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 .
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)(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.
Claims 10-14 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tanikawa et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2025/0046664).
Regarding claim 10, Tanikawa teaches an electronic device assembly comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 49, substrate 11) arranged in a plane (X-Y plane), the substrate having a first side (top side) and a second side (bottom side), the second side being opposite the first side;
at least one semiconductor die (die 10A/B, shown in Fig. 3) disposed on the first side of the substrate (Fig. 3); and
an electrically conductive signal pin holder (451) including:
a proximal portion (bottom portion) coupled with the first side of the substrate (Fig. 49); and
a distal portion (top portion),
at least a portion of the electrically conductive signal pin holder being pre-molded in a stress buffer material (stress buffer material 55, see paragraph [0296], silicone or other stress buffer material), and
the electrically conductive signal pin holder being arranged along a longitudinal axis that is orthogonal to the plane of the substrate (Z axis).
Regarding claim 11, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 10, wherein:
the distal portion of the electrically conductive signal pin holder is pre-molded in the stress buffer material (Fig. 49); and
the proximal portion of the electrically conductive signal pin holder excludes the stress buffer material (proximal portion is soldered to substrate, and therefore does not have buffer material 55 contacting it; see Fig. 14).
Regarding claim 12, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 10, wherein the proximal portion of the electrically conductive signal pin holder includes a flange (Fig. 14), the flange being coupled to the first side of the substrate via a solder connection (Fig. 14, solder 459 – not specifically labeled as solder with respect to 459, instead “conductive bonding material”, but see paragraphs [0075], [0114], [0116], “conductive bonding material” is used to mean solder throughout Specification).
Regarding claim 13, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 10, further comprising a molding compound (Fig. 49, resin 50) encapsulating the substrate, the at least one semiconductor die, and the electrically conductive signal pin holder (Fig. 49), such that a surface of the stress buffer material is exposed through the molding compound (Fig. 49), an open end of the electrically conductive signal pin holder being exposed through the stress buffer material (Fig. 49).
Regarding claim 14, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 13, wherein the stress buffer material has a modulus of elasticity that is less than a modulus of elasticity of the electrically conductive signal pin holder, and less than a modulus of elasticity of the molding compound (see paragraph [0269], also silicone gel has lower modulus than all metals).
Regarding claim 16, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 10, wherein the electrically conductive signal pin holder is cylindrical (see Fig. 2) and is configured to a receive a signal pin by press- fit insertion (paragraph [0083]).
Regarding claim 17, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 10, wherein the stress buffer material includes one of:
a rubber material; a polyphenylene sulfide material; or an engineering plastics material (silicone resin is engineering plastics).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tanikawa as evidenced by MatWeb (“Overview of materials for Epoxy Molding Compound”) and Matweb (“Lord Adhesives Thermoset MS-330 Silicone Board Level Encapsulant”).
Regarding claim 15, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 13, wherein:
the electrically conductive signal pin holder has a modulus of elasticity of greater than or equal to 100 giga-pascals (GPa) (copper, typically used for electrically conductive terminals, has modulus of 110-130 GPa),
the molding compound has a modulus of elasticity of greater than or equal to 15 GPa (black epoxy resin, see pargarph [0271], can be modulus of 1.38-46 GPa, average of 17 GPa), and the stress buffer material has a modulus of elasticity of less or equal to 5 GPa (silicone resin or silicone gel, can be modulus of .01 GPa).
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.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanikawa in view of Tanikawa et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2024/0047312)(“Tanikawa2”)
Regarding claim 18, Tanikawa teaches the electronic device assembly of claim 10, but does not specifically wherein the electrically conductive signal pin holder includes at least one of:
copper; or a copper alloy.
Tanikawa does not specifically teach the material of the holders. However, Tanikawa2 teaches nearly identical holders that are made of copper (Tanikawa2 paragraph [0131]). It would have been obvious to a person of skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date that copper could have been used for the holders of Tanikawa because it is a very common conductive material in semiconductor packaging and would have been a simple substitution of the unknown metal of Tanikawa for the copper of Tanikawa2 with predictable results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 and 23-26 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
an electrically conductive signal pin holder disposed in the hole of the signal lead, and an open end of the electrically conductive signal pin holder being accessible outside the molding compound. While Umeda et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0350236) teaches that a signal pin is through a hole in a lead (see Fig. 1), it fails to teach the holder in the hole, and while Tanikawa et al (U.S. Publication No. 2025/0046664) teaches a similar holder, it also fails to teach that it is within a hole in the lead (see Fig. 13). There is not prior art, or other motivation found to place the holder of Tanikawa within a hole that is in the lead of Umeda.
Regarding claims 23-26, the prior art, alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest an electrically conductive signal pin holder disposed in the hole, the electrically conductive signal pin holder including; a first end disposed below the signal lead; and a second end disposed above the signal lead, the second end having a larger diameter than that of the first end. While Umeda et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0350236) teaches that a signal pin is through a hole in a lead (see Fig. 1), it fails to teach the holder in the hole, and while Tanikawa et al (U.S. Publication No. 2025/0046664) teaches a similar holder, it also fails to teach that it is within a hole in the lead (see Fig. 13). There is not prior art, or other motivation found to place the holder of Tanikawa within a hole that is in the lead of Umeda.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Umeda et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0350236), see comment in reasons for allowance.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Evan G Clinton whose telephone number is (571)270-0525. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday at 8:30am to 5:30pm.
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/EVAN G CLINTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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