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 .
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feuerbaum et al, US 20220189855, hereafter ‘855 in view of Boettcher et al, US 20190189545, hereafter ‘545.
Regarding claim 1, ‘855 discloses : A semiconductor module comprising: a semiconductor chip arranged on a substrate(Fig. 10, #1010 on #1006); and a wiring member electrically connected to the semiconductor chip(#1014), wherein the wiring member includes: a body portion elongated in a first direction(#1024).
‘855 does not disclose : one or more ridges protruding from a surface of a flat plate-shaped portion of the body portion and extending along the first direction.
However, in the same field of endeavor, ‘545 teaches : one or more ridges protruding from a surface of a flat plate-shaped portion of the body portion and extending along the first direction(Fig. 4c, #218 to include #426b and #426c which may extend from a direction from tip to tip of #218 [0062]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of ‘545 to ‘855 to include ridges on a bottom surface of a wiring member to increase structural integrity of a wiring member while keeping the overall footprint the same (‘545 [0014]).
Regarding claim 2, ‘855 as modified by ‘545 discloses : The semiconductor module according to claim 1.
‘855 teaches : wherein: the body portion includes: a first end portion joined to the semiconductor chip(Fig. 10, #1030); a second end portion on an opposite side of the first end portion(#1016); and an extending portion extending in the first direction between the first end portion and the second end portion(#1024).
‘545 teaches : and the one or more ridges include a first ridge arranged on the extending portion(Fig. 4c, #218 to include #426b and #426c which may extend from a direction from tip to tip of #218 [0062]).
Regarding claim 3, ‘855 as modified by ‘545 discloses : The semiconductor module according to claim 2.
‘545 teaches : wherein: the one or more ridges include a second ridge arranged on the extending portion, and the extending portion includes: a first edge along the first direction; and a second edge along the first direction on an opposite side of the first edge in a width direction of the extending portion, the first ridge extends along the first edge, and the second ridge extends along the second edge(Fig. 4b, #426b on one edge of #218 and #426c on and opposite edge of #218 where #426b and #426c may extend from tip to tip of #218 [0062]).
Regarding claim 4, ‘855 as modified by ‘545 discloses : The semiconductor module according to claim 3.
wherein: the extending portion includes: a first face adjacent to the substrate; and a second face opposite to the first face, and the first ridge and the second ridge protrude from the first face(Fig. 4c, #426b and #426c is extending on a bottom surface of #218).
Regarding claim 5, ‘855 as modified by ‘545 discloses : The semiconductor module according to claim 2.
‘545 teaches : wherein the one or more ridges include a third ridge arranged on the first end portion(Fig. 4c, #218 to include #426b and #426c which may extend from a direction from tip to tip of #218 [0062]).
Regarding claim 6, ‘855 as modified by ‘545 discloses : The semiconductor module according to claim 5.
‘545 teaches : wherein: the one or more ridges include a fourth ridge arranged on the first end portion, the first end portion includes: a third edge along the first direction; and a fourth edge along the first direction on an opposite side of the third edge in a width direction of the first end portion, the third ridge extends along the third edge, and the fourth ridge extends along the fourth edge(Fig. 4c, #218 to include #426b and #426c which may extend from a direction from tip to tip of #218 [0062] where #426b and #426c may extend partially across #218 [0092]).
Regarding claim 7, ‘855 as modified by ‘545 discloses : The semiconductor module according to claim 6.
wherein: the first end portion includes: a third face joined to the semiconductor chip; and a fourth face opposite to the third face, and the third ridge and the fourth ridge protrude from the third face(Fig. 4c, #426b and #426c is extending on a bottom surface of #218).
Regarding claim 9, ‘855 discloses : A wiring member electrically connected to a semiconductor chip, the wiring member comprising(Fig. 10, #1014 connected to #1010): a body portion elongated in a first direction(#1024 elongated in a direction as shown).
‘855 does not disclose : one or more ridges protruding from a surface of a flat plate-shaped portion of the body portion and extending along the first direction.
However, in the same field of endeavor, ‘545 teaches : one or more ridges protruding from a surface of a flat plate-shaped portion of the body portion and extending along the first direction (Fig. 4c, #218 to include #426b and #426c which may extend from a direction from tip to tip of #218 [0062]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of ‘545 to ‘855 to include ridges on a bottom surface of a wiring member to increase structural integrity of a wiring member while keeping the overall footprint the same (‘545 [0014]).
Claim 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feuerbaum et al, US 20220189855, hereafter ‘855 in view of Boettcher et al, US 20190189545, hereafter ‘545, in further view of Sunaga et al, US 20160181221, hereafter ‘221 .
Regarding claim 8, ‘855 as modified by ‘545 discloses : The semiconductor module according to claim 1.
‘855 as modified by ‘545 does not disclose : wherein heights of the one or more ridges are equal to or greater than widths of the one or more ridges.
However, in the same field of endeavor, ‘221 teaches : wherein heights of the one or more ridges are equal to or greater than widths of the one or more ridges(Fig. 11a, #36b1 shown to have a narrow width with a longer height [0121-0122]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of ‘221 to ‘855 and ‘545 to include a ridge with a height greater than a width to improve a stability of a wiring member (‘221 [0122]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 20210050286 – Wiring structure reliability .
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/D.T./Examiner, Art Unit 2897 /CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897