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
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-10, 20-28 in the reply filed on 11/25/25 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10, 20-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Glenn(USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2003/0113954, hereinafter Glenn) in view of Kitano (USPATENT: 4942452, hereinafter Kitano).
Re claim 1 Glenn discloses in Fig 5/6 an electronic device, comprising: a first support substrate(16B/16A); a second support substrate(16B/16A) spaced apart from the first support substrate(16B/16A); an integrated circuit (IC) die(14) having opposed first and second faces(top/bottom), the second face(top/bottom) bonded to a first surface(top/bottom) of the first support substrate(16B/16A); a conductive clip(230)[0041] formed by first and second portion(234)[0041]s each having opposed first and second surfaces(top/bottom), the first portion(230) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] being elongate and extending across the IC die(14), the first portion(230) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] having its second surface(top/bottom) bonded to the first face(top/bottom) of the IC die(14) by a solder layer(36)[0009], the second portion(234)[0041] of the conductive clip(230)[0041] extending from the first portion(230) away from the IC die(14) toward the second support substrate(16B/16A) such that its second surface(top/bottom) is bonded to the first surface(top/bottom) of the second support substrate(16B/16A); wherein the first surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] has a pattern(242/142) formed therein,
the pattern(242/142) including a depressed floor with fins(fin portion of 230/340)(230/340) extending upwardly therefrom; extend through the first surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] from the depressed floor of the pattern(242/142) to the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041]; and an encapsulating layer(18) covering portions of the first support substrate(16B/16A), second support substrate(16B/16A), IC die(14), and conductive clip(230)[0041] while leaving the first surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] exposed to permit heat to radiate away[0030] therefrom.
Glenn does not disclose wherein through-holes extend through the first surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] from the depressed floor of the pattern(242/142) to the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041];
Kitano discloses in Fig 10 wherein through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) extend through the first surface(top/bottom) from the depressed floor of the pattern to the second surface(top/bottom);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Kitano to the teachings of Glenn in order to have a lead frame and a semiconductor device adapted to preventing package cracking the heat [col1 lines 5-15, Kitano]. In doing so, wherein through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) extend through the first surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] from the depressed floor of the pattern(242/142) to the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041];
Re claim 2 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) are straight- cut, being equal in size and shape at the depressed floor of the pattern(242/142) and at the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041].
Re claim 3 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) expand in size from the depressed floor of the pattern(242/142) through to the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] such that the size of the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) at the depressed floor is less than the size of the through- holes at the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041].
Re claim 4 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) contract in size from the depressed floor of the pattern(242/142) through to the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] such that the size of the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) at the depressed floor is larger than the size of the through- holes at the second surface(top/bottom) of the conductive clip(230)[0041].
Re claim 5 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) have cross sections(see Fig 10 of Kitano) that are circular in shape.
Re claim 6 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) have cross sections(see Fig 10 of Kitano) that are pill shaped.
Re claim 7 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the fins(fin portion of 230/340) extend upwardly from the depressed floor to a level of a highest point of the first surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) of the conductive clip(230)[0041].
Re claim 8 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) of the conductive clip(230)[0041] is planar.
Re claim 9 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first support substrate(16B/16A) is a die(14) pad of a leadframe.
Re claim 10 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second support substrate(16B/16A) is at least one lead of a leadframe.
Re claim 20 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) are arranged in a staggered pattern(242/142) across the first portion(230) of the conductive clip(230)[0041].
Re claim 21 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second portion(234)[0041] of the conductive clip(230)[0041] defines a step-down in height between the first portion(230) and the second support substrate(16B/16A).
Re claim 22 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the fins(fin portion of 230/340) are arranged in a grid pattern(242/142) defined by intersecting channels formed in the first surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) of the conductive clip(230)[0041].
Re claim 23 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating layer(18) seals a gap between the first support substrate(16B/16A) and the second support substrate(16B/16A).
Re claim 24 Glenn discloses in Fig 5/6 an electronic device comprising: a body with a support substrate(16B/16A); an integrated circuit (IC) die(14) mounted to the support substrate(16B/16A); and a conductive clip(230)[0041] for coupling the IC to the support substrate(16B/16A), wherein the conductive clip(230)[0041] comprises: a first portion(230) having opposed first and second surfaces(top/bottom) and configured to be bonded to a first face(top/bottom) of the IC die(14) by a solder layer(36)[0009] ; and a heat-dissipation pattern(242/142) formed in the first surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230), the pattern(242/142) including a depressed floor and fins(fin portion of 230/340) extending upwardly therefrom to increase exposed surface(top/bottom) area of the first surface(top/bottom).
Glenn does not disclose a plurality of through-holes extending between the first and second surfaces(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) and positioned to permit gases generated during solder reflow to escape through the conductive clip(230)[0041], thereby reducing formation of solder voids in the solder layer(36)[0009];
Kitano discloses in Fig 10 a plurality of through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) extending between the first and second surfaces(top/bottom) and positioned to permit gases generated during solder reflow[col1, lines 10-25 of Kitano] to escape, thereby reducing formation of solder voids (reflow cracks)[col1, lines 10-25 of Kitano] in the solder layer;
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Kitano to the teachings of Glenn in order to have a lead frame and a semiconductor device adapted to preventing package cracking the heat [col1 lines 5-15, Kitano]. In doing so, a plurality of through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) extending between the first and second surfaces(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) and positioned to permit gases generated during solder reflow[col1, lines 10-25 of Kitano] to escape through the conductive clip(230)[0041], thereby reducing formation of solder voids (reflow cracks)[col1, lines 10-25 of Kitano] in the solder layer(36)[0009];
Re claim 25 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 24, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) taper outwardly from the first surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) toward the second surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230).
Re claim 26 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 24, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) taper inwardly from the first surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230) toward the second surface(top/bottom) of the first portion(230).
Re claim 27 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 24, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) have circular cross sections(see Fig 10 of Kitano).
Re claim 28 Glenn and Kitano disclose the electronic device of claim 24, wherein the through-holes (through-hole in 13c of Kitano) have pill- shaped cross sections(see Fig 10 of Kitano).
Conclusion
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/PATRICIA D VALENZUELA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812