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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on March 31, 2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on March 31, 2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Notice of Allowance on January 2, 2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Applicant's submission of the information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97 on March 31, 2026 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. The indicated allowability of claims 1-3, 13 and 14 is withdrawn in view of the newly cited references in the IDS, namely US Pub. 2022/0276011 and US Pub. 2006/0043551. Rejections based on the newly cited references follow.
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.
Claims 1-3, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Toya et al. (US Pub. 2022/0276011; hereinafter “Toya”).
Regarding Claim 1, Toya discloses a connection structure comprising: a first member HG (page 3, paragraph 49); a second member HS (page 3, paragraph 49) arranged to oppose the first member HG and made of a material having a coefficient of linear expansion different from that of the first member HG (the coefficient of linear expansion of the heat-generating component HG differs from the that of the heat-sink HS, for example, silicon has significantly lower coefficient of linear expansion than aluminum or copper commonly used for heat sinks); a connection member 200 (page 3, paragraph 49; page 10, paragraph 134) that connects the first member HG and the second member HS with each other (see fig. 1), wherein the connection member 200 includes a heat-resistant resin material 12 (resin fiber, such as polyimide, epoxy resin, phenol resin, etc.; page 5, paragraph 79), a carbon material 11 (flake graphite; page 58, paragraph 65) made of carbon atom (graphite), and a void layer (unfilled layer; page 7, paragraph 94).
Regarding Claim 2, Toya discloses wherein the carbon material 11 has one end in contact with the first member HG, and the other end, which is opposite to the one end, in contact with the second member HS (see fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Toya discloses wherein the carbon material 11 defines a heat conduction direction (normal (vector) N100; page 10, paragraph 134) connecting the first member HG and the second member HS with each other (see fig. 1), and an angle between a thickness direction T100 of the connection member 200 and the heat conduction direction N100 of the carbon material 11 is within a range more than or equal to 14° and less than or equal to 70° (page 10, paragraphs 134 and 136; see figs. 6 and 7).
Regarding Claim 15, Toya discloses wherein the angle between the thickness direction T100 of the connection member 200 and the heat conduction direction N100 of the carbon material 11 is within a range more than or equal to 25° and less than or equal to 70° (page 10, paragraph 136).
Regarding Claim 16, Toya discloses wherein the angle between the thickness direction T100 of the connection member 200 and the heat conduction direction N100 of the carbon material 11 is within a range more than or equal to 47° and less than or equal to 69° (page 10, paragraph 136).
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toya in view of Nishiyama et al. (US Pub. 2014/0079913; hereinafter “Nishiyama”).
Regarding Claim 13, Toya discloses a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor module HG having a semiconductor element (page 3, paragraph 49); a radiator HS (heat-sink; page 3, paragraph 49) arranged to the semiconductor module HG (see fig. 1); and a connection member 100 (page 3, paragraph 49) that connects the semiconductor module HG and the radiator HS with each other (see fig. 1), wherein the connection member 100 includes a heat-resistant resin material 12 (resin fiber, such as polyimide, epoxy resin, phenol resin, etc.; page 5, paragraph 79), a carbon material 11 (flake graphite; page 58, paragraph 65) made of carbon atom (graphite), and a void layer (unfilled layer; page 7, paragraph 94).
Toya fails to disclose explicitly wherein the semiconductor module having a heat dissipation plate thermally connected to the semiconductor element.
However, Nishiyama discloses wherein a semiconductor module structure comprises a power semiconductor device 110 thermally connected a copper plate 104 (the copper plate can be function as a heat dissipation plate) (page 17, paragraph 318; see fig. 12).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a heat dissipation plate thermally connected to a semiconductor element, as taught by Nishiyama, in order to improve heat spreading and reduce thermal resistance along the heat path, thereby enhancing overall thermal management efficiency.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi et al. (US Pub. 2006/0043551; hereinafter “Yamauchi”) in view of Toya.
Regarding Claim 14, Yamauchi discloses an insulation substrate comprising: a conductive layer 30 made of a conductive material (a heat dissipation layer; page 4, paragraph 51); an insulating layer 1 (a casing 1 can be entirely made of a resin; page 4, paragraph 48) arranged to oppose the conductive layer 30 (see fig. 4) and made of an insulating material (resin; page 4, paragraph 48); and a connection member 40 that connects the conductive layer 30 and the insulating layer 1 with each other (page 4, paragraph 51; see fig. 4).
Yamauchi fails to disclose explicitly wherein the connection member includes a heat-resistant resin material, a carbon material made of carbon atom, and a void layer.
However, Toya discloses wherein a heat conducting sheet 100 connecting a heat-generating component HG and a heat-sink HS (page 3, paragraph 49; see fig. 1), wherein the heat conducting sheet 100 includes a heat-resistant resin fiber 12 (polyimide, epoxy resin, phenol resin, etc.; page 5, paragraph 79), a graphite flakes 11 (page 58, paragraph 65), and an unfilled layer (page 7, paragraph 94).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a connection member with certain materials, as taught by Toya, in order to obtain superior thermal conductivity and superior flexibility (Toya; page 1, paragraph 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 4 recites a contact surface of the first member or/and the second member in contact with the carbon material has a recess that increases a frictional force relative to the carbon material.
Claim 5 recites an organic film on a contact surface of the first member or/and the second member in contact with the carbon material so as to be bonded to the carbon material.
Claim 7 recites a third member surrounding an outer peripheral portion of the first member and arranged to face the second member; and a sealing member having a frame shape that surrounds an outer peripheral portion of the connection member, the sealing member connecting the second member and the third member.
Claim 9 recites a third member surrounding an outer peripheral portion of the first member and arranged to face the second member; and a sealing member surrounding an outer peripheral portion of the connection member and connecting the second member and the third member, wherein an internal space is located between the second member and the third member, and the sealing member is disposed so as to form a gap serving as a communication portion that communicates the internal space with an external space.
Claim 11 recites a portion of the carbon material in contact with the first member and a portion of the carbon material in contact with the second member are chemically modified, and the carbon material is chemically bonded to the first member and the second member.
Claim 12 recites a pressing member configured to press the connection member against one of the first member and the second member via the other of the first member and the second member.
These features in combination with the other elements of the base claim are neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art of record.
Claims 6, 8 and 10 variously depend from claim 5 or 7, so they are objected for the same reason.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHEUNG LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-5977. The examiner can normally be reached 9 AM - 5:30 PM.
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/CHEUNG LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812 April 27, 2026
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