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 Group I, claims 1-5, 9, and 17-20, as well as new claims 21-30 in the reply filed on 20 May 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 17 withdrawn from further consideration as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. The claim 17 limitation “a plurality of ohmic contacts in the first surface of the substrate, the plurality of ohmic contacts spaced from on another along a second direction transverse of the first direction” is drawn to a non-elected species. The elected species 1a, Fig. 2, has a plurality of junction barriers which are not the same as ohmic contacts. Claims 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration being dependent upon claim 17.
Claim 28 withdrawn from further consideration as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. The claim 28 limitation “wherein a first portion of the first adhesion improving layer that extends onto the solid body has an end surface that is coplanar with an end surface of a first portion of the second adhesion improving layer” is drawn to non-elected species 1b-1e and 1g.
Therefore claims 1-5, 9, 21-27, 29, and 30 are examined below with claims 17-20 and 28 being withdrawn.
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.
(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 1-5, 9, 21-27, 29, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Konrath et al (US Publication 20200185297).
Regarding claim 1, Konrath teaches an electronic device, comprising:
a solid body including an electrical terminal of the electronic device on the solid body (Fig. 10, solid body 102, electrical terminal 320, electronic device 100);
a passivation layer on the electrical terminal (Fig. 10, 112), of a first material (para 41), the passivation layer having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and facing the solid body (Fig. 10, top and bottom surfaces of 112 respectively), and lateral surfaces which connect the first surface to the second surface (Fig. 10, lateral surfaces of 112); and
a first adhesion improving layer coupled to the passivation layer and to the solid body, the first adhesion improving layer including a second material having selected characteristics of adhesion to the first material, and configured to bond together the passivation layer and the solid body (not shown, but described as being present in para 53, "Si3N4, Al2O3, and imides").
Regarding claim 2, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 2 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein the first adhesion improving layer extends between the solid body and the passivation layer, in direct contact with the passivation layer (Para 53, Fig. 6, 132 between 102 and 112).
Regarding claim 3, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 3 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein the first adhesion improving layer extends continuously on the first surface of the passivation layer, on the lateral surfaces of the passivation layer, and on the solid body laterally to the lateral surfaces of the passivation layer (Fig. 6, 132 on lateral surface of 112).
Regarding claim 4, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 2 upon which claim 4 depends.
Konrath teaches further comprising a second adhesion improving layer which extends continuously on the top first surface of the passivation layer, on the lateral surfaces of the passivation layer and on the solid body laterally to said the lateral surfaces of the passivation layer (Fig. 6, 116 extending continuously on the top and lateral surfaces of 112).
Regarding claim 5, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 2 upon which claim 5 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein the first adhesion improving layer extends at the second surface of the passivation layer and on the solid body laterally to the lateral surfaces of the passivation layer (Fig. 6, 132 at interface point with 112 and 116), further comprising a second adhesion improving layer which extends continuously on the first surface of the passivation layer, on the lateral surfaces of the passivation layer and on the first adhesion improving layer laterally to the lateral surfaces of the passivation layer (Fig. 6, 116 on top and lateral surfaces of 112, interface point of 116 with 132).
Regarding claim 9, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 9 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein the solid body includes a semiconductor body of Silicon Carbide (para 34, SiC) and an insulating layer on a surface of the semiconductor body (Fig. 10, 134), the electrical terminal extending in part on the surface of the semiconductor body and in part on the insulating layer (Fig. 10, 320, including base portion 222, on 102 and 134),
wherein the passivation layer completely covers the electrical terminal and the insulating layer (Fig. 10, 112 completely covers 320 and 134) and the first adhesion improving layer extends in direct contact with the electrical terminal (Fig. 6, 132 in direct contact with 110) and the insulating layer forming a first interface between the passivation layer and the insulating layer (Fig. 10, interface between 112 and 134 of structure 119).
Regarding claim 21, Konrath teaches a device, comprising:
a substrate with a first surface (Fig. 6, 102, top surface of 102);
a conductive layer on the first surface of the substrate (Fig. 6, 110 on top surface of 102), the conductive layer having a first surface opposite a second surface along a first direction, the second surface of the conductive layer being directly on the first surface of the substrate (Fig. 6, top and bottom surfaces of 110);
a passivation layer on the first surface of the conductive layer (Fig. 6, 112); and
a first encapsulation layer coupled between the passivation layer and the first surface of the conductive layer (Fig. 6, 132 between 112 and 110).
Regarding claim 22, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 21 upon which claim 22 depends.
Konrath teaches further comprising a second encapsulation layer on a first surface of the passivation layer opposite the conductive layer (Fig. 6, 116).
Regarding claim 23, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 22 upon which claim 23 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein the first encapsulation layer has a first portion separated from the substrate along the first direction by the conductive layer and a second portion directly on the first surface of the substrate (Fig. 6, portion of 132 separated from 102 by 110 and portion of 132 on 102, left and right respectively).
Regarding claim 24, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 23 upon which claim 24 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein the second encapsulation layer is directly on the second portion of the first encapsulation layer, the second encapsulation layer being entirely separated from the substrate by the first encapsulation layer (Fig. 6, 116 directly on portion of 132 and separated from 102).
Regarding claim 25, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 21 upon which claim 25 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein a first portion of the conductive layer is separated from the first surface of the substrate by an insulation layer (Fig. 10, 110 separated from top surface of 102 by 134).
Regarding claim 26, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 26 depends.
Konrath teaches further comprising a metallization between the passivation layer and the solid body (Fig. 10, 226).
Regarding claim 27, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 26 upon which claim 27 depends.
Konrath teaches further comprising a plurality of doped regions extending into the solid body from a first surface of the solid body (Fig. 6, 125), the metallization being directly on the first surface of the solid body over the plurality of doped regions (Fig. 6, 112 directly on top surface of 102 over 125s).
Regarding claim 29, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 29 depends.
Konrath teaches wherein a first lateral surface of the passivation layer is transverse to a second lateral surface of the passivation layer (Fig. 6, lateral surface of 112 transverse to opposite lateral surface of 112).
Regarding claim 30, Konrath teaches the limitations of claim 4 upon which claim 30 depends.
Konrath teaches further comprising a metallization between the first adhesion improving layer and the solid body (Fig. 6, 110 between 132 and 102), the first adhesion improving layer entirely separating the metallization from the passivation layer (Fig. 6, 132 entirely separating 110 from 112).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Das et al (US Publication 20180331679) – Power module with improved reliability.
Rascuna et al (US Publication 20210104445) – Silicon carbide power device with improved robustness and corresponding manufacturing process.
Hashizume (US Publication 20220406948) – Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method of manufacturing silicon carbide semiconductor device.
Hardiman et al (US Publication 20230031205) – Encapsulation stack for improved humidity performance and related fabrication methods.
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/NICHOLAS LELAND HUTSON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/JEFF W NATALINI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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