DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to communication filed 01/22/2026.
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 Species 1 in the reply filed on 01/22/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 09/11/2023, 12/09/2025, 01/22/2026, and 04/16/2026 are acknowledged. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Rejection Note: Italicized claim limitations indicate limitations that are not explicitly disclosed in the primary reference, but disclosed in the secondary reference(s)
Claims 1-3, 5-9, and 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kadoguchi et al. (US 10950526 B2) in view of Hung et al. (US 7233075 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 below) discloses a semiconductor device (10) comprising:
a first die pad (24) and a second die pad (28) spaced apart from each other in a first direction (see annotated Fig 1. below: “first direction”) perpendicular to a thickness direction (see annotated Fig 1. below: “thickness direction”);
a semiconductor element (12 and 14) mounted on at least one of the first die pad and the second die pad;
and a sealing resin (50) covering the semiconductor element and at least a portion of each of the first die pad and the second die pad,
wherein a dimension of the sealing resin in the first direction is longer than a dimension of the sealing resin in a second direction (see annotated Fig 1. below: “second direction”) perpendicular to the thickness direction and the first direction,
the first die pad has a first end surface (see annotated Fig 1. below: “first end surface”) facing in the first direction,
a second end surface (see annotated Fig 1. below: “second end surface”) facing in the second direction,
and a first corner end surface (see annotated Fig 1. below: “first corner end surface”) located between the first end surface and the second end surface and at a corner of the first die pad,
the first corner end surface is a flat surface that is covered with the sealing resin,
and that is inclined relative to the first end surface and the second end surface,
and one of a first inclination angle (see annotated Fig 1. below: “first angle”) of the first corner end surface relative to the first end surface and a second inclination angle (see annotated Fig 1. below: “second angle”) of the first corner end surface relative to the second end surface is in the range of 60° to 85° both inclusive.
Hung et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 6B) discloses a die pad (32) including a first inclination angle (θ-2) that is in the range of 10° to 80° (column 6, lines 50-52).
In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kadoguchi et al. with Hung et al. in order to prevent cracks from forming under the bonding pad and prevent peeling of the pad (column 3, lines 54-56).
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Regarding claim 2, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein:
the first end surface and the second end surface are covered with the sealing resin.
Regarding claim 3, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein:
the sealing resin has a first side surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “first side surface”) facing in the first direction,
and the first end surface is located closest to the first side surface.
Regarding claim 5, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 3 below) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:
each of the first die pad and the second die pad has a reverse surface (see annotated Fig. 3 below: “reverse surfaces”) facing away from where the semiconductor element is located in the thickness direction,
and the reverse surface is exposed from the sealing resin.
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Regarding claim 6, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 2) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 5, further comprising:
a plurality of terminal leads (42 and 44) positioned relative to the first die pad and the second die pad in a sense of the second direction,
which is opposite from another sense of the second direction in which the second end surface faces,
wherein at least one of the terminal leads is electrically connected to the semiconductor element,
and a portion of each of the terminal leads is covered with the sealing resin.
Regarding claim 7, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 2) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein:
the plurality of terminal leads are arranged in the first direction.
Regarding claim 8, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein:
the first die pad has a third end surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “third end surface”) facing away from the second end surface in the second direction,
and a second corner end surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “second corner end surface”) located between the first end surface and the third end surface and at a corner of the first die pad,
the third end surface and the second corner end surface are covered with the sealing resin,
the second corner end surface is a flat surface inclined relative to the first end surface and the third end surface,
and one of a third inclination angle of the second corner end surface relative to the first end surface and a fourth inclination angle of the second corner end surface relative to the third end surface is in the range of 60° to 85° both inclusive.
Hung et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 6B) discloses a die pad (32) including a third inclination angle (θ-2) that is in the range of 10° to 80° (column 6, lines 50-52).
In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kadoguchi et al. with Hung et al. in order to prevent cracks from forming under the bonding pad and prevent peeling of the pad (column 3, lines 54-56).
Regarding claim 9, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein:
the first die pad has a fourth end surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “fourth end surface”) facing away from the first end surface in the first direction,
and a third corner end surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “third corner end surface”) located between the second end surface and the fourth end surface and at a corner of the first die pad,
the fourth end surface and the third corner end surface are covered with the sealing resin,
and the third corner end surface is a flat surface inclined relative to the second end surface and the fourth end surface.
Regarding claim 11, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein:
the sealing resin has a second side surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “second side surface”) and a third side surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “third side surface”) facing away from each other in the second direction,
and the second end surface is located closest to the second side surface.
Regarding claim 12, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein:
a distance between the third end surface and the third side surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “third distance”) is longer than a distance between the second end surface and the second side surface (see annotated Fig 1. above: “second distance”).
Regarding claim 13, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein:
the plurality of terminal leads are exposed from the third side surface.
Regarding claim 14, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 2) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein:
one of the plurality of terminal leads (Any among 42) is connected (Via 46) to the third end surface of the first die pad.
Regarding claim 15, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., Annotated FIG. 1 above) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein:
the semiconductor element includes a first element (12) and a second element (14),
the first element is mounted on the first die pad,
and the second element is mounted on the second die pad.
Regarding claim 16, Kadoguchi et al. discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein:
the first element is electrically connected to the first die pad (column 5 lines 54-59),
and the second element is electrically connected to the second die pad (column 5 line 65 – column 6 line 3).
Regarding claim 17, Kadoguchi et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 2) discloses the semiconductor device according to claim 16, further comprising:
a first conductive member (38) bonded to the first element and the second die pad;
and a second conductive member bonded (48) to the second die pad and one of the plurality of terminal leads (Any among 44),
wherein the first conductive member and the second conductive member are covered with the sealing resin.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kadoguchi et al. (US 10950526 B2) in view of Hung et al. (US 7233075 B2) as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Hirota et al. (JPS 6340353 A).
Rejection Note: Arguments using Hirota et al. are based on the figures and translation provided for in the IDS submitted on 09/11/2023.
Regarding claim 10, Kadoguchi et al. fails to disclose the semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein:
the first die pad has a fourth corner end surface located between the third end surface and the fourth end surface and at a corner of the first die pad,
and the fourth corner end surface is a flat surface that is covered with the sealing resin,
and that is inclined relative to the third end surface and the fourth end surface.
Hirota et al. (see, e.g., FIG. 1 and annotated FIG. 5 below) discloses the following claim limitations not disclosed in Kadoguchi et al.:
wherein the first die pad (Fig. 5: 2f) has a fourth corner end surface (see annotated Fig. 5 below: “fourth corner end surface”) located between the third end surface (see annotated Fig. 5 below: “third end surface”) and the fourth end surface (see annotated Fig. 5 below: “fourth end surface”) and at a corner of the first die pad,
and the fourth corner end surface is a flat surface that is covered with the sealing resin (Fig. 1: 5),
and that is inclined relative to the third end surface and the fourth end surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kadoguchi et al. with Hirota et al. in order to reduce stress in the resin by replacing right angles with obtuse internal angles (paragraph [0001] of translation).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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 AIDAN D BANKLER whose telephone number is (571)272-0883. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:00-5:00.
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/AIDAN D BANKLER/Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
Prosecution Insights