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 .
Response to Election/Restriction
In response to election/restriction, applicant elected claims 1-7 and 14-20 without traverse.
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 1, 7, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hori et al. (US 2021/0184023, hereinafter Hori) in view of Chew et al. (US 2017/0117211, hereinafter Chew).
With respect to claim 1, Hori discloses a power module (Fig. 20B) comprising: a substrate (160); an electrically conductive intermediate layer (32) that is arranged on the substrate and includes a joining region produced by sintering (Para 0084); and
at least one power component (20 -Para 0068) that is arranged on an intermediate layer respectively and which has at least one connection point (51) connected to the intermediate layer respectively; wherein the intermediate layer includes, in a region of the respective connection point of the at least one connection point (connection point is a part of the joining region), a solder region, that is connected to the respective connection point (Para 0084).
Hori does not explicitly disclose that the solder regions is produced by a solder preform.
In an analogous art, Chew discloses that the solder regions is produced by a solder preform (Para 0009; 0018 and 0024 – a preform solder).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hori’s device by having Chew’s disclosure in order to expedite the manufacturing process.
With respect to claim 14, Hori discloses an electrical device (Para 0006) comprising:
At least one power module (Fig. 20B) comprising: a substrate (160); an electrically conductive intermediate layer (32) that is arranged on the substrate and includes a joining region produced by sintering (Para 0084); and at least one power component (20 -Para 0068) that is arranged on an intermediate layer respectively and which has at least one connection point (51) connected to the intermediate layer respectively;
wherein the intermediate layer includes, in a region of the respective connection point of the at least one connection point (connection point is a part of the joining region), a solder region, that is connected to the respective connection point (Para 0084).
Hori does not explicitly disclose that the solder regions is produced by a solder preform.
In an analogous art, Chew discloses that the solder regions is produced by a solder preform (Para 0009; 0018 and 0024 – a preform solder).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hori’s device by having Chew’s disclosure in order to expedite the manufacturing process.
With respect to claims 7 & 20, Hori discloses wherein the substrate comprises a Direct Bonded Copper (DCB) substrate (Para 0082 – DCB substrate), an Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS), an Active Metal Brazing (AMB) substrate or a printed circuit board, and wherein the substrate includes, at a side facing the intermediate layer, a noble metal surface (Para 0073; and 0079-0080 – gold).
Claims 2, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hori/Chew in view of Lin et al. (US 2021/0013176, hereinafter Lin).
With respect to claims 2 &15, Hori/Chew discloses the power module of claim 1/14.
Hori/Chew does not explicitly disclose wherein the joining region produced by sintering is produced by a sinter preform.
In an analogous art, Lin discloses wherein the joining region produced by sintering is produced by a sinter preform (Para 0050 &0056 – preform sinter).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hori/Chew’s device by having Lin’s disclosure in order to expedite the manufacturing process.
Claims 3 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hori/Chew in view of Milne (US 2016/0358842, hereinafter Milne).
With respect to claims 3 & 16, Hori/Chew discloses the power module of claim 1/14.
Hori/Chew does not explicitly disclose wherein the joining region produced of sintering is generated using 3D printing by a coating method or by screen/stencil printing (Para 0023; 0063; and 0065).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hori/Chew’s device by having Milne’s disclosure in order to connect different components.
Claims 4-5 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hori/Chew in view of Herberholz (DE 102014220204A1, hereinafter
With respect to claims 4 & 17, Hori/Chew discloses the power module of claim 1/14.
Hori/Chew does not explicitly disclose wherein the respective solder region or the respective solder preform is flux agent-free.
In an analogous art, Herberholz discloses wherein the respective solder region or the respective solder preform is flux agent-free (Abstract & Page 02 – Claim 16 – flux free).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hori/Chew’s device by having Herberholz’s disclosure in order to reduce corrosions in bonding layers.
With respect to claims 5 & 18, Hori/Chew discloses the power module of claim 1/14.
Hori/Chew does not explicitly disclose wherein the joining region produced by sintering and the respective solder region are arranged side by side between the substrate and the respective power component and have substantially a same layer thickness.
In an analogous art, Herberholz discloses wherein the joining region produced by sintering and the respective solder region are arranged side by side between the substrate and the respective power component and have substantially a same layer thickness (Abstract; Page 05; Fig. 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hori/Chew’s device by having Herberholz’s disclosure in order to reduce corrosions in bonding joints between different layers.
Claims 6 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hori/Chew in view of Nishizawa (US 2019/0273041, hereinafter Nishizawa).
With respect to claims 6 & 19, Hori/Chew discloses the power module of claim 1.
Hori/Chew does not explicitly disclose wherein the respective solder region includes a cross-section of at most 9 mm².
In an analogous art, Nishizawa discloses wherein the respective solder region includes a cross-section of at most 9 mm² (Para 0122 - 2.00 or 0.5 mm2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hori/Chew’s device by having Nishizawa’s disclosure in order to miniaturize the electronic devices.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD M CHOUDHRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5716. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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/MOHAMMAD M CHOUDHRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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