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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-11 and 15-20 in the reply filed on 5/20/2026 is acknowledged.
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 1-7, 11, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wong (U.S. Pub #2016/0197113).
With respect to claim 1, Wong teaches a method, comprising:
providing a package substrate panel (Fig. 5A, 11) including a plurality of die mounting zones (Fig. 5B, between 25aa and 25ab, etc.) which are separated from each other by inter-die mounting zones (Fig. 5B, between 25ab and 25ba, etc.);
mounting, at each die mounting zone, an optical integrated circuit die (Fig. 5C, 14a-14c and Paragraph 26) having a sacrificial cover (Fig. 5C, 29a-29c and Paragraph 27) over a location of an optical sensor;
molding an encapsulating resin material (Fig. 5E, 18 and Paragraph 29) on the package substrate panel to encapsulate the optical integrated circuit dies and at least surround the sacrificial covers to form an encapsulated panel structure;
removing the sacrificial covers (Fig. 5F and Paragraph 30) to expose the optical sensors of the optical integrated circuit dies; and
cutting the encapsulated panel structure at the inter-die mounting zones to singulate the encapsulated panel structure into a plurality of optical integrated circuit packages (Fig. 5H, 10a-10c; and Paragraph 31).
With respect to claim 2, Wong teaches that each optical integrated circuit die includes a plurality of electrical connection die bonding pads (Fig. 3-4, 22a/22b and Paragraph 19), and wherein the encapsulating resin material covers the electrical connection die bonding pads.
With respect to claim 3, Wong teaches wirebonding (Figs. 3-4, 23a, 23b) the electrical connection die bonding pads of the optical integrated circuit dies to front electrical pads (Fig. 3-4 24a, 24b) of the package substrate panel.
With respect to claim 4, Wong teaches that the encapsulating resin material (Figs. 3-4, 18) further encapsulates bonding wires (Figs. 3-4, 23a, 23b) formed by said wirebonding.
With respect to claim 5, Wong teaches that removing the sacrificial covers forms a through opening (Fig. 5F, 30a-30c) in the encapsulating resin material of the encapsulated panel structure over each optical sensor, and further comprising covering each through opening with a diffractive optical element (Fig. 3, 19 and/or 21).
With respect to claim 6, Wong teaches that covering comprises adhesively mounting (Fig. 3, 26 and 28; Paragraph 23-24) the diffractive optical elements to an upper surface of the encapsulated panel structure.
With respect to claim 7, Wong teaches that the diffractive optical element comprises one or more of a filter and a lens (Paragraphs 23 and 24).
With respect to claim 11, Wong teaches providing an integrated circuit wafer including a plurality of integrated circuits which are separated from each other by scribe lines; wherein each integrated circuit includes the optical sensor; forming the sacrificial cover over the location of each optical sensor; and cutting the integrated circuit wafer at the scribe lines to singulate the integrated circuit wafer into a plurality of optical integrated circuit dies (Paragraph 28).
With respect to claim 15, Wong teaches a method, comprising: providing a package substrate including a die mounting zone (Fig. 5B, between 25aa and 25ab, etc.) surrounded by an inter-die mounting zone (Fig. 5B, between 25ab and 25ba, etc.);
mounting an optical integrated circuit die to the die mounting zone, wherein the optical integrated circuit die (Fig. 5C, 14a-14c and Paragraph 26) includes a sacrificial cover (Fig. 5C, 29a-29c and Paragraph 27) over an optical sensor;
molding an encapsulating resin material (Fig. 5E, 18 and Paragraph 29) on the package substrate to encapsulate the optical integrated circuit die and at least surround the sacrificial cover to form an encapsulated structure;
removing the sacrificial cover (Fig. 5F and Paragraph 30) to expose the optical sensor of the optical integrated circuit die and form an opening in the encapsulating resin material of the encapsulated structure over the optical sensor; and
covering the opening with a diffractive optical element (Fig. 3, 19 and/or 21).
With respect to claim 16, Wong teaches covering comprises adhesively mounting (Fig. 3, 26 and 28; Paragraph 23-24) the diffractive optical element to an upper surface of the encapsulated structure.
With respect to claim 17, Wong teaches that the diffractive optical element comprises one or more of a filter and a lens (Paragraphs 23 and 24).
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, 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 8-10 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wong, in view of Ho et al (U.S. Pub #2014/0170797).
With respect to claim 8, Wong does not teach that molding the encapsulating resin material on the package substrate panel forms a sub-opening in the encapsulating resin material of the encapsulated panel structure over each sacrificial cover, and wherein removing each sacrificial cover forms a further sub-opening in the encapsulating resin material of the encapsulated panel structure over each optical sensor, and further comprising covering each further sub-opening with a diffractive optical element positioned within the sub-opening.
Ho teaches molding an encapsulating resin material (Figs. 9-10, 31) on a package substrate forms a sub-opening (Figs. 9-10, 314) in the encapsulating resin material of the encapsulated structure, and wherein covering comprises position the diffractive optical element (Fig. 9, 28; Fig. 10; 41) within the sub-opening.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the encapsulating resin material of Wong to comprise a sub-opening as taught by Ho in order to allow the package to be formed thinner (Paragraph 34).
With respect to claim 9, Wong does not teach that formation of the sub-opening defines a ledge surrounding each sacrificial cover, and wherein covering comprises adhesively mounting the diffractive optical element to the ledge.
Ho teaches that formation of the sub-opening defines a ledge surrounding the sacrificial cover, and wherein covering comprises adhesively mounting the diffractive optical element to the ledge (adhesive depicted in Fig. 7, 29; and Paragraph 30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the encapsulating resin material of Wong to comprise a ledge and adhesively mounting the diffractive optical element to the ledge as taught by Ho in order to allow the package to be formed thinner (Paragraph 34).
With respect to claim 10, Wong teaches that the diffractive optical element comprises one or more of a filter and a lens (Paragraphs 23 and 24).
With respect to claim 18, Wong does not teach that molding the encapsulating resin material on the package substrate forms a sub-opening in the encapsulating resin material of the encapsulated structure, and wherein covering comprises position the diffractive optical element within the sub-opening.
Ho teaches molding an encapsulating resin material (Figs. 9-10, 31) on a package substrate forms a sub-opening (Figs. 9-10, 314) in the encapsulating resin material of the encapsulated structure, and wherein covering comprises position the diffractive optical element (Fig. 9, 28; Fig. 10; 41) within the sub-opening.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the encapsulating resin material of Wong to comprise a sub-opening as taught by Ho in order to allow the package to be formed thinner (Paragraph 34).
With respect to claim 19, Hong does not teach that formation of the sub-opening defines a ledge surrounding the sacrificial cover, and wherein covering comprises adhesively mounting the diffractive optical element to the ledge.
Ho teaches that formation of the sub-opening defines a ledge surrounding the sacrificial cover, and wherein covering comprises adhesively mounting the diffractive optical element to the ledge (adhesive depicted in Fig. 7, 29; and Paragraph 30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the encapsulating resin material of Wong to comprise a ledge and adhesively mounting the diffractive optical element to the ledge as taught by Ho in order to allow the package to be formed thinner (Paragraph 34).
With respect to claim 20, Wong teaches that the diffractive optical element comprises one or more of a filter and a lens (Paragraphs 23 and 24).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN P SANDVIK whose telephone number is (571)272-8446. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10-6.
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/BENJAMIN P SANDVIK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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