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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claim 1 has been amended to additionally recite the limitation
wherein the signal pin is a control signal pin configured to transmit and receive control signals to and from the power device chip.
However, as this is a product claim, the limitation “configured to transmit and receive control signals to and from the power device chip” is satisfied if the signal pin is capable of transmitting and receiving control signals, see MPEP 2173.05(g). As the term “control signals” is not defined within the specification, examiner notes that the BRI of “control signals” encompasses any electrical signal that affects the device connected through the pin.
Therefore, as Traub et al (US20180090441A1, hereinafter Traub) teaches in par. 85 that “the AC-connection 20 is provided which…may connect the circuit to the positive lead of a current-source,” AC-connection pin 20 is capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals that affects the connected device and so Traub still discloses amended claim 1, see below for full claims mapping.
Regarding newly added claim 14. Claim 14 recites the limitation
wherein the signal pin is coupled to the socket after a molding portion is formed on the DBC substrate.
As this is a product claim, the determination of patentability is based on the product itself, see MPEP 2113. Therefore, the order in which the signal pin is coupled to a socket relative to the molding portion being formed would not be patentably distinct from the combination of Traub and Tadakuma. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the combination of Traub and Tadakuma with additional teachings from Tadakuma because the use of upper and lower molds 42/40 as taught by Tadakuma in fig. 7 allows the formation of resin casing 26 which further protects module 10. Therefore, the combination of Traub and Tadakuma would result one end of socket 24 contacting the upper mold 42 and also being sealed by upper mold 42, see below for full claims mapping.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Traub et al. (US20180090441A1).
Regarding claim 1, Traub discloses a single-sided cooling power module comprising:
a direct bonded copper (DBC) substrate on which a pattern is formed to conduct electricity (Fig. 7, par. 107 substrate 26 “may be formed as direct bonded copper substrate” and has metallization layer 30 formed on its top surface);
a power device chip disposed on the DBC substrate and electrically connected to the pattern (Fig. 7 second substrate disposed on and electrically connected to substrate 26);
a power terminal coupled to the DBC substrate and electrically connected to the pattern (Fig. 7 negative DC-connection 18 coupled to substrate 26 metallization layer 30); and
a signal pin extending in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the DBC substrate and facing the power device chip, the signal pin being electrically connected to the pattern (Fig. 7 AC-connection pin 20 extends in a direction perpendicular to surface of substrate 26 that faces the second substrate 34 and is electrically connected to metallization layer 30).
wherein the signal pin is a control signal pin configured to transmit and receive control signals to and from the power device chip (Par. 85 teaches that “the AC-connection 20 is provided which…may connect the circuit to the positive lead of a current-source,” and so AC-connection pin 20 is capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals that affects the connected device. Therefore, Traub teaches a control signal pin, see above response to arguments).
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 2-3 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Traub (US20180090441A1) in view of Tadakuma et al. (JP2011187819A, hereinafter Tadakuma).
Regarding claim 2, Traub teaches the single-sided cooling power module of claim 1.
Traub does not appear to teach
a socket disposed on the surface of the DBC substrate and being electrically connected to the pattern,
wherein the signal pin is coupled to the socket and electrically connected to the socket.
Tadakuma teaches
a socket disposed on the surface of the DBC substrate and being electrically connected to the pattern (Fig. 10B recess 24 formed over circuit pattern 16 and is electrically connected to power semiconductor element 20),
wherein the signal pin is coupled to the socket and electrically connected to the socket (Tadakuma par. 13 “[t]his opening [28] is provided so that an electrical connection with an external configuration can be easily obtained”).
