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 § 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.
Claims 1 – 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujikawa et al. (JP 2000-200789).
Regarding claim 1, in Figure 2, Fujikawa discloses a packaging substrate comprising a silica-based core (2, insulating film layer 2 is formed of silicon dioxide, paragraph [0014]), wherein the silica-based core comprises a through via portion (comprising 2A, 2B) passing through the silica-based core in a thickness direction of the silica-based core, the through via portion comprises a via space (2A) which is a space where an electrode (2B) is disposed and a via inner diameter surface (the inner side walls of insulating film layer 2) surrounding the via space, wherein the silica-based core comprises an upper surface (top surface of layer 2) and a lower surface (bottom surface of layer 2) facing the upper surface, the via space comprises a first opening which is in contact with the upper surface of the silica-based core, and a second opening which is in contact with the lower surface of the silica-based core (Figures 1 – 2), the packaging substrate comprises a through electrode (3) disposed in the via space, and the through electrode comprises metal grain (3, polycrystalline copper film 3 has fine crystal grains/particles that are subjected to a heat treatment under atmospheric pressure; fine pores are interposed between the fine copper crystal particles, and when these pores are heated, the copper crystal particles grow, paragraph [0016]) having a preferential growth orientation in the thickness direction of the silica-based core at one end and other end of the through electrode (the copper crystal particles are disposed at both ends of the through hole 2A).
Regarding claim 2, Fujikawa discloses wherein the silica-based core comprises a surface, and a contact angle of the surface of the silica-based core for pure water is 40º or less (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 3, Fujikawa discloses wherein, when observed in a cross-section in a thickness direction of the packaging substrate, a cross-sectional area of the through electrode compared to a cross-sectional area of the via space is 95% or more (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 4, Fujikawa discloses wherein the via space further comprises a minimum inner diameter portion which is a portion having the smallest inner diameter, and the minimum inner diameter portion is disposed between the first opening and the second opening (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 5, Fujikawa discloses wherein a thickness of the silica-based core is 200 µm to 1,000 µm, and a diameter of the through electrode is 40 µm to 200 µm (paragraph [0014]).
Regarding claim 6, Fujikawa discloses a first redistribution layer disposed on the silica-based core, wherein the first redistribution layer comprises one electrically conductive layer and another electrically conductive layer disposed on the one electrically conductive layer, and a width of the another electrically conductive layer is narrower than or equal to a width of the one electrically conductive layer (Figure 3).
Regarding claim 7, in Figure 2, Fujikawa discloses a method of manufacturing a packaging substrate, comprising: a preparation operation of preparing a silica-based core (2, insulating film layer 2 is formed of silicon dioxide, paragraph [0014]) comprising a through via portion (comprising 2A, 2B) passing through the silica-based core in a thickness direction of the silica-based core; a through electrode formation operation of forming a through electrode (3) in the through via portion to prepare a through electrode silica-based core; and a manufacturing operation of manufacturing a packaging substrate from the through electrode silica-based core, wherein the through via portion comprises a via space (2A) which is a space where an electrode (2B) is disposed and a via inner diameter surface (the inner side walls of insulating film layer 2) surrounding the via space, and in the through electrode formation operation, metal ions are deposited in
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the thickness direction of the silica-based core in the via space to form the through electrode (paragraph [0015]), wherein the silica-based core comprises an upper surface (top surface of layer 2) and a lower surface (bottom surface of layer 2) facing the upper surface, the via space comprises a first opening which is in contact with the upper surface of the silica-based core, and a second opening which is in contact with the lower surface of the silica-based core (Figure 2), and the through electrode comprises metal grain (3, polycrystalline copper film 3 has fine crystal grains/particles that are subjected to a heat treatment under atmospheric pressure; fine pores are interposed between the fine copper crystal particles, and when these pores are heated, the copper crystal particles grow, paragraph [0016]) having a preferential growth orientation in the thickness direction of the silica-based core at one end and other end of the through electrode (the copper crystal particles are disposed at both ends of the through hole 2A).
Regarding claim 8, Fujikawa discloses wherein the silica-based core comprises one surface in an in-plane direction of the silica-based core, and the through electrode formation operation comprises an electrode seed layer disposition process of disposing an electrode seed layer in parallel with the one surface in the in-plane direction of the silica-based core, and a plating process of depositing the metal ions in the one thickness direction of the silica-based core from the electrode seed layer to form the through electrode (Figures 1 – 2).
Regarding claim 9, Fujikawa discloses wherein the silica-based core comprises a surface, and a contact angle of the surface of the silica-based core for pure water is 400 or less (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 10, Fujikawa discloses wherein a thickness of the silica-based core is 200 µm to 1,000 µm, and a diameter of the through electrode is 50 µm to 150 µm (paragraph [0014]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TREMESHA W BURNS whose telephone number is (571)270-3391. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30 pm EST.
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TREMESHA W. BURNS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/TREMESHA W BURNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847