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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 7-9, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2022/0227700) in view of Buchan et al. (US 2017/0364726; hereinafter Buchan).
Regarding claim 1:
Lee discloses fingerprint sensor package (see Fig. 2A, 2B, 2C and Fig. 9), comprising:
a package substrate including an upper surface and a lower surface that is opposite to the upper surface in a first direction (see Fig. 2B, substate 100; upper surface of 115 is an upper surface and lower surface of 113 is a lower surface),
wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the upper surface of the package substrate (see Fig. 2B),
wherein the upper surface of the package substrate includes a sensing region and a peripheral region that extends around the sensing region (see Fig. 2A, sensing region SR and the surround area around the sensing region SR) and
wherein the lower surface of the package substrate includes a mounting region and a connection region that extends around the mounting region (see Figs. 2B, 2C or 9; the region where the controller IC is mounted is a mounting region and the region surrounding the mounting region of the IC is a connection region);
external connection pads in the connection region on the lower surface of the package substrate (see Fig. 2B; conductive pattern 121P);
a plurality of capacitor patterns in the sensing region on the upper surface of the package substrate (see Figs. 2A and 2B; the capacitor patterns created by sensing patterns 125R and 127T);
a control portion in the mounting region on the lower surface of the package substrate (see Fig. 2B; controller IC 210 and passive device 220),
wherein the control portion includes a sensor chip and a passive element that is adjacent the sensor chip (see Fig. 2B);
a lower protection layer on the lower surface of the package substrate (see Fig. 2B; lower protection layer 117),
wherein the lower protection layer includes openings that overlap at least a portion of the external connection pads in the first direction respectively (see Fig. 2B; openings BOP),
wherein the lower protection layer includes a protection layer pattern that overlaps the external connection pads in the first direction in the openings (see Fig. 2B and paragraph [0060]; at least one of the openings BOP is interpreted as a protection layer pattern); and
an anisotropic conductive layer on the external connection pads in the openings and on the lower protection layer (see paragraphs [0056] and [0060]; solder is an anisotropic conductive layer).
Lee does not disclose the anisotropic conductive layer is an anisotropic conductive film. However, Buchan discloses a fingerprint sensor package, comprising:
an anisotropic conductive film as an electrically conductive mean (see paragraph [0153]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the fingerprint sensor package of Lee such that the anisotropic conductive layer is an anisotropic conductive film as taught by Buchan. Buchan shows that anisotropic conductive film is an art recognized equivalent of a solder (anisotropic conductive layer). As such, one ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to substitute anisotropic conductive film for anisotropic conductive layer.
Regarding claim 5:
Lee and Buchan disclose all the features in claim 1. Lee discloses the fingerprint sensor package, wherein an area of a portion of the external connection pads that is overlapped by the protection layer pattern is less than 50% of an area of the external connection pads (see Fig. 2B; the area of the BOP is less than half of the entire width of external connection pad 121P).
Lee does not disclose the fingerprint sensor package, wherein an area of a portion of the external connection pads that is overlapped by the protection layer pattern is less than 20% of an area of the external connection pads.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use any percentage of overlapping between the connection pad and the opening in order to make connection between two conductive materials, where the claimed differences involved to the substitution of interchangeable or replaceable equivalents and the reason for the selection of one equivalent for another was not to solve an existent problem, such substitution has been judicially determined to have been obvious. In re Ruff, 118, USPQ, 343 (CCPA 1958). This supporting is based on a recognition that the claimed difference exist not a result of an attempt by applicant to solve a problem but merely amounts to selection of expedients known to the artisan of ordinary skill as design choices.
Regarding claim 7:
Lee and Buchan disclose all the features in claim 1. Lee further discloses the fingerprint sensor package, wherein the lower protection layer further comprises accommodation grooves between the openings, each of the accommodation grooves having an accommodation space therein (see Figs. 2B, 2C, 9 and paragraph [0060]; Lee states that "The lower protective layer 117 may include bottom openings BOP that expose portions of the power patterns 121P, the ground patterns 121G, and the signal patterns 121S"; the opening for ground pattern 121G is between openings for power pattern 121P and signal pattern 121S"; based on the broadest reasonable interpretation, the opening for ground pattern 121G is interpreted as a groove).
