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 with traverse on pages 7-8 of Applicant Arguments/Remarks in the reply filed on 05/22/2026 is acknowledged. This is found persuasive and the restriction is hereby withdrawn and all claims are examined.
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.
Claims 19-36 are 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.
Claims 19-20, 25-26 and 34 recites “the subsection” lacks antecedent basis. As such the claim is unclear and indefinite. Claim recites “the lead frame has at least one, which is located at least in places in the intermediate region and thus in lateral directions between the first subregion and the second subregion of the first electrode” which implies that are more than one subsection as “places” and “directions” implies more than one.
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.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kamada 20030168720.
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Regarding claim 19, fig. 1A of Kamada discloses a carrier comprising:
a shaped body 104;
a lead frame 105; and
a first electrode (left electrode) and a second electrode (right electrode) different from the first electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises a first subregion 105b of the lead frame, a second subregion 105a of the lead frame, and an electrical connection (vertical portion between 105a and 105b), the electrical connection electrically connecting the first subregion to the second subregion,
wherein the first subregion is laterally spaced from the second subregion by an intermediate region (region occupied by 104),
wherein the lead frame has at least one subsection (102), which is located at least in places in the intermediate region and thus in lateral directions between the first subregion and the second subregion of the first electrode,
wherein the intermediate region is at least partially filled by the shaped body 104 or directly adjoins the shaped body, the electrical connection being embedded in the shaped body, and
wherein the subsection 102 of the lead frame is neither a subregion of the first electrode nor a subregion of the second electrode.
Claims 19-29 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by RICHTER et al. 20200176653.
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Regarding claim 19, fig. 4 of Richter discloses a carrier comprising:
a shaped body 6/27;
a lead frame; and
a first electrode (as labeled by examiner above) and a second electrode (as labeled by examiner above) different from the first electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises a first subregion 52 of the lead frame, a second subregion 51 of the lead frame, and an electrical connection 26 (as labeled by examiner above), the electrical connection electrically connecting the first subregion to the second subregion,
wherein the first subregion is laterally spaced from the second subregion by an intermediate region (region occupied by 6,27 and 40,74),
wherein the lead frame has at least one subsection (8 - bond wires), which is located at least in places in the intermediate region and thus in lateral directions between the first subregion and the second subregion of the first electrode,
wherein the intermediate region is at least partially filled by the shaped body or directly adjoins the shaped body, the electrical connection being embedded in the shaped body, and
wherein the subsection of the lead frame is neither a subregion of the first electrode nor a subregion of the second electrode.
Regarding claim 20, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein the subsection 8 (bond wires) is electrically insulated from the electrical connection by the shaped body and overlaps with the electrical connection in a top view on the shaped body.
Regarding claim 21, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein the subsection is free from lateral covering by material of the shaped body.
Regarding claim 22, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein the carrier has a top side configured to receive at least one semiconductor chip 3, wherein the top side is formed in places by surfaces of the first subregion, of the second subregion and/or of the subsection, and wherein the top side is free from being covered by material of the shaped body.
Regarding claim 23, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein the first subregion and the second subregion are enclosed (from the interior) in lateral directions by the shaped body so that the first subregion and the second subregion are mechanically connected to one another by the shaped body.
Regarding claim 24, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein the first subregion, the second subregion and the subsection of the lead frame comprise the same material.
Regarding claim 27, fig. 4 of Richter discloses further comprising: a further subsection (23 on top of the second electrode) of the lead frame, wherein the first subregion, the second subregion and the further subsection of the lead frame are each made in one-piece (fig. 4 is one piece), and wherein the further subsection is a subregion of the second electrode.
Regarding claim 28, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein each of the first subregion and the second subregion comprises at least two sublayers (top surface layer and bottom surface layer) arranged one above the other, wherein the lead frame has at least one further subsection (23 on top of the second electrode) in addition to the subsection, and wherein the shaped body with the electrical connection embedded therein is arranged along a vertical direction between the subsection the further subsection.
Regarding claim 29, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein, the further subsection is assigned to the second electrode.
Regarding claim 33, fig. 4 of Richter discloses a component comprising: the carrier according to claim 19; and at least one semiconductor chip 3, wherein the semiconductor chip is arranged on the carrier and electrically conductively connected to the lead frame, and wherein the semiconductor chip is spatially spaced from the shaped body and thus is not covered by the shaped body.
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Regarding claims 19 and 25-26, fig. 4 of Richter discloses a carrier comprising:
a shaped body 6/27;
a lead frame; and
a first electrode (as labeled by examiner above) and a second electrode (as labeled by examiner above) different from the first electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises a first subregion 51 of the lead frame, a second subregion 51 of the lead frame, and an electrical connection 26 (as labeled by examiner above), the electrical connection electrically connecting the first subregion to the second subregion,
wherein the first subregion is laterally spaced from the second subregion by an intermediate region (region occupied by 6,27 and 40,74),
wherein the lead frame has at least one subsection (6 and 27), which is located at least in places in the intermediate region and thus in lateral directions between the first subregion and the second subregion of the first electrode,
wherein the intermediate region is at least partially filled by the shaped body or directly adjoins the shaped body, the electrical connection being embedded in the shaped body, and
wherein the subsection of the lead frame is neither a subregion of the first electrode nor a subregion of the second electrode.
Regarding claim 25, fig. 4 of Richter discloses wherein the subsection of the lead frame is configured to be electrically neutral (6 and 27 are neutral).
Regarding claim 26, fig. 4 of Richter discloses the subsection of the lead frame is formed as a sealing lip (74 is sealing lip), which is arranged in a lateral direction between the first subregion and the second subregion of the first electrode, and wherein the sealing lip is configured to prevent the second subregion from being covered by a casting material.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 34-36 are allowed if written to overcome the 112 2nd rejection.
Regarding claim 34, the combination of limitations are not taught by prior art of record.
Claims 30-32 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VONGSAVANH SENGDARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5770. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sue Purvis can be reached on (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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