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 .
Status of the Application
1. Acknowledgement is made of the amendment received 5/7/2026. Claims 25, 29 & 38-48 are pending in this application. Claims 1-24, 26-28 & 30-37 are canceled.
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.
2. Claim 29, 38-40 and 47 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chiu et al. (US 2011/0115060).
Re claim 38, Chiu teaches, under BRI, Fig. 2, [0029, 0035, 0055], a semiconductor device, comprising:
-a semiconductor element (102) having an element front surface (106) and an element back surface (104) that face opposite from each other in a thickness direction;
-a wiring layer (consider trace 150a or 150b or 146a, b) electrically connected to the semiconductor element (102); and
-a sealing resin (package body 114 similar to molding material 706, Fig. 7B) covering (e.g., top view) the semiconductor element (102) and a portion of the wiring layer (150a, b), wherein the wiring layer (150a, b) has a wiring layer front surface (upper surface of 150a, b) that faces the element back surface (of 102) and is electrically connected to the semiconductor element (102), and a wiring layer back surface facing (back surface of 150a, b) opposite from the wiring layer front surface in the thickness direction, and
the wiring layer back surface (of 150a, b) includes a first region (indicated) and a second region (indicated) that are flush with each other, the first region (indicated) being smaller in length than the second region (indicated) in a first direction orthogonal to the thickness direction, the first region (indicated) being formed with a projecting portion protruding (indicated) extending away from the first region (indicated) in the thickness direction.
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Re claim 29, Chiu teaches wherein the wiring layer (150a, b or 146a, b) contains copper [0035].
Re claims 39 & 40, Chiu teaches, Fig. 2, an internal electrode (112a, b & 150a, b) electrically connected to the semiconductor element (102); wherein the internal electrode includes the wiring layer (150a, b) and a columnar portion (indicated).
Re claim 47, Chiu teaches wherein the columnar portion (indicated) contains copper [0035].
3. Claims 25 and 38-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Abbott (US 2007/0176267).
Re claim 38, Abbott teaches, under BRI, Fig. 3, [0038, 0039, 0045], a semiconductor device, comprising:
-a semiconductor element (210) having an element front surface (front) and an element back surface (back) that face opposite from each other in a thickness direction;
-a wiring layer (consider 301) electrically connected to the semiconductor element (210); and
-a sealing resin (polymeric material 220) covering (e.g., top view) the semiconductor element (210) and a portion of the wiring layer (301), wherein the wiring layer (301) has a wiring layer front surface (upper surface 301) that faces the element back surface (of 210) and is electrically connected to the semiconductor element (210), and a wiring layer back surface facing (back surface of 301) opposite from the wiring layer front surface in the thickness direction, and
the wiring layer back surface (of 301) includes a first region (indicated) and a second region (indicated) that are flush with each other, the first region (indicated) being smaller in length than the second region (indicated) in a first direction (e.g., horizontal) orthogonal to the thickness direction, the first region (indicated) being formed with a projecting portion protruding (indicated) extending away from the first region (indicated) in the thickness direction.
Note: polymeric material such as epoxy resin, supported by Huang (US 2018/0096953, [0027]).
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Re claim 25, Abbott teaches, Fig. 3, wherein the wiring layer (301) includes a surface thin metal covering layer (302).
Re claims 39 & 40, Abbott teaches, Fig. 3, an internal electrode (105, 301) electrically connected to the semiconductor element (210), wherein the internal electrode (105, 301) includes the wiring layer (301) and a columnar portion (right column of 301).
Re claims 41-43, Abbott teaches, from top view of Fig. 3, wherein the columnar portion (right column of 301) has an exposed side surface exposed from the sealing resin (220) and facing in the first direction; an external electrode (302) exposed from the sealing resin (220) and electrically connected to the internal electrode (105, 301); and wherein the external electrode (302) includes a first cover portion (vertical portion) covering the exposed side surface of the columnar portion (of 301).
Re claim 44, Abbott teaches, Fig. 3, [0033], a conductive bonding material (105) provided between the semiconductor element (210) and the wiring layer (301) to electrically bond the semiconductor element (210) and the wiring layer (301) to each other.
Re claim 45, Abbott teaches, Fig. 3, wherein the wiring layer (301) includes a surface thin metal covering layer (302) in contact with the columnar portion (right column of 301).
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.
4. Claim 46 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiu (or Abbott) in view of Liu (US 2005/0093177).
The teachings of Chiu (or Abbott) have been discussed above.
Re claim 46, Chiu (or Abbott) does not teach one edge of the sealing resin and one edge of the columnar portion are flush with each other.
Liu teaches, Fig. 2, [0019], one edge of the sealing resin (210) and one edge (at 280e) of the columnar portion (208) are flush with each other.
As taught by Liu, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching into Ziglioli to obtain one edge of the sealing resin and one edge of the columnar portion are flush with each other as claimed, because it aids in achieving a package at low price and high reliability. Further, it has been held that that rearranging part of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Liu in combination with Chiu (or Abbott) due to above reason.
5. Claim 48 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiu (or Abbott) in view of Kobayashi et al. (US 2009/0183906).
The teachings of Chiu (or Abbott) have been discussed above.
Re claim 48, Chiu (or Abbott) does not teach the protecting portion has a tapering cross section as viewed in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction.
Kobayashi teaches, Figs. 3A & 3D, claim 7 & [0054], the protecting portion (22) has a tapering cross section (e.g., tapered shape) as viewed in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction.
As taught by Kobayashi, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain the protecting portion has a tapering cross section as viewed in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction as claimed, because it aids achieving a desired shape of the projecting portion. Further, a change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Kobayashi in combination with Chiu (or Abbottt) due to above reason.
Response to Arguments
6. Applicant's arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. Response to arguments on newly added limitations are responded to in the above rejection.
Conclusion
7. 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 DUY T.V. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7431. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, alternative Friday off.
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/DUY T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 5/18/26
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