for the annular lid base and the cover plate taught by Yu, so as to provide a lid serving as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway (Heng: ¶ 4, ¶ 24) and exhibiting desirable mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion (Heng: ¶ 30).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of US 2002/0187591 A1 to Bai.
Regarding claim 9, Yu in Figs. 1A-1D and 5C teaches the semiconductor die 110 has an active surface 110a (Figs. 1A-1D, ¶ 25, active surface 110a) that faces downwardly to the substrate 200 (Fig. 1D) and connecting elements 170 (Fig. 1D, ¶ 33, connectors 170) disposed on the active surface 110a (Figs. 1A-1D).
However, Yu does not explicitly disclose the connecting elements are bonded to respective pads disposed on the top surface of the substrate.
Bai recognizes a need for reducing packaging cost and improving the quality of the packaged product (abstract). Bai satisfies the need by providing connecting elements 2 (Figs. 1A, 1E, ¶ 14, conductive bumps 2) that are bonded to respective pads (Figs. 1A, 1E, ¶ 13, bond pads 13) disposed on a top surface of a substrate 1 (Fig. 1A, substrate 1).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the substrate taught by Yu with the bond pads taught by Bai for connecting with Yu’s connecting elements, so as to reduce packaging cost and improve the quality of the packaged product (Bai: abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 5, 7, 16 and 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if (i) rewritten in independent form to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims or (ii) the objected claim and any intervening claims are fully incorporated into the base claim.
Claim 5 would be allowable, because the prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other claimed elements in claim 5, wherein the horizontal inner flange is adhered to the peripheral portion of the semiconductor die with an adhesive layer, thereby hermetically sealing an annular cavity around the semiconductor die.
Claim 7 would be allowable, because the prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other claimed elements in claim 7, wherein the central heat slug is disposed within the central opening and is in direct contact with the rear surface of the semiconductor die.
Claim 16 would be allowable, because the prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other claimed elements in claim 16, wherein the horizontal inner flange is adhered to the peripheral portion of the semiconductor die with an adhesive layer, thereby hermetically sealing an annular cavity around the semiconductor die.
Claim 18 would be allowable, because the prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other claimed elements in claim 18, wherein the cover plate comprises a central heat slug that is disposed within the central opening and is in direct contact with the rear surface of the semiconductor die.
Claims 19-20 would be allowable, because they depend from the allowable claim 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2007/0035937 A1 to Colbert et al. relates to a heat transfer apparatus comprising a printed circuit board having an electronic component thereon; a load frame mounted to the printed circuit board; a heat sink disposed on the load frame and having a surface in thermal contact with the surface of the electronic component through a thermally conductive material; and at least one non-influencing fastener disposed within a bore of the heat sink and threaded into the load frame to secure the heat sink to the load frame and maintain the desired thermal interface gap.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MIKKA LIU whose telephone number is (571)272-2568. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5AM EST M-F.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eliseo Ramos-Feliciano can be reached on 571-272-7925. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/ELISEO RAMOS FELICIANO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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