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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because:
The drawings contain deficient line quality and reference characters. All drawings must be made by a process which will give them satisfactory reproduction characteristics. Every line, number, and letter must be durable, clean, black (except for color drawings), sufficiently dense and dark, and uniformly thick and well-defined. Reference characters (numerals are preferred), sheet numbers, and view numbers must be plain and legible. Refer to 37 CFR 1.84(l) and 1.84(p(1)). See Figure(s) 1-11.
The drawings make improper use of shading. The use of shading in views is encouraged if it aids in understanding the invention and if it does not reduce legibility. Shading is used to indicate the surface or shape of spherical, cylindrical, and conical elements of an object. Such shading is preferred in the case of parts shown in perspective, but not for cross sections. Solid black or gray shading areas are not permitted, except when used to represent bar graphs or color. Refer to 37 CFR 1.84(m) and 1.84(h(3)). See Figure(s) 1-11
The drawings are objected to because the view numbering format is improper because non-partial independent views are inexplicably designated alphanumerically instead of being consecutively numbered using Arabic numerals, leading to a confusing numbering scheme. Only partial views intended to form one complete view, on one or several sheets, must be identified by the same number followed by a capital letter. The different views must otherwise be numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals, starting with 1, independent of the numbering of the sheets and, if possible, in the order in which they appear on the drawing sheet(s). Refer to 37 CFR 1.84(u). See Figure(s) 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 11a, 11b.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 1, the limitations “the orientation of each external lead is opposite to its neighboring leads”, “each external lead”, and “its neighboring leads” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 2, the limitations “the orientation of each external lead is opposite to its neighboring leads…wherein second cross-section shape is a mirror image of the first cross-section shape” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 3, the limitations “the orientation of each external lead is opposite to its neighboring leads…wherein the first cross-section shape is an upright T-shape and the second cross-section shape is an inverted T-shape” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 4, the limitations “the orientation of each external lead is opposite to its neighboring leads…wherein the first cross-section shape is a forward-facing Z-shape and the second cross-section shape is a backwards-facing Z-shape” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 6, the limitations “a lead with a T-shape cross-section” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 7, the limitations “on a lead with a Z-shape cross-section” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 11, the limitations “a first group of leadframe leads”, “the first group of lead portions”, “adjacent leads”, “each lead”, “its neighboring leads”, and “wherein the cross-section shape of the adjacent leads on the first side alternate between a first shape or a second shape” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 12, the limitations “the leads have a same lead width” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 13, the limitations “a second group of leadframe leads”, “the second group of lead portions”, “adjacent leads”, and “wherein the cross-section shape of adjacent leads on the second side alternate between eh first shape of the second shape” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 14, the limitations “notches in the leads” and “the first group of leads” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 15, the limitations “wherein the first shape is an upright T-shape or a forward-facing Z-shape and the second cross-section is an inverted T-shape or a backward-facing Z-shape” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 16, the limitations “a first set of external leads”, “a second set of external leads”, “each lead”, “its neighboring leads”, and “the orientation of each lead is opposite to its neighboring leads” are unclear.
Regarding Claim 17, the limitations “adjacent external leads” are unclear.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554).
Regarding Claim 1, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, disclose a semiconductor package, comprising:
a leadframe segment having a plurality of external leads, the external leads each having a first cross-section shape or a second cross-section shape (external leads 202/212 or 502/512);
a semiconductor die electrically coupled to the leadframe segment (die 105); and
an encapsulant covering the semiconductor die and exposing the external leads on at least one side of the semiconductor package (encapsulation 201 or 501),
the external leads arranged on the at least one side to alternate between the first cross-section shape and the second cross-section shape so that the orientation of each external lead is opposite to its neighboring leads (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 2, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein second cross-section shape is a mirror image of the first cross-section shape (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 5, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the external leads have a lead width and the external leads are spaced apart by the lead width (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 8, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the first cross-section shape and the second cross-section shape are created by etching material from the external leads (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 9, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the first cross-section shape and the second cross-section shape are created by stamping a leadframe sheet to form the external leads (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 10, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each external lead is covered by the encapsulant, and wherein the covered portions of the external leads have either the first cross-section shape or the second cross-section shape (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Claim(s) 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554).
Regarding Claim 11, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, disclose a semiconductor device, comprising:
an integrated circuit (IC) die mounted on a leadframe (die 105);
a mold compound covering the IC die and at least a portion of the leadframe (mold compound 201 or 501); and
a first group of leadframe leads exposed from a first side of the mold compound, each of the first group of lead portions having a cross-section shape, wherein the cross-section shape of adjacent leads on the first side alternate between a first shape or a second shape so that the orientation of each lead is opposite to its neighboring leads (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 12, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the leads have a same lead width and the leads are spaced apart by the lead width (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 13, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor device of claim 11, further comprising: a second group of leadframe leads exposed from a second side of the mold compound, each of the second group of lead portions having a cross-section shape, wherein the cross-section shape of adjacent leads on the second side alternate between the first shape or the second shape (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 14, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the cross-section shape is defined by notches in the leads, and wherein the notches are configured to permit unrestrained movement when a second group of leads on another semiconductor device are interleaved between the first group of leads (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Claim(s) 16-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554).
Regarding Claim 16, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-b, and 5a-b, disclose a leadframe segment for a semiconductor package, comprising:
a first set of external leads each having a first cross-section shape (external leads 202/212 or 502/512); and
a second set of external leads each having a second cross-section shape, the second set of external leads interleaved between the first set of external leads so that the orientation of each lead is opposite to its neighboring leads (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 17, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the leadframe segment of claim 16, wherein each of the external leads in the first set and the second set have a same lead width, and wherein adjacent external leads are spaced apart by the lead width (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Regarding Claim 20, Holloway et al., Figures 1b, 2a-2b, and 5a-5b, further discloses the leadframe segment of claim 16, wherein the first cross-section shape and the second cross-section shape are configured to permit unrestrained movement when external leads of two semiconductor packages are interleaved (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
Claim(s) 16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang (U.S. 2020/0027822).
