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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of species iii, fig. 9C, claims 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 in the reply filed on 2/20/26 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 2, 4, 6 and 9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/20/26.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 5 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.
In claim 5, the limitation “In a case in which the semiconductor layer is divided into a connection region in which the electrode can be disposed and a central region excluding the connection region…” is indefinite.
Referring to Applicant’ figs. 5 and 9C, the electrode (32) is not disposed on the semiconductor layer (112)
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seo et al., US Publication No. 2012/0074441 A1.
Seo anticipates:
A photoelectric conversion element comprising (see fig.27 annotated below)
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498
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a semiconductor module (e.g. LED) comprising a semiconductor element member (130) and a seal covering a side of the semiconductor element member, the semiconductor element member including a light emission/irradiation surface configured to emit light or to be irradiated by light, a semiconductor substrate (121), a semiconductor layer (125/127/129), and an electrode (e.g. vertical vias of 139c); and
an insulating layer (137/141) provided on one surface of the semiconductor module and covering a redistribution wire (e.g. horizontal trace of 139c) of the electrode (e.g. vertical vias of 139c) and of at least one external connection terminal (139a/140a, 139b/140b),
wherein the insulating layer (137/141) is configured to include a first insulating layer (137) and a second insulating layer (141), the redistribution wire (e.g. horizontal trace of 139c) being provided between the first insulating layer (137) and the second insulating layer (141), and is formed so as not to cover at least a portion of the semiconductor layer (125/127/129), or so as to cover at least a portion of the semiconductor layer (125/127/129) thinly as compared to a thickness of the insulating layer that covers the redistribution wire (e.g. horizontal trace of 139c) (e.g. See annotated fig. 27 above showing regions of semiconductor layer (125/127/129) not covered or thinly covered by the insulating layer (137/141).) See Seo at para. [0001] – [0157], figs. 1-27.
3. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion element has a fan out wafer level package structure (e.g. The LEDs has a fan-out through larger bumps 165a, 165b.), fig. 27.
5. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, (see fig. 27 annotated above) wherein in a case in which the semiconductor layer (125/127/129) is divided into a connection region (e.g. connection region annotated) in which the electrode (e.g. electrode annotated; vertical via of 139c) can be disposed and a central region (e.g. central region over center LED of the three LEDs) excluding the connection region, the insulating layer (137/141) is formed so as not to cover the central region or so as to cover the central region thinly as compared to the thickness of the insulating layer that covers the redistribution wire (e.g. redistribution wire annotated; horizontal trace of 139c) (e.g. Thickness of insulating layer 137/141 over the center LED is less than the thickness covering redistribution wire that is horizontal trace of 139c.)
7. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one external connection terminal (139a/140a, 139b/140b) comprises a plurality of external connection terminals and forms a land grid array or a ball grid array (e.g. coupled to bumps 165a, 165b), fig. 27.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michele Fan whose telephone number is 571-270-7401. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 7:30 am to 4 pm.
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/Michele Fan/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
20 May 2026
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