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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-9 are pending in this application.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made that the information disclosure statement has been received and considered by the examiner. If the applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending applications not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.56 to disclose the same.
Drawings
There are no objections or rejections to the drawings.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 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 pre-AIA 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.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kato et al. (US Patent Application Publication No 2020/0273845) hereinafter referred to as Kato.
Per Claim 1 Kato discloses a semiconductor device, comprising
a semiconductor element (10A) having main electrodes (32A and 150A) disposed on opposite faces (top and bottom) in a plate thickness direction (as shown in figures 4L); (The examiner notes that the term "on" includes "directly on" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly on" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween))
a substrate (20A/C, see figure 4G-J) having an insulating base member (73), a front-face metal body (75A (see figure 4G-L which shows that 24/24A includes 75A and 75B both of which are conductive wiring layers)) disposed on a front face of the insulating base member (73) and electrically connected (connected via 31A and 75B)) to one of the main electrodes (150A) of the semiconductor element (10A), and a back-face metal body (25/25A) disposed on a back face of the insulating base member (see figures 4E-L); (The examiner notes that the term "electrically connected " includes both ohmic (metallic) connection as well as capacitive (insulating) connection)
a bonding member (75B (which is part of 24A)); and
a metal member (31A) connected to the front-face metal body (75A) through the bonding member (75B), (The examiner notes that the term "connected" includes "directly connected" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly connected " (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween))
wherein the metal member (31A) has an opposing face (top face) opposing an upper face of the front-face metal body (75A) and a receiving portion (bottom portion) disposed adjacent to the opposing face to provide a receiving space to receive the bonding member (75B) therein, (The examiner notes that the term "adjacent" includes "directly adjacent" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly adjacent" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween)) and
the bonding member (75B) is received in the receiving space (bottom portion of 31A) in a state where the opposing face (top portion of 31A) is in contact with the upper face of the front-face metal body (75A). (The examiner notes that the term "contact" includes "direct contact" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirect contact" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween)) (see figs. 4E-L)
Per Claim 3 Kato discloses the device of claim 1 including where the semiconductor element (10A) includes, as the main electrodes (32A and 150A), a first main electrode (150A) and a second main electrode (32A) disposed on the opposite faces of the semiconductor element in the plate thickness direction (see figure 4G-L), and the substrate (20A/C) includes a first substrate (20A) to which the first main electrode (150A) is connected and a second substrate (20C) to which the second main electrode (32A) is connected, and the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed to interpose the semiconductor element therebetween in the plate thickness direction (as shown in figure 4L).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith.
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant.
Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMI VALENTINE MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-9786. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 7am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached on (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jami Valentine Miller/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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