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 .
This office action is in response to the amendment filed on 6/29/26. Claims 1-17 are pending.
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.
Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kasem et al. (US PGPub 2006/0108671, hereinafter referred to as “Kasem”, IDS reference).
Kasem discloses the semiconductor device as claimed. See figures 1A-14B and corresponding text, where Kasem teaches, in claim 1, a power electronic assembly, comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB); and
a power module embedded in the PCB, wherein the power module comprises:
a leadframe (10, 12);
a power semiconductor die (14) having a first load terminal (126) and a control terminal (128) at a first side of the power semiconductor die (14) and a second load terminal at a second side opposite the first side, the second load terminal being soldered to the leadframe (10, 12);
a first metal clip soldered to the first load terminal and forming a first terminal of the power module at a first side of the power module; and
a second metal clip soldered to the control terminal and forming a second terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module, wherein the leadframe extends to the first side of the power module and forms a third terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module, or a third metal clip is soldered to the leadframe and forms the third terminal of the power module, wherein the PCB includes electrically conductive vias that extend through one or more insulating layers of the PCB and contact the first terminal, the second terminal and the third terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 2, wherein the first terminal, the second terminal and the third terminal of the power module are coplanar within +/- 30 pm at the first side of the power module (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 3, wherein the power module is a molded module (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 4, wherein the first metal clip of the power module has a plurality of slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the first metal clip to the first load terminal of the power semiconductor die (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 5, wherein the second metal clip of the power module has one or more slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the second metal clip to the control terminal of the power semiconductor die (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 6, wherein the first metal clip of the power module has a plurality of slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the first metal clip to the first load terminal of the power semiconductor die, and wherein the second metal clip of the power module has one or more slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the second metal clip to the control terminal of the power semiconductor die (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 7, wherein the power semiconductor die has a thickness less than 100 pm, and wherein each of the first load terminal, the second load terminal and the control terminal of the power semiconductor die comprises Cu and has a thickness less than 10 pm (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 8, wherein the third terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module is formed by a region of the leadframe that extends to the first side of the power module (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 9, wherein the third terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module is formed by the third metal clip soldered to the leadframe (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 10, a power module for embedding in a printed circuit board (PCB), the power module comprising (figure 5; [0034-0038])
: a leadframe;
a power semiconductor die having a first load terminal and a control terminal at a first side of the power semiconductor die and a second load terminal at a second side opposite the first side, the second load terminal being soldered to the leadframe;
a first metal clip soldered to the first load terminal and forming a first terminal of the power module at a first side of the power module; and
a second metal clip soldered to the control terminal and forming a second terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module, wherein the leadframe extends to the first side of the power module and forms a third terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module, or a third metal clip is soldered to the leadframe and forms the third terminal of the power module, wherein the first terminal, the second terminal and the third terminal of the power module are coplanar within +/- 30 pm at the first side of the power module.
Kasem teaches, in claim 11, wherein the first metal clip has a plurality of slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the first metal clip to the first load terminal of the power semiconductor die (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 12, wherein the second metal clip has one or more slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the second metal clip to the control terminal of the power semiconductor die (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 13, wherein the power semiconductor die and part of the leadframe are embedded in a molding compound (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 14, wherein the first metal clip has a plurality of slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the first metal clip to the first load terminal of the power semiconductor die, and wherein the second metal clip has one or more slots configured as a reservoir for accommodating solder paste used to solder the second metal clip to the control terminal of the power semiconductor die (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 15, wherein the semiconductor power die has a thickness less than 100 pm, and wherein each of the first load terminal, the second load terminal and the control terminal of the power semiconductor die comprises Cu and has a thickness less than 10 pm (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 16, wherein the third terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module is formed by a region of the leadframe that extends to the first side of the power module (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Kasem teaches, in claim 17, wherein the third terminal of the power module at the first side of the power module is formed by the third metal clip soldered to the leadframe (figure 5; [0034-0038]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 6/29/26, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-17 under Mahler et al. (US PGPub 2015/0064844, hereinafter referred to as “Mahler”, IDS reference) in view of Stahr et al. (US PGPub 2017/1064481, hereinafter referred to as “Stahr”) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kasem et al. (US PGPub 2006/0108671, hereinafter referred to as “Kasem”, IDS reference).
Conclusion
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/STANETTA D ISAAC/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 September 5, 2026
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