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 Group 1, relating to claims 17-25, and claims 33-41 in the reply filed on 10/28/2025 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.
(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 17-25, and 33-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipate by Nobori et al. (US 7208833 B2), hereinafter referred to as Nobori..
Regarding Independent Claim 17:
Nobori teaches the heat sink, comprising (Nobori Col. 7 Line 32 “A heat radiation member 120”):
a mounting surface for arrangement of a semiconductor element (Nobori Col. 7 Line 48 “The heat radiation member 120
also has, for instance, a recessed part 120b…circuit unit 100 is stored in the recessed part of 120b.” Col. 6 Line 48, Fig. 1, mounting surface on 120 with semiconductor elements 111-1 and 111-2 ““The drive semiconductor element includes an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) 111-1 and a diode 111-2”),
said mounting surface formed with an open groove (Nobori Fig. 1, open groove 120b bounded by 120a);
and an electrical line at least in part arranged in the groove (Nobori Fig. 1, circuit units 100, understood to have electrical lines)
[AltContent: textbox (Exhibit 1: Fig. 1 of Nobori with mounting surface 120 with groove 120b bounded by 120a. The circuit unit 100 is also supported by a mounting surface with 114 with groove bounded by 114b.)]
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and comprising a connection region for connection of the semiconductor element (Nobori Fig. 5, circuit unit 100 with bumps 112 indicating connection region for semiconductor element 111. Also see figures 8-15 where wirings for circuit unit 100 is more clearly illustrated.).
Regarding Claim 18: The disclosure of Nobori teaches the invention of claim 17..
Nobori teaches the heat sink wherein the connection region includes a contact surface or a connection contact element (Nobori Fig. 5, contact element 112 on contact surface of 111).
Regarding Claim 19: The disclosure of Nobori teaches the invention of claim 17.
Nobori teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line is designed to terminate at least partially flush with the mounting surface (Nobori Fig. 1 shows electrical lines from circuit 100 terminating at least partially flush with the mounting surface 120).
Regarding Claim 20: The disclosure of Nobori teaches the invention of claim 17.
Nobori teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line has an external dimension which matches at least in part an internal dimension of the groove (Nobori. Fig. 1, where the electrical line fits inside the groove thereby having an external dimension matching at least in part the internal dimension of the groove.)
Regarding the independent Claim 21:
Nobori teaches a heatsink comprising (Nobori Col. 7 Line 32 “A heat radiation member 120”):
a mounting surface for arrangement of a semiconductor element (Nobori Col. 7 Line 48 “The heat radiation member 120
also has, for instance, a recessed part 120b…circuit unit 100 is stored in the recessed part of 120b.” Col. 6 Line 48, Fig. 1, mounting surface on 120 with semiconductor elements 111-1 and 111-2 ““The drive semiconductor element includes an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) 111-1 and a diode 111-2”),
Said mounting surface formed with an open groove (Nobori Fig. 1 groove 120b);
An electrical line at least in part arranged in the groove and comprising a connection region for connection of the semiconductor element (Nobori Fig. 1 depicting electrical lines over circuits 100, Fig. 5 depicting connection region with bumps 112 indicating the existence of electrical lines connecting the semiconductor elements 111-1);
And an electrically insulating layer applied to a surface of the groove (Nobori Fig. 1, insulating layer 119 applied to surface of groove 120b).
Regarding the independent Claim 22:
Nobori teaches a heatsink comprising: a mounting surface for the arrangement of a semiconductor element (Nobori Col. 6 Line 48, Fig. 1, mounting surface 120, with semiconductor element 111 in circuit 100, “The drive semiconductor element includes an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) 111-1 and a diode 111-2”).,
said mounting surface formed with an open groove (Nobori Fig. 1 groove 120b);
And an electrical line at least in part arranged in the groove and comprising a connection region for connection of the semiconductor element (Nobori Fig. 1 depicting electrical lines over circuits 100, Fig. 5 depicting connection region with bumps 112 indicating the existence of electrical lines connecting the semiconductor elements 111-1);
wherein the electrical line comprises an electrically insulating layer (Nobori Fig. 5, electrical line connected with bumps 112 covered in insulating layer 115.)
