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 .
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 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.
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 of this title, 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 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US publication 2023/0170290 A1), hereinafter referred to as Lee290.
Regarding claim 1, Lee290 teaches a semiconductor device (fig. 2a-2d and related text), comprising: a first conductive layer (110r/110s/110g or 120r/120s/120g, [0032-0048]), and a second conductive layer (120r/120s/120g or 130r/130s/130g, [0032-0048]) disposed opposite to the first conductive layer; wherein the first conductive layer comprises: a first grounding net (110g or 120g) having a first ground void (1290, [0050]); and a first signal ball-pad (portion of 110s where 500 is attached) in the first ground void; wherein the first signal ball-pad has a first ball-pad diameter (fig. 2a), the first ground void has a first ground void diameter (fig. 2a), and a ratio of the first ground void diameter to the first ball-pad diameter is equal to or greater than 1.2 (even though it does not explicitly teach a ratio of the first ground void diameter to the first ball-pad diameter is equal to or greater than 1.2, however, it is obvious that a ratio of the first ground void diameter to the first ball-pad diameter is greater than 1, fig. 2a).
Furthermore, it has been held 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. (MPEP §2144.05 II/III).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Lee290 so that and a ratio of the first ground void diameter to the first ball-pad diameter is equal to or greater than 1.2 for the purpose of optimizing device performance and overall size of the device.
Regarding claim 2, Lee290 teaches wherein the first conductive layer is a bottom layer, the first signal ball-pad of the bottom layer is configured for connecting a contact (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 3, Lee290 teaches wherein the first conductive layer comprises: a first signal via-pad within the first ground void; wherein the first ground void has a second ground void diameter, the first signal via-pad has a first via-pad diameter, and a ratio of the second ground void diameter to the first via-pad diameter is equal to or greater than 1.2 (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 4, Lee290 teaches wherein the second conductive layer is disposed above the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer comprises: a second grounding net having a second ground void; and a second signal via-pad within the second ground void; wherein the second ground void has a third ground void diameter, the second signal via-pad has a second via-pad diameter, and a ratio of the third ground void diameter to the second via-pad diameter is equal to or greater than 1.2 (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 5, Lee290 teaches wherein the first ball-pad diameter is greater than the first via-pad diameter (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 6, Lee290 teaches wherein the first signal ball-pad at least partially overlaps the second ground void in a stack direction of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 7, Lee290 teaches wherein the second ground void diameter is greater than the first ball-pad diameter (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 8, Lee290 teaches wherein the first grounding net has a boundary, the first ground void extends to the boundary to form an opening, and the opening exposes the first signal ball-pad (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 9, Lee290 teaches wherein there is a first connection line of a center of the first signal ball-pad and a first edge of the opening, and there is a second connection line of the center of the first signal ball-pad and a second edge of the opening, wherein an angle included between the first connection line and the second connection line is equal to or greater than 60 degrees (fig. 2a-2d).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim 10-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US publication 2023/0170290 A1), hereinafter referred to as Lee290.
Regarding claim 10, Lee290 teaches a semiconductor device (fig. 2a-2d and related text), comprising: a first conductive layer (110r/110s/110g or 120r/120s/120g, [0032-0048]), and a second conductive layer (120r/120s/120g or 130r/130s/130g, [0032-0048]) opposite to the first conductive layer; wherein the first conductive layer comprises: a first grounding net (110g or 120g) having a first ground void (1290, [0050]); and a first signal ball-pad (portion of 110s where 500 is attached) in the first ground void; wherein the first signal ball-pad has a first ball-pad diameter (fig. 2a, the first signal ball-pad is spaced from a lateral wall of the first ground void by a first minimum interval (fig. 2a), and the first minimum interval is greater than 0.1 times of the first ball-pad diameter (fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 11, Lee290 teaches wherein the first conductive layer is a bottom layer, the first signal ball-pad of the bottom layer is configured for connecting a contact (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 12, Lee290 teaches wherein the second conductive layer is disposed above the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer comprises: a second grounding net having a second ground void; and a second signal via-pad within the second ground void; wherein the second signal via-pad has a second via-pad diameter, the second signal via-pad is spaced from a lateral wall of the second ground void by a second minimum interval, and the second minimum interval is greater than 0.1 times of the second via-pad diameter (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 13, Lee290 teaches wherein the first signal ball-pad has a first ball-pad diameter, and the first ball-pad diameter is greater than the first via-pad diameter (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 14, Lee290 teaches wherein the first signal ball-pad at least partially overlaps the second ground void in a stack direction of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 15, Lee290 teaches wherein the first signal ball-pad has a first ball-pad diameter, and the second ground void has a second ground void diameter, wherein the second ground void diameter is greater than the first ball-pad diameter (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 16, Lee290 teaches wherein the first grounding net has a boundary, the first void extends to the boundary to form an opening, and the opening exposes the first signal ball-pad (fig. 2a-2d).
Regarding claim 17, Lee290 teaches wherein there is a first connection line of a center of the first signal ball-pad and a first edge of the opening, and there is a second connection line of the center of the first signal ball-pad and a second edge of the opening, wherein an angle included between the first connection line and the second connection line is equal to or greater than 60 degrees (fig. 2a-2d).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mohammed R Alam whose telephone number is 469-295-9205 and can normally be reached between 8:00am-6:00pm (M-F) or by e-mail via Mohammed.Alam1@uspto.gov.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached on 469-295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MOHAMMED R ALAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
Prosecution Insights