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
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 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawabata et al, hereinafter Kawabata (US 2017/0301628 A1) in view of Kabasawa et al, hereinafter Kabasawa (US 2014/0007682 A1).
Regarding claim 1: Kawabata teaches (fig.2) A module (15A) comprising: a substrate (20) including a first surface (top of 20, hereinafter 1S);
at least one first component (32) mounted on the first surface (1S); a shield member (60) mounted on the first surface (1S) to cover the first component (32);
and a first sealing resin (40) arranged at least between the shield member (60) and the first surface (1S), the shield member (60) including a top surface portion (61) in a form of a plate (61 is flat and plate shaped as shown in fig.1) and a plurality of leg portions (62) extending from the top surface portion (61) toward the first surface (1S).
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Kawabata is silent to explicitly teach a plurality of column-shaped leg portions (223a) extending from the top surface portion (61) toward the first surface (1S).
Kawabasa teaches a plurality of column-shaped leg portions (223a, is columnal, par.170, and side leg portions of 400A as shown in fig below, hereinafter CLP) extending from the top surface portion (61) toward the first surface (1S).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include column-shaped leg portion as taught by Kabasawa in the device of Kawabata in order to have the predictable result protecting the device against moisture and humidity, external stress and improve the operational reliability of the device. (par.37 of Kabasawa).
Regarding claim 5: Kawabata in view of Kabasawa teaches the module according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing resin (40 of Kawabata) covers a surface (bottom surface of 61, hereinafter BOT of Kawabata) of the top surface portion (61 of Kawabata) on a side (side where 40 covers BOT as shown in fig. above of Kawabata) farther from the first surface (1S of Kawabata).
Claims 3 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawabata et al, hereinafter Kawabata (US 2017/0301628 A1) in view of Kabasawa (US 2014/0007682 A1) and in further view of Lee et al, hereinafter Lee (US 11,062,999 B2) as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 3: Kawabata in view of Kabasawa teaches the module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first component (32 of Kawabata) includes an inductor (32 can be a coil, par 41 of Kawabata),
Kawabata in view of Kabasawa is silent to teach wherein the at least one first component (32) includes an inductor (32 can be a coil, par 41), and when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the top surface portion includes a plurality of slits in a region superimposed on the inductor.
Lee teaches (fig.25) a first component (112A) includes an inductor (col.14, lines 55-57), and when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the top surface portion (top surface of 115A) includes a plurality of slits (openings SL as shown in fig. below) a region (area where SL is over 112A) superimposed (SL is over 112A) on the inductor (inductor in 112A).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include a shielding layer 115A with slits SL as taught in Lee in the device of Kawabata in order to have the predictable result of improving shielding of electromagnetic waves and improving heat dissipation between more than one component in a semiconductor device (col 18 lines 4-27 of Lee).
Regarding claim 14: Kawabata in view of Kabasawa and Lee teaches (fig.2 of Kawabata) the module according to claim 3, wherein the first sealing resin (40 of Kawabata) covers a surface (bottom surface of 61 of Kawabata, hereinafter BOT of Kawabata) of the top surface portion (61 of Kawabata would have slits SL as taught in Lee as mentioned above in claim 3) on a side (side where 40 of Kawabata covers BOT as shown in fig. above) farther from the first surface (1S of Kawabata).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 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 RICKY VERDES whose telephone number is (703)756-1401. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 07:30 - 03:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Manno can be reached on (571) 272-2339. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICKY VERDES/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/JESSICA S MANNO/SPE, Art Unit 2898