DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: “said electrically conductive leads” in line 13, “said first thickness” in line 10, and “said terminal recesses” in lines 8 and 11 should be changed to “the electrically conductive leads”, “the first thickness”, and “the terminal recesses”, respectively, in order to be consistent with “the electrically conductive leads” recited in lines 7-8, “the first thickness” in line 4, and “the terminal recess” in lines 9-10 also recited in claim 21. Appropriate corrections are required.
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 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Makino (US 2016/0254214 A1).
Regarding claim 21, Makino teaches a support substrate (a lead frame LF including DP and LDs) comprising an array of electrically conductive leads (an array of a plurality of leads LDs) around a die pad (a die pad DP), wherein the die pad has having a first thickness between a first die pad surface and a second die pad surface opposite the first die pad surface (a first vertical thickness of DP between DPb and DPt) and wherein the array of electrically conductive leads have the first thickness between a first lead surface and a second lead surface opposite the first lead surface (a first vertical thickness of LD between LDb and LDt), and further comprising terminal recesses (concave parts LDds) in electrically conductive leads (LDs) of the array of electrically conductive leads at the first lead surface (Figs. 4-5 and paragraphs 17, 65-66, 78, 102), wherein the electrically conductive leads, at said terminal recesses, have a second thickness between a recess surface of the terminal recess and the second lead surface (a second vertical thickness of LD between a surface of LDd and LDt) that is less than said first thickness (Fig. 5 and paragraph 78), and wherein the recess surfaces of said terminal recesses are configured to receive coupling ends of electrically conductive elongated formations (electrically-conductive members BW) configured to electrically couple a semiconductor die (a semiconductor chip CHP) mounted to the die pad with said electrically conductive leads in the array of electrically conductive leads (Figs. 4-5 and paragraph 105).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 are allowable over the cited prior arts.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record, alone or in combination, and to the examiner’s knowledge does not teach, disclose, suggest, or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, the instant invention regarding a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in claim 1, particularly in combination with the limitation regarding a step of partially cutting the support substrate starting from the second surface, wherein said partially cutting is performed at said terminal recesses and with a cutting depth that is between the first thickness and the second thickness, wherein said partially cutting produces exposed surfaces of the support substrate and the ends of the electrically conductive elongated formations at said terminal recesses. Claims 11 and 17 would be also allowable with the reason for allowable subject matter of claim 1 as discussed above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claim 21 have been considered but are moot in view of new/different grounds of rejections as set forth above in this Office Action.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL B WHALEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3418. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8AM-5PM.
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/DANIEL WHALEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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