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 .
Drawings
Figure 5A should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated; see [0040] and [0064-0065]. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the tapered cone shape (claim 22; no circular or curve base shown) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 19, line 14, “a uppermost” should be –an uppermost--.
In claim 24, line 2, “an lowermost” should be –a lowermost---.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 22, “wherein the first solder joint forms a tapered cone shape with a sloping side” is new matter as no circular or curve base is shown/disclosed for the claimed cone shape; see https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cone.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 21, “wherein the first solder joint extends downward to a boundary between the one first metal layer and the second metal layer from the first lower metal plate” is indefinite because if a boundary is a limit between two layers (see https://www.thefreedictionary.com/boundary), it is unclear how the first solder joint can extend to a boundary between the one first metal layer and the second metal layer while still “ not contact[ing] the second metal layer” of base claim 19.
That is, extending “to a boundary between the one first metal layer and the second metal layer” appears to require contact with both the one first metal layer and the second metal layer which contradicts “not contact[ing] the second metal layer” of base claim 19.
The claim is treated as presented or as extending to said boundary without reaching it.
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.
Claims 19-22, 25-27 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Applicant’s Admission of Prior Art (AAPA, MPEP 2125 and 2129).
Regarding claim 19, AAPA discloses a double-sided cooling power module (Figs. 1-2 and 5A) comprising:
a first insulating layer (81);
a first upper metal plate (21) disposed on an upper surface of the first insulating layer;
a first lower metal plate (22) disposed on a lower surface of the first insulating layer;
a second insulating layer (82);
a second upper metal plate (24) disposed on an upper surface of the second insulating layer;
a second lower metal plate (23) disposed on a lower surface of the second insulating layer;
a semiconductor chip (40) provided between the first lower metal plate and the second upper metal plate;
a spacer (30) provided between the semiconductor chip and the first lower metal plate,
wherein the spacer (30, Fig. 2) includes a plurality of first (integrally formed) metal layers (each section of 33) made of a first (integral) metal (33, “Cu layer 33”) and provided as outermost layers and a second metal layer (32) made of a second metal (32, “molybdenum (Mo) 32”) disposed between the plurality of first metal layers,
wherein (Fig. 5A) one of the plurality of first metal layers (uppermost 33) that is forming a uppermost layer of the spacer is joined with the first lower metal plate (22) through a first solder joint (S), and
wherein the first solder joint contacts at least a portion of a side of the one first metal layer (uppermost 33) and does not contact the second metal layer (because 33 is interposed).
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Regarding claim 20, AAPA discloses the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the first solder joint (S) does not contact any side portion of the second metal layer (32, because 33 is interposed, Figs. 2 and 5A).
Regarding claim 21, AAPA discloses the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the first solder joint (S) extends (top half) downward to a boundary (without reaching it) between the one first metal layer (uppermost 33) and the second metal layer (32) from the first lower metal plate (22, Figs. 2 and 5A).
Regarding claim 22, AAPA discloses the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the first solder joint (S) forms (top half) a tapered cone shape (similar to a cone in a cross-sectional view) with a sloping side (Fig. 5A).
Regarding claim 25, AAPA discloses the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the second metal (“molybdenum (Mo) 32”) has a thermal expansion coefficient lower than a thermal expansion coefficient of the first metal (“Cu layer 33”; inherent per https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/linear-expansion-coefficients-d_95.html).
Regarding claim 26, AAPA discloses the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, further including:
a signal lead (41) through which (MPEP 2111, 2112 and/or 2114) a signal is transmitted to or received from the semiconductor chip; and
a wire (42) electrically connecting the semiconductor chip and the signal lead (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 27, AAPA discloses the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the second metal (“molybdenum (Mo) 32”) has a solder wettability lower than a solder wettability of the first metal (“Cu layer 33”. Cu and Mo are disclosed by Applicant at [0022] and [0024] as meeting the claimed solder wettability relationship; hence, AAPA meets the claim).
Regarding claim 30, AAPA discloses the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the first metal is Cu (“Cu layer 33”) and the second metal is Mo (“molybdenum (Mo) 32”) or CuMo.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-24, 28-29 and 31 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:
Regarding claim 23, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein a projection of the first solder joint extends outward from a first point on the side of the one first metal layer to a second point on a bottom face of the first lower metal plate.
Regarding claim 24, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein another one of the plurality of first metal layers that is forming an lowermost layer of the spacer is joined with the semiconductor chip through a second solder joint, and wherein the second solder joint contacts at least a portion of a side of the another first metal layer and does not contact the second metal layer.
Regarding claim 28, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the second metal layer is provided singular and is stacked between the plurality of first metal layers provided as the outermost layers.
Regarding claim 29, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein the second metal layer is provided in plural to form a plurality of second metal layers, and wherein the plurality of second metal layers is alternately stacked between the plurality of first metal layers provided as the outermost layers.
Regarding claim 31, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest the double-sided cooling power module according to claim 19, wherein a thickness of the second metal layer accounts for 33% to 50% of a total thickness of the spacer. [0059] is deemed as evidenced of critically and non-obviousness of the claimed range.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Regarding claim 19, Ko (US 20170162468 A1) discloses a double-sided cooling power module (Fig. 2) comprising:
a first insulating layer (221);
a first upper metal plate (222) disposed on an upper surface of the first insulating layer;
a first lower metal plate (223) disposed on a lower surface of the first insulating layer;
a second insulating layer (211);
a second upper metal plate (212) disposed on an upper surface of the second insulating layer;
a second lower metal plate (213) disposed on a lower surface of the second insulating layer;
a semiconductor chip (230) provided between the first lower metal plate and the second upper metal plate;
a spacer (250) provided between the semiconductor chip and the first lower metal plate,
wherein
US 20160126157 A1 to Jeon discloses a doubled sided cooling power module with a spacer (251-1, 251-2, Fig. 2).
US 20180102301 A1 to Jeon et al. discloses a doubled sided cooling power module with a spacer (41, 42, Fig. 1).
US 20180174945 A1 to Park et al. discloses a doubled sided cooling power module with a spacer (41, 43, Fig. 4).
US 20210265235 A1 to Park et al. discloses a doubled sided cooling power module with a spacer (400, Fig. 2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDRES MUNOZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3346. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM Central Time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (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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/Andres Munoz/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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