Regarding the independent Claim 23:
Nobori teaches a heatsink comprising (Nobori Col. 7 Line 32 “A heat radiation member 120”):
a mounting surface for arrangement of a semiconductor element (Nobori Col. 7 Line 48 “The heat radiation member 120
also has, for instance, a recessed part 120b…circuit unit 100 is stored in the recessed part of 120b.” Col. 6 Line 48, Fig. 1, mounting surface on 120 with semiconductor elements 111-1 and 111-2 ““The drive semiconductor element includes an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) 111-1 and a diode 111-2”),
said mounting surface formed with an open groove (Nobori Fig. 1 groove with similar structure to 120b);;
And an electrical line at least in part arranged in the groove and comprising a connection region for connection of the semiconductor element (Nobori Fig. 5 depicting connection region with bumps 112 indicating the existence of electrical lines connecting the semiconductor elements 111-1 arranged inside groove structure similar to 120b.)
And an electrical insulation element arranged at least in part between the groove and the electrical line (Nobori Fig. 5, electrical insulation 115 arranged at least in part between the groove and the electrical line 112).
Regarding Claim 24:
Nobori teaches the heatsink of claim 21.
Nobori further teaches the heatsink further comprising an electrical insulation element arranged at least in part between the groove and the electrical line (Nobori Fig. 5 electrical insulation element 115, between groove and electrical line 112),
Wherein at least one of the electrical insulation element and the electrically insulating layer terminates at least partially flush with the mounting surface (Nobori Fig. 5 electrical insulation element terminates flush with the sides of the mounting surface.).
Regarding Claim 25:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 21.
Nobori further teaches the heat sink further comprising an electrical insulation element arranged at least in part between the groove and the electrical line (Nobori Fig. 5 electrical insulation element 115, between groove and electrical line 112),
wherein at least one of the electrical insulation element and the electrically insulating layer is formed from a thermally highly conductive material (Nobori where the electrically insulating layer 119 is thermally highly conductive material, Col. 7 Line 43 “An insulating resin 119 of a high heat dissipation efficiency is applied, by performing a heat press method, to a bottom face 120c of the recessed part 120b so as to conduct heat from the metallic member 114”).
Regarding Claim 33:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 21,
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the connection region includes a contact surface or a connection contact element (Nobori Fig. 5, connection contact element 112).
Regarding Claim 34:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 21,
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line is designed to terminate at least partially flush with the mounting surface (Nobori Fig. 1 shows electrical lines from circuit 100 terminating at least partially flush with the mounting surface 120).
Regarding Claim 35:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 21,
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line has an external dimension which matches at least in part an internal dimension of the groove (Nobori. Fig. 1, where the electrical line fits inside the groove thereby having an external dimension matching at least in part the internal dimension of the groove.).
Regarding Claim 36:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 22,
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the connection region includes a contact surface or a connection contact element (Nobori Fig. 5, connection contact element 112 indicating a contact surface as depicted in Fig. 1, where 112 is further connected to an upper PCB 116.).
Regarding Claim 37:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 22,
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line has an external dimension which matches at least in part an internal dimension of the groove (Nobori. Fig. 1, where the electrical line fits inside the groove thereby having an external dimension matching at least in part the internal dimension of the groove.).
Regarding Claim 38:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 22.
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line has an external dimension which matches at least in part an internal dimension of the groove (Nobori. Fig. 1, where the electrical line fits inside the groove thereby having an external dimension matching at least in part the internal dimension of the groove.).
Regarding Claim 39:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 23.
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the connection region includes a contact surface or a connection contact element (Nobori Fig. 5, connection contact element 112 indicating a contact surface as depicted in Fig. 1, where 112 is further connected to an upper PCB 116.)..
Regarding Claim 40:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 23,
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line is designed to terminate at least partially flush with the mounting surface (Nobori Fig. 1 shows electrical lines from circuit 100 terminating at least partially flush with the mounting surface 120)..
Regarding Claim 41:
Nobori teaches the heat sink of claim 23,
Nobori further teaches the heat sink wherein the electrical line has an external dimension which matches at least in part an internal dimension of the groove (Nobori. Fig. 1, where the electrical line fits inside the groove thereby having an external dimension matching at least in part the internal dimension of the groove.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wan et al. (US 20210193548 A1). Teaches a mounting substrate with groove for wire routing.
Koduri et al. (US 20210202345 A1). Teaches a mounting substrate with grooves accommodating semiconductor device with wiring embedded in insulating member.
Soyano et al. (US 9179578 B2). Teaches a heat radiating member with patterned grooves filled with materially different element.
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/EMILIO ARDEO/Examiner, Art Unit 2899
/Brent A. Fairbanks/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899