Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/362,276

WIREBOND ELECTROPLATING STRUCTURE FOR FULL CUT WETTABLE FLANK STRUCTURES FOR SON PACKAGES

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Jul 31, 2023
Examiner
ARMAND, MARC ANTHONY
Art Unit
2813
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Texas Instruments Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 6m
To Grant
87%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allow Rate
861 granted / 1037 resolved
+15.0% vs TC avg
Minimal +4% lift
Without
With
+3.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
33 currently pending
Career history
1070
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
3.2%
-36.8% vs TC avg
§103
57.0%
+17.0% vs TC avg
§102
21.7%
-18.3% vs TC avg
§112
9.7%
-30.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1037 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §112
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 1-16 in the reply filed on 12/29/25 is acknowledged. Drawings The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the limitations of claims 10, 11,16 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. In claim 10, the limitation: “a further bond wire having a first end connected to one of a die attach pad and a tie bar,” is not shown. In claims 11,16, the limitation: “wherein one of the first and second bond wires overlies the other one of the first and second bond wires,” is not shown. 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 10,11,16 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 claims 10,16, it is not clear on how the bond wire is connected to one of a die attach pad and a tie bar. It appears that wire is attached to one of the leads. Regarding claim 11, it is not clear how the first and second bond wires overlies the other first and second bond wires because they are extending from the doe to the lead, rather than overlying each other. 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) 1,2,9,12,13,14,15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated over Truhitte US 2017/0133302. Regarding claim 1, Truhitte discloses and shows in FIG. 2a-7f, an electronic device, comprising: a semiconductor die (124)[0004]; conductive leads (504,510)[0068] in first and second rows along respective opposite sides of a package structure (504, 510 are on both sides)(see FIG. 5f); a first bond wire( 546) having a first end connected to a first one of the conductive leads (504, 510) and a second end connected to the semiconductor die (124); and a second bond wire (wire 548)[0069] (connected to 510) having a first end connected to a second one of the conductive leads (510) and an unterminated second end exposed along a further side of the package structure. Regarding claim 2, Truhitte discloses and shows in FIG. 2a-7f, an electronic device, having a small outline no-lead (SON) package [0071], wherein: the package structure has: opposite first and second sides (opposite side of 124); opposite third and fourth sides (lateral side of 124); and opposite fifth and sixth sides (thickness side of 124), the third and fourth sides being spaced apart from one another along a first direction, the fifth and sixth sides being spaced apart from one another along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction (see 2a-7f), and the first and second sides being spaced apart from one another along a third direction that is orthogonal to the first and second directions; the first row of the conductive leads extends along the fifth side (see FIG. 5f); the second row of the conductive leads extends along the sixth side; and the unterminated second end of the second bond wire (wire 548 connected to 510) is exposed along one of the third and fourth sides of the package structure. Regarding claim 9, Truhitte discloses and shows in FIG. 2a-7f, an electronic device comprising a further bond wire (wire 548 connected to 510 on the opposite side of 124) having a first end connected to one of the conductive end leads and an unterminated second end exposed along the further side of the package structure. Regarding claim 12, Truhitte discloses and shows in FIG. 2a-7f, an electronic device, wherein: the first and second rows of the conductive leads (multiple 504 and 510 on each sides of 124) include conductive end leads at opposite ends of the respective row and a conductive intermediate lead between the conductive end leads of the respective row; and each of the conductive leads of the first and second rows has a plated surface [0076] exposed along the respective side of the package structure. Regarding claim 13, Truhitte discloses and shows in FIG. 2a-7f, an electronic device, comprising: a small outline no-lead (SON) package [0072] having a molded (550)[0068] package structure and conductive leads with plated sidewalls [0076] exposed along opposite lateral sides of the package structure; a semiconductor die (124) at least partially enclosed by the molded package structure (mold 550 encapsulating the package); a first bond wire (546) enclosed by the molded package structure and connected between a first one of the conductive leads (504s positioned on multiple sides of 124) and the semiconductor die; and a second bond wire (548 connected to 510) having a first end and an unterminated second end exposed along a further side of the package structure. Regarding claim 14, Truhitte discloses and shows in FIG. 2a-7f, an electronic device wherein: the conductive leads (504s, 510s positioned on multiple sides of 124) include conductive end leads at opposite respective ends of the respective lateral sides and a conductive intermediate lead (second 504) between the conductive end leads; and the first end of the second bond wire (546) is connected to one of the first and second conductive intermediate leads. Regarding claim 15, Truhitte discloses and shows in FIG. 2a-7f, an electronic device, wherein: the conductive leads (504s, 510s) include conductive end leads at opposite respective ends of the respective lateral sides and a conductive intermediate lead (second 504) between the conductive end leads (510s); and the first end of the second bond wire (548) is connected to one of the conductive end leads (510s). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 3-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARC-ANTHONY ARMAND whose telephone number is (571)272-5178. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven B Gauthier can be reached at 571-270-0373. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. MARC - ANTHONY ARMAND Examiner Art Unit 2813 /STEVEN B GAUTHIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2813
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 31, 2023
Application Filed
Jan 14, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
83%
Grant Probability
87%
With Interview (+3.9%)
2y 6m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1037 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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