Being in analogous arts, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Traub with the teachings of Tadakuma because the “opening [28] is provided so that an electrical connection with an external configuration can be easily obtained” (Tadakuma par. 13).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Traub and Tadakuma teaches the single-sided cooling power module of claim 2, wherein the socket comprises:
a plate portion comprising a bottom surface bonded to the surface of the DBC substrate and an ultrasonically bondable surface (Tadakuma fig. 10A circuit pattern 16 is bottom plate portion of the socket and par. 16 teaches that “circuit pattern 16…[is] ultrasonically bonded” and so its surface is ultrasonically bondable. As Tadakuma teaches the use of a socket, they also teach the specific shape);
an accommodating portion extending from the plate portion in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the DBC substrate (Tadakuma fig. 10A cylindrical socket has sidewalls extending from circuit pattern in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 12. As Tadakuma teaches the use of a socket, they also teach the specific shape); and
an accommodating hole configured to receive the signal pin, the accommodating hole being formed in the accommodating portion (Tadakuma fig. 10A cylindrical socket has recess 28 which receives a signal pin and is formed between the sidewalls of cylindrical socket 24. As Tadakuma teaches the use of a socket, they also teach the specific shape).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Traub and Tadakuma teaches the single-sided cooling power module of claim 2,
wherein the signal pin is coupled to the socket after a molding portion is formed on the DBC substrate (See above response to arguments regarding claim interpretation. Tadakuma fig. 7 teaches lower mold 40 and upper mold 42 which surround and seal socket 24. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the combination of Traub and Tadakuma with additional teachings from Tadakuma because the use of upper and lower molds 42/40 allows the formation of resin casing 26 which further protects module 10).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Traub and Tadakuma teaches the single-sided cooling power module of claim 3,
wherein the socket is configured such that, when the DBC substrate is placed in an inner space surrounded by a lower molding die and an upper molding die, one end of the socket contacts the upper molding die and the accommodating portion is sealed by the upper molding die (Tadakuma fig. 7 teaches lower mold 40 and upper mold 42 which surround and seals socket 24. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the combination of Traub and Tadakuma with additional teachings from Tadakuma because the use of upper and lower molds 42/40 allows the formation of resin casing 26 which further protects module 10. Therefore, the combination of Traub and Tadakuma would result one end of socket 24 contacting the upper mold 42 and also being sealed by upper mold 42).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 16 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 4 and its dependent claim, the closest prior art (US20180090441A1, JP2011187819A, US20120127668A1) teaches a single-sided cooling power module comprising:
a direct bonded copper (DBC) substrate on which a pattern is formed to conduct electricity (Traub fig. 7, par. 107 substrate 26 “may be formed as direct bonded copper substrate” and has metallization layer 30 formed on its top surface);
a power device chip disposed on the DBC substrate and electrically connected to the pattern (Traub fig. 7 second substrate disposed on and electrically connected to substrate 26);
a power terminal coupled to the DBC substrate and electrically connected to the pattern (Traub fig. 7 negative DC-connection 18 coupled to substrate 26 metallization layer 30);
a signal pin extending in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the DBC substrate and facing the power device chip, the signal pin being electrically connected to the pattern (Traub fig. 7 AC-connection pin 20 extends in a direction perpendicular to surface of substrate 26 that faces the second substrate 34 and is electrically connected to metallization layer 30), and
a socket disposed on the surface of the DBC substrate and being electrically connected to the pattern (Tadakuma fig. 10B recess 24 formed over circuit pattern 16 and is electrically connected to power semiconductor element 20),
wherein the signal pin is coupled to the socket and electrically connected to the socket (Tadakuma par. 13 “[t]his opening [28] is provided so that an electrical connection with an external configuration can be easily obtained”), wherein the socket comprises:
a plate portion comprising a bottom surface bonded to the surface of the DBC substrate and an ultrasonically bondable surface (Tadakuma fig. 10A circuit pattern 16 is bottom plate portion of the socket and par. 16 teaches that “circuit pattern 16…[is] ultrasonically bonded” and so its surface is ultrasonically bondable);
an accommodating portion extending from the plate portion in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the DBC substrate (Tadakuma fig. 10A cylindrical socket has sidewalls extending from circuit pattern in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 12); and
an accommodating hole configured to receive the signal pin, the accommodating hole being formed in the accommodating portion (Tadakuma fig. 10A cylindrical socket has recess 28 which receives a signal pin and is formed between the sidewalls of cylindrical socket 24).
However, the closest prior art does not teach in combination with the other claimed elements
wherein at least one protrusion is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the accommodating portion to press the signal pin into the accommodating portion.
Additionally, the closest prior art does not teach the above in combination with the further limitations of the dependent claim.
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 COLE LEON LINDSEY whose telephone number is (571)272-4028. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Kim can be reached at (571)272-8458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/COLE LEON LINDSEY/Examiner, Art Unit 2812 /CHRISTINE S. KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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