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 Invention I, Species 1, and Modification A1 (claims 1-6 and 9-15) in the reply filed on 24 February 2026 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference characters not mentioned in the description: reference character 116 shown in FIG. 1B, reference character 330 shown in FIG. 3A. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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 § 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.
Claims 1-6 and 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noquil et al. (US PGPub 20200168533 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Noquil”) in view of Furgut et al. (EP 3739624 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Furgut”).
Re claim 1: Noquil teaches a chip package (para. abstract, 22; FIG. 2G), comprising: a first chip (FIG. 2G: el. 212; para. 24); a second chip (FIG. 2G: el. 208; para. 23); an electrically conductive structure (FIG. 2G: el. 210; para. 23, 33|thermally conductive structure 210 formed of copper, an electrically conductive material) to which the first chip and the second chip are mounted (FIG. 2G: el. 210, 212, 208); at least one contact terminal (FIG. 2G: el. 202, 204; para. 22, 24) for electrically contacting the first chip and/or the second chip (FIG. 2G: el. 202, 204, 212, 208; para. 24); and encapsulation material (FIG. 2G: el. 216; para. 25) at least partially encapsulating the first chip, the second chip, and the electrically conductive structure (FIG. 2G: el. 216, 212, 208, 210), wherein the encapsulation material forms a chip package body (FIG. 2G: el. 216), wherein at least a portion of the electrically conductive structure forms a portion of an outer surface of the chip package body (FIG. 2G: el. 221: para. 25|top surface 221 of electrically conductive structure 210 forms a portion of an outer surface of the package body). Noquil fails to teach a chip package body from which the at least one contact terminal protrudes.
In a similar field of endeavor, Furgut teaches a chip package (FIG. 6A; para. 36), comprising: a first chip (FIG. 6A: el. 103B; para. 36), a second chip (FIG. 6A: el. 103A; para. 36), and an encapsulation material (FIG. 6A: el. 4; para. 39), wherein the encapsulation material forms a chip package body from which the at least one contact terminal protrudes (FIG. 6A: el. 4, 102A, 102B; para. 38). Furgut further teaches a benefit of the contact terminal protruding from the lead frame and chip package body is to provide for the electrical connection of the contact terminal to a printed circuit board (para. 37-38, 56).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noquil and Furgut, to enable using the protruding contact terminal of Furgut as the contact terminal of the chip package of Noquil, for the benefit of providing for the electrical connection of the contact terminal to a printed circuit board.
Re claim 2: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1, wherein the portion of the electrically conductive structure is exposed to ambient (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 221; para. 25| top surface 221 of electrically conductive structure 210 exposed to ambient exterior of chip package body).
Re claim 3: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure further comprises a second portion covered by the encapsulation material (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 210|second portion covered by the encapsulation material shown in annotated FIG. 2G provided below).
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Re claim 4: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1, wherein the first chip and the second chip are mounted on opposite sides of the electrically conductive structure (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 212, 208, 210).
Re claim 5: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 4, wherein the first chip and the second chip form a stack (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 212, 208).
Re claim 6: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1, wherein the portion of the electrically conductive structure is laterally arranged between the first chip and a circumference of the chip package and/or between the second chip and the circumference of the chip package (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 221, 212).
Re claim 9: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure is a clip (Noquil - FIG. 2C: el. 210, 213; para. 23: last sentence).
Re claim 10: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1, further comprising: a second electrically conductive structure (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 214; para. 24, 33|thermally conductive structure 214 formed of copper, an electrically conductive material) attached to the first chip opposite the electrically conductive structure (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 214, 212, 210).
Re claim 11: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 10, wherein a side of the second electrically conductive structure opposite the first chip is exposed to ambient (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 219, 214; para. 25| top surface 219 of the second electrically conductive structure 214 exposed to ambient exterior of chip package body).
Re claim 12: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 10, wherein the second electrically conductive structure is a clip or a lead frame (Noquil - para. 24| second electrically conductive structure 214 is a die attach clip).
Re claim 13: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 10, further comprising: a third electrically conductive structure (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 206; para. 23|third electrically conductive structure 206 soldered to second chip 208) attached to the second chip opposite to the electrically conductive structure, wherein a side of the third electrically conductive structure opposite the second chip is exposed to ambient (Noquil - FIG. 2G: el. 206|surface of third electrically conductive structure 206 opposite the second chip 208 is exposed to ambient exterior of chip package body).
Re claim 14: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1, wherein the first chip and/or the second chip are power chips (Furgut – el. 103A, 103B; para. 1-2, 40-41).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noquil in view of Furgut as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tang et al. (US PGPub 20210296217 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Tang”).
Re claim 15: The combination of Noquil and Furgut teaches the chip package of claim 1. The combination of Noquil and Furgut fails to teach a chip system, comprising: the chip package of claim 1; and a heat sink thermally contacting the portion of the electrically conductive structure.
In a similar field of endeavor, Tang teaches a chip package, comprising: a first chip (FIG. 4A: el. 406; para. 55), a second chip (FIG. 4A: el. 444; para. 58), and an electrically conductive structure attached to the first chip and the second chip (FIG. 4A: el. 404; para. 54). Tang teaches a chip system (FIG. 4A: el. 400; para. 53, comprising: a chip package (FIG. 4A|chip package formed between conductive structure 402 and conductive structure 404 and including first and second chips 404, 444 and encapsulation material 450) and a heat sink (FIG. 4A: el. 420; para. 55) thermally contacting the portion of the electrically conductive structure (FIG 4A: el. 420, 404|heat sink 420 attached to upper surface of chip package and electrically conductive structure 404). Tang also teaches a benefit of an electrically conductive structure with a heat sink attached to an electrically conductive structure is more efficient heat dissipation and active cooling of the chip package (para. 32, 60).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of the combination of Noquil and Furgut with the teachings of Tang, to enable using the chip system including a heat sink of Tang in the chip package of the combination of Noquil and Furgut, for the benefit of more efficient heat dissipation and active cooling of the chip package.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEVIN GOODLING whose telephone number is (571)272-2552. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am - 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio Maldonado can be reached at (571) 272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/D.G./Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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