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
Claim 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02 February 2026.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: MOLD, LEAD FRAME, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH EXPOSED DIE PAD PACKAGING HAVING INDENTED PACKAGE CORNERS.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7, 10, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Each claim recites the limitation of “extend at an angle of approximately 15 to 25 degrees to the first direction” which is unclear. Although the Applicant defines “approximately” as “+/-10 percent of the stated value”, it not clear if the +/-10% applies to each value individually or if it uses the first value (15) to calculate what is the +/-10%.
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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Danno et al. (U.S. 2017/0077069) in view of Takahashi (U.S. 2018/0040487).
1. An electronic device, comprising: a semiconductor die attached to a die attach pad; a package structure having opposite first and second sides, opposite third and fourth sides spaced apart from one another along a first direction, and opposite fifth and sixth sides spaced apart from one another along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, the package structure enclosing a portion of the semiconductor die and a portion of the die attach pad, and the first side of the package structure exposing a portion of the die attach pad; conductive leads positioned along opposite third and fourth sides of the package structure, the conductive leads having sides exposed along the first side of the package structure; and tie bars extending from the die attach pad and having respective ends exposed along the respective fifth and sixth sides of the package structure; the fifth and sixth sides of the package structure each having individual indents that extend to a respective one of the third and fourth sides of the package structure (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069]).
2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the fifth side of the package structure includes a first center portion that extends in a first plane of the first direction and a third direction that is orthogonal to the first and second directions; the sixth side of the package structure includes a second center portion that extends in a second plane of the first and third directions; a first indent of the fifth side of the package structure extends from the first center portion to the third side of the package structure away from the first plane of the first and third directions and partially toward the second plane of the first and third directions; a second indent of the fifth side of the package structure extends from the first center portion to the fourth side of the package structure away from the first plane of the first and third directions and partially toward the second plane of the first and third directions; a first indent of the sixth side of the package structure extends from the second center portion to the third side of the package structure away from the second plane of the first and third directions and partially toward the first plane of the first and third directions; and a second indent of the sixth side of the package structure extends from the second center portion to the fourth side of the package structure away from the second plane of the first and third directions and partially toward the first plane of the first and third directions. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the indents of the fifth and sixth sides of the package structure have arcuate profiles. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the indents of the fifth and sixth sides of the package structure have concave profiles. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein each tie bar includes a first portion that extends from a respective corner of the die attach pad along the second direction. and a second portion that extends from the first portion to the respective end at an angle to the second direction. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
6. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein each tie bar end extends to and is coplanar with the center portion of the respective one of the fifth and sixth sides. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
7. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the indents extend at an angle of approximately 15 to 25 degrees to the first direction. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
8. The electronic device of claim 2. wherein each tie bar includes a first portion that extends from a respective corner of the die attach pad along the second direction, and a second portion that extends from the first portion to the respective end at an angle to the second direction. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
9. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein each tie bar end extends to and is coplanar with the center portion of the respective one of the fifth and sixth sides. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
10. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the indents extend at an angle of approximately 15 to 25 degrees to the first direction. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the indents extend at an angle of approximately 15 to 25 degrees to the first direction. (Danno et al., Figure 1, [0069])
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to Abbigale Boyle whose telephone number is 571-270-7919. The Examiner can normally be reached from 11 A.M to 7 P.M., Monday through Friday.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Zandra Smith, can be reached at 571-272-2429. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Abbigale Boyle
Examiner, Art Unit 2899
/ABBIGALE A BOYLE/Examiner, Art Unit 2899
/DALE E PAGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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