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
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4-9, 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kato et al (US Publication 20210202372).
Regarding claim 1, Kato teaches a semiconductor device, comprising:
a case that has a side wall to form a frame (Fig. 2 and 7, case 21 and side walls), the side wall extending in a first direction and having a concave portion at a top surface of the side wall (Fig. 2 and 7, horizontal direction and concave portions 21a1 - 21a3), the top surface of the side wall being parallel to the first direction (Fig. 2 and 7, horizontal top of 21 parallel to horizontal direction of extension);
a multi-layer structure in which a first terminal, an insulating sheet, and a second terminal are stacked in that order in a second direction orthogonal to the top surface of the side wall and the first direction so as to overlap one another in a plan view of the semiconductor device, the multi- layer structure being disposed on the concave portion (Fig. 2 and 7, stack 25a including first terminal 22a, insulating sheet 23a, and second terminal 24a stacked in a vertical direction orthogonal to the top surface of the sidewall of 21); and
a beam member that is attached to the multi-layer structure in the concave portion of the case to fix the multi-layer structure disposed on the concave portion (Fig. 2 and 7, beam member of 21 above 24a);
wherein the first terminal, the insulating sheet, the second terminal, and the beam member are disposed in the second direction in this order so as to partially overlap one another in the plan view (Fig. 2, 5, and 7, stack 25a including first terminal 22a, insulating sheet 23a, and second terminal 24a stacked in a vertical direction orthogonal to the top surface of the sidewall/beam member of 21 and partially overlapping each other in the order claimed).
Regarding claim 4, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 4 depends.
Kato teaches wherein the multi-layer structure is disposed such that the first terminal is positioned at a bottom side of the concave portion of the case and the second terminal is positioned at a beam member side, the concave portion of the case includes, at the bottom side, a first recess in which the first terminal of the multi-layer structure is housed, and the beam member includes a second recess in which the second terminal of the multi- layer structure is housed (Fig. 2 and 7, terminals 22a and 24a top and bottom of cavity in 21).
Regarding claim 5, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 4 upon which claim 5 depends.
Kato teaches wherein the case includes a first groove that communicates with the first recess, and the beam member includes a second groove that communicates with the second recess (Fig. 2, groves in 21a1).
Regarding claim 6, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 6 depends.
Kato teaches wherein the beam member includes a locking portion, and the case includes a mating portion with which the locking portion of the beam member engages (Fig. 2 and 7, beam member of 21 in 21a1).
Regarding claim 7, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 7 depends.
Kato teaches wherein a material of the beam member is a same material as a material of the case (para 25).
Regarding claim 8, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 8 depends.
Kato teaches wherein the beam member attached to the concave portion of the case includes a roughened surface that forms a part of an inner surface of the side wall of the case (para 25, Fig. 7, upper portion of beam member in 21 at terminal locations with oval slits).
Regarding claim 9, Kato teaches a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
preparing a case that has a side wall to form a frame (Fig. 2 and 7, case 21 and side walls), the side wall extending in a first direction and having a concave portion at a top surface of the side wall (Fig. 2 and 7, horizontal direction and concave portions 21a1 - 21a3), the top surface of the side wall being parallel to the first direction (Fig. 2 and 7, horizontal top of 21 parallel to horizontal direction of extension);
preparing a beam member capable of being disposed in the concave portion of the case (Fig. 2 and 7, beam members of 21 at terminal locations);
preparing a multi-layer structure in which a first terminal, an insulating sheet, and a second terminal are stacked in that order in a second direction (Fig. 2 and 7, stack 25a including first terminal 22a, insulating sheet 23a, and second terminal 24a stacked in a vertical direction orthogonal to the top surface of the sidewall of 21);
disposing the multi-layer structure in the concave portion of the case such that
the second direction is orthogonal to the top surface of the side wall and the first direction and that the first terminal, the insulating sheet, and the second terminal overlap one another in a plan view of the semiconductor device (Fig. 2, 5, and 7, stack 25a including first terminal 22a, insulating sheet 23a, and second terminal 24a stacked in a vertical direction orthogonal to the top surface of the sidewall of 21 and partially overlapping each other);
and
attaching the beam member to the multi-layer structure in the concave portion of the case in which the multi-layer structure is disposed to fix the multi-layer structure such that the first terminal, the insulating sheet, the second terminal, and the beam member are disposed in this order in the second direction so as to partially overlap one another in the plan view (Fig. 2, 5, and 7, stack 25a including first terminal 22a, insulating sheet 23a, and second terminal 24a stacked in a vertical direction orthogonal to the top surface of the sidewall of 21 and partially overlapping each other).
Regarding claim 12, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 9 upon which claim 12 depends.
Kato teaches wherein the disposing of the multi-layer structure includes disposing the multi-layer structure such that the first terminal is housed in a first recess provided in a bottom of the concave portion of the case, and the attaching of the beam member to the concave portion of the case includes attaching the beam member such that the second terminal of the multi-layer structure disposed in the concave portion is housed in a second recess provided in the beam member (Fig. 2 and 7, terminals 22a and 24a top and bottom of cavity in 21).