Regarding Claim 16, Huang, Figures 5-7, disclose a leadframe segment for a semiconductor package, comprising:
a first set of external leads each having a first cross-section shape (external leads 21/22); and
a second set of external leads each having a second cross-section shape, the second set of external leads interleaved between the first set of external leads so that the orientation of each lead is opposite to its neighboring leads (external leads 21/22).
Regarding Claim 19, Huang, Figures 5-7, further discloses the leadframe segment of claim 16, wherein the first cross-section shape is a forward-facing Z-shape formed by etching material from a first pair of diagonally opposed top and bottom corners on the first set of external leads, and wherein the second cross-section shape is a backward-facing Z-shape formed by etching material from a second pair of diagonally opposed top and bottom corners on the second set of external leads (external leads 21/22).
Regarding Claim 20, Huang, Figures 5-7, further discloses the leadframe segment of claim 16, wherein the first cross-section shape and the second cross-section shape are configured to permit unrestrained movement when external leads of two semiconductor packages are interleaved (external leads 202/212 or 502/512).
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shibasaki et al. (U.S. 2014/0319663).
Regarding Claim 3, Holloway et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein the first cross-section shape is an upright T-shape and the second cross-section shape is an inverted T-shape. In the same field of endeavor, Shibasaki et al. discloses leads with alternating upright T-shape and inverted T-shape cross-sections (Shibasaki et al., leads 116a and 116b, Figures 21-24). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first cross-section shape as an upright T-shape and the second cross-section shape as an inverted T-shape in Holloway et al. in view of Shibasaki et al. in order to increase terminal density (Shibasaki et al., [0186]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Huang (U.S. 2020/0027822).
Regarding Claim 4, Holloway et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein the first cross-section shape is a forward-facing Z-shape and the second cross-section shape is a backward-facing Z-shape. In the same field of endeavor, Huang discloses external leads having alternating forward-facing Z-shape and backward-facing Z-shape cross-sections (Huang, external leads 21/22, Figures 5-7). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first cross-section shape as a forward-facing Z-shape and the second cross-section shape as a backward-facing Z-shape in Holloway et al. in view of Huang in order to reduce undesired bending of the lead frame (Huang, [0052]).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554) as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Shibasaki et al. (U.S. 2014/0319663).
Regarding Claim 6, Holloway et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein the lead width is a width of a horizontal bar on a lead with a T-shape cross-section. Shibasaki et al. discloses leads with alternating upright T-shape and inverted T-shape cross-sections (Shibasaki et al., leads 116a and 116b, Figures 21-24). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first cross-section shape as an upright T-shape and the second cross-section shape as an inverted T-shape and therefore form the lead width to be a width of a horizonal bar on a lead with a T-shape cross-section in Holloway et al. in view of Shibasaki et al. in order to increase terminal density (Shibasaki et al., [0186]).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554) as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Huang (U.S. 2020/0027822).
Regarding Claim 7, Holloway et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein the lead width is a width from an outside edge of an upper horizontal bar to an outside edge of a lower horizontal bar on a lead with a Z-shape cross-section. In the same field of endeavor, Huang discloses external leads having alternating forward-facing Z-shape and backward-facing Z-shape cross-sections (Huang, external leads 21/22, Figures 5-7). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first cross-section shape as a forward-facing Z-shape and the second cross-section shape as a backward-facing Z-shape and therefore have the lead width be a width from an outside edge of an upper horizontal bar to an outsize edge of a lower horizontal bar on a lead with a Z-shape cross-section in Holloway et al. in view of Huang in order to reduce undesired bending of the lead frame (Huang, [0052]).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Huang (U.S. 2020/0027822).
Regarding Claim 15, Holloway et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein the first shape is an upright T-shape or a forward-facing Z-shape and the second cross-section shape is an inverted T-shape or a backward-facing Z-shape. In the same field of endeavor, Huang discloses external leads having alternating forward-facing Z-shape and backward-facing Z-shape cross-sections (Huang, external leads 21/22, Figures 5-7). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first cross-section shape as a forward-facing Z-shape and the second cross-section shape as a backward-facing Z-shape in Holloway et al. in view of Huang in order to reduce undesired bending of the lead frame (Huang, [0052]).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holloway et al. (U.S. 2008/0169554) as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Shibasaki et al. (U.S. 2014/0319663).
Regarding Claim 18, Holloway et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein the first cross-section shape is an upright T-shape formed by etching material from opposite bottom corners of the first set of external leads, and wherein the second cross-section shape is an inverted T-shape formed by etching material from opposite top corners of the second set of external leads. In the same field of endeavor, Shibasaki et al. discloses leads with alternating upright T-shape and inverted T-shape cross-sections formed via etching (Shibasaki et al., leads 116a and 116b, Figures 21-24, [0193]). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first cross-section shape as an upright T-shape formed by etching material from opposite bottom corners of the first set of external leads, and the second cross-section shape as an inverted T-shape formed by etching material from opposite top corners of the second set of external leads in Holloway et al. in view of Shibasaki et al. in order to increase terminal density (Shibasaki et al., [0186]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to Abbigale Boyle whose telephone number is 571-270-7919. The Examiner can normally be reached from 11 A.M to 7 P.M., Monday through Friday.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Zandra Smith, can be reached at 571-272-2429. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Abbigale Boyle
Examiner, Art Unit 2899
/ABBIGALE A BOYLE/Examiner, Art Unit 2899
/DALE E PAGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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