Regarding claim 8:
Lee and Buchan disclose all the features in claim 7. Lee does not disclose the fingerprint sensor package, wherein each of the accommodation grooves has a rectangular or circular shape in a plan view.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use any kind of shape of groove in order to provide an accommodation space, where the claimed differences involved to the substitution of interchangeable or replaceable equivalents and the reason for the selection of one equivalent for another was not to solve an existent problem, such substitution has been judicially determined to have been obvious. In re Ruff, 118, USPQ, 343 (CCPA 1958). This supporting is based on a recognition that the claimed difference exist not a result of an attempt by applicant to solve a problem but merely amounts to selection of expedients known to the artisan of ordinary skill as design choices.
Regarding claim 9:
Lee and Buchan disclose all the features in claim 1. Lee further discloses the fingerprint sensor package, further comprising: a molding member on the sensor chip and the passive element (see Fig. 2B; mold 230).
Regarding claim 18:
Lee discloses a fingerprint sensor package (see Figs. 2A, 2B, and 2C), comprising:
a package substrate including an upper surface and a lower surface that is opposite to the upper surface in a first direction (see Fig. 2B, substate 100; upper surface of 115 is an upper surface and lower surface of 113 is a lower surface),
wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the upper surface of the package substrate (see Fig. 2B),
wherein the upper surface of the package substrate includes a first region and a second region that extends around the first region (see Fig. 2A; sensing region is where the patterns are located), and
wherein the lower surface of the package substrate includes a third region and a fourth region that extends around the third region (see Fig. 2B; the third region is the central region of the lower surface and the fourth region is surrounding the central region);
external connection pads in the fourth region on the lower surface of the package substrate (see Fig. 2B or 2C; pattern 121P is an external connection pads);
a plurality of first sensing patterns in the first region, extending in a second direction, being spaced apart from each other in a third direction (see Fig. 2A; sensing patter 125R is a first sensing patterns);
a plurality of second sensing patterns in the first region, wherein the plurality of second sensing patterns are spaced apart from the plurality of first sensing patterns in the first direction (see Figs. 2A and 2B; sensing pattern 127T is a second sensing patterns; sensing pattern 127T and sensing pattern 125R are spaced apart in the vertical direction),
and wherein the plurality of second sensing patterns extend in the third direction and spaced apart from each other in the second direction (see Fig. 2A);
a control portion in the third region, the control portion including a sensor chip and a passive element adjacent the sensor chip (see Fig. 2B; controller IC 210 and passive device 220);
a lower protection layer on the lower surface of the package substrate and having openings that overlap at least a portion of the external connection pads in the first direction respectively (see Fig. 2B; openings BOP), and the lower protection layer including a protection layer pattern that overlaps the external connection pads in the first direction in the openings (see Fig. 2B and paragraph [0060]; at least one of the openings BOP is interpreted as a protection layer pattern); and
an anisotropic conductive layer on the external connection pads in the openings and on the lower protection layer (see paragraphs [0056] and [0060]; solder is an anisotropic conductive layer),
wherein the second direction and the third direction are parallel with the upper surface of the package substrate (see Fig. 2A and 2B), and
wherein the second direction and the third direction intersect with each other (see Fig. 2A; the sensing patterns 125R and 127T intersects each other).
Lee does not disclose the anisotropic conductive layer is an anisotropic conductive film. However, Buchan discloses a fingerprint sensor package, comprising:
an anisotropic conductive film as an electrically conductive mean (see paragraph [0153]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the fingerprint sensor package of Lee such that the anisotropic conductive layer is an anisotropic conductive film as taught by Buchan. Buchan shows that anisotropic conductive film is an art recognized equivalent of a solder (anisotropic conductive layer). As such, one ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to substitute anisotropic conductive film for anisotropic conductive layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-17 are allowed. See last Office Action for reason of allowance.
Claims 2-4, 6, 19 and 20 are 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. See last Office Action for reasons of objection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 18 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIXI CHOW SIMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7571. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00am-3:00pm.
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/LIXI C SIMPSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
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