Regarding claim 13, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 9 upon which claim 13 depends.
Kato teaches wherein the beam member includes a locking portion, the case includes a mating portion with which the locking portion of the beam member engages, and the attaching of the beam member to the concave portion of the case includes engaging the locking portion of the beam member with the mating portion of the case (Fig. 2 and 7, beam member of 21 in 21a1).
Regarding claim 14, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 14 depends.
Kato teaches the multi-layer structure is disposed within the concave portion; and
a width of the beam member in the first direction, is equal to or greater than widths of the first and second terminals in the concave portion (Fig. 2 and 7, stack 25a in 21a1, width of beam member in 21 equal to the widths of terminals 22 and 24).
Regarding claim 15, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 9 upon which claim 15 depends.
Kato teaches the multi-layer structure is disposed within the concave portion; and
a width of the beam member in the first direction, is equal to or greater than widths of the first and second terminals in the concave portion (Fig. 2 and 7, stack 25a in 21a1, width of beam member in 21 equal to the widths of terminals 22 and 24).
Regarding claim 16, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 16 depends.
Kato teaches wherein: the concave portion is recessed from the top surface of the side wall (Fig. 2 and 7, recess in 21 at 21a1-21a3); in the multi-layer structure, the insulating sheet overlaps with a part of the first terminal in a top view of the side wall, and the second terminal overlaps with a part of the insulating film overlapping with the first terminal in the top view; the beam member is disposed on a part of the multi-layer structure where the first terminal, the insulating film and the second terminal overlap with each other in the top view (Fig. 5, 22-24 overlap); and the first terminal, the insulating film and the second terminal are partially exposed from the beam member in the concave portion (Fig. 5, 22-24 partially exposed from beam portion of 21).
Regarding claim 17, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 9 upon which claim 17 depends.
Kato teaches wherein: the concave portion is recessed from the top surface of the side wall (Fig. 2 and 7, recess in 21 at 21a1-21a3); in the multi-layer structure, the insulating sheet overlaps with a part of the first terminal in a top view of the side wall, and the second terminal overlaps with a part of the insulating film overlapping with the first terminal in the top view; the beam member is disposed on a part of the multi-layer structure where the first terminal, the insulating film and the second terminal overlap with each other in the top view (Fig. 5, 22-24 overlap); and the first terminal, the insulating film and the second terminal are partially exposed from the beam member in the concave portion (Fig. 5, 22-24 partially exposed from beam portion of 21).
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.
Claims 2, 3, 10, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato et al (US Publication 20210202372) in view of Takahashi et al (US Publication 2022/0098458 A1).
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claims 2 and 3 depend.
Kato does not specifically teach:
[claim 2] further comprising a first first-adhesive interposed between the concave portion of the case and the multi-layer structure and a second first-adhesive interposed between the multi-layer structure and the beam member.
[claim 3] wherein the multi-layer structure further includes a first second-adhesive interposed between the first terminal and the insulating sheet and a second second-adhesive interposed between the insulating sheet and the second terminal.
Takahashi teaches:
[claim 2] further comprising a first first-adhesive (Fig. 3a) interposed between the concave portion of the case and the multi-layer structure and a second first-adhesive (Fig. 3a) interposed between the multi-layer structure and the beam member.
[claim 3] wherein the multi-layer structure further includes a first second-adhesive interposed between the first terminal and the insulating sheet and a second second-adhesive interposed between the insulating sheet and the second terminal (Fig. 2, terminals 20&30 insulating sheet/adhesive 40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application for Kato to include the adhesive insulation between the case and terminals and between the terminals as taught by Takahashi to improve the reliability and operability of the device.
Regarding claims 10 and 11, Kato teaches the limitations of claim 9 upon which claims 10 and 11 depend.
Kato does not specifically teach:
[claim 10] further comprising bonding the concave portion of the case and the multi-layer structure together using a first first-adhesive and bonding the multi-layer structure and the fixed member together using a second first-adhesive.
[claim 11] wherein the preparing of the multi-layer structure includes bonding the first terminal and the insulating sheet together using a first second-adhesive and bonding the insulating sheet and the second terminal together using a second second-adhesive.
Takahashi teaches:
[claim 10] further comprising bonding the concave portion of the case and the multi-layer structure together using a first first-adhesive (Fig. 3a) and bonding the multi-layer structure and the fixed member together using a second first-adhesive (Fig. 3a).
[claim 11] wherein the preparing of the multi-layer structure includes bonding the first terminal and the insulating sheet together using a first second-adhesive and bonding the insulating sheet and the second terminal together using a second second-adhesive (Fig. 2, terminals 20&30 insulating sheet/adhesive 40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application for Kato to include the adhesive insulation between the case and terminals and between the terminals as taught by Takahashi to improve the reliability and operability of the device.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 9 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
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/NICHOLAS LELAND HUTSON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/JEFF W NATALINI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818