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 .
Request for Continued Examination
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/04/26, has been entered.
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.
Claim 2 recites “The lead frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the continuous lead portion further comprises a merged lead portion…”. This is found undescriptive of the invention because independent claim 1 recites “a continuous lead portion” and the specification in at least [0008] and [0011] of the PGPub of this application states “The continuous lead portion may be a merged lead portion”, and consequently this means that the continuous lead portion and the merged lead portion are the same thing while the formulation of claim 2 makes it sounds that they continuous lead portion is distinct from the merged lead portion and comprises or can comprises an additional structure. The continuous lead portion cannot further comprises itself, so claim 2 must be modified to reflect what was disclosed. The Examiner has modified claim 2 to reflect what the original disclosure supports.
Claim 15 suffers from the same issue as claim 2 and has been modified accordingly.
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(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jereza (US 2010/0109135, previously used).
a. Re claim 1 and in view of the 112 1st rejection above, Jereza discloses a lead frame assembly 100a&105 (or 100a&100b&105; figs. 2B&6A-D and related text) for a semiconductor device, the lead frame assembly comprising: a die attach structure 105 (see figs. 6A-D and related text; see remaining of disclosure for more information) and a clip frame structure 100a ([0040]-[0041]), the clip frame structure comprising: a die connection portion DCP (see annotated fig. 6B below) configured for contacting a contact terminal (source terminal; [0040]) on a top side of a semiconductor die 104; and a continuous lead portion CLP extending along the die connection portion, wherein the continuous lead portion is integrally formed with the die connection portion (explicit on annotated fig. 6B), and wherein the die attach structure provides (i.e. is) a bottom external lead to a bottom contact terminal (drain terminal; [0030]) on a bottom side of the semiconductor die, and wherein the lead frame assembly includes a number of slots or holes (SL, SL’, SL”), including at least one slot or hole (left SL) formed through the die connection portion and at least one slot or hole (left SL’) formed in the bottom external lead.
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b. Re claim 2, Jereza discloses the lead frame assembly of claim 1 wherein the continuous lead portion is a merged lead portion that comprises slots or holes SL”.
c. Re claim 3, the continuous lead portion is a merged lead portion which extends substantially across a width W of the die connection portion (see annotated fig. 6B).
d. Re claim 4, the merged lead portion (which is also CLP as per claim 2 rejection above) extends substantially across a width W of the die connection portion (see annotated fig. 6B).
e. Re claim 5, the continuous lead portion is configured and arranged to maximize operating current and minimize spreading resistance of the clip frame structure (the limitation “configured and arranged to maximize operating current and minimize spreading resistance of the clip frame structure” does not recites any structural distinction compared to CLP and is assumed met based on similarity; MPEP 2112.01 (I. PRODUCT AND APPARATUS CLAIMS — WHEN THE STRUCTURE RECITED IN THE REFERENCE IS SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE CLAIMS, CLAIMED PROPERTIES OR FUNCTIONS ARE PRESUMED TO BE INHERENT) Where the claimed and prior art products are identical or substantially identical in structure or composition, or are produced by identical or substantially identical processes, a prima facie case of either anticipation or obviousness has been established. In re Best, 562 F.2d 1252, 1255, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977)).
f. Re claim 6, see claim 5 rejection above.
g. Re claim 7, the continuous lead portion comprises one or more bends therein (explicit on figs. 6B-D) configured and arranged to allow the lead portion to contact a carrier (circuit board in [0042]).
h. Re claims 8 and 9, see claim 7 rejection above.
i. Re claim 10, the continuous lead portion further comprises a plurality of lead ends (horizontal lower end portions of 101a; see figs. 6B-D).
j. Re claims 11 and 12, see claim 10 rejection above.
k. Re claim 13, Jereza discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor die 104 (see figs. 2B&6A-D and related text; see remaining of disclosure for more details) comprising a top side and a bottom side; a top contact terminal (source terminal) on the top side of the semiconductor die; a bottom contact terminal (drain terminal) on the bottom side of the semiconductor die; and a lead assembly comprising: a die attach structure 105 and a clip frame structure 100a, the clip frame structure comprising: a die connection portion DCP configured for contacting the contact terminal on the top side of the semiconductor die; and a continuous lead portion CLP extending along the die connection portion, wherein the continuous lead portion is integrally formed with the die connection portion, and wherein the die attach structure provides (i.e. is) a bottom external lead to the bottom contact terminal on the semiconductor die and includes a number of slots or holes formed through the die, and wherein the lead frame assembly includes a number of slots or holes (SL, SL’, SL”), including at least one slot or hole (left SL) formed through the die connection portion and at least one slot or hole (left SL’) formed through the bottom external lead.
l. Re claim 14, Jereza discloses a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising: providing a lead frame assembly 100a&100b&105 (or 100&105; see fig. 3B and related text); mounting a semiconductor die 104 on a die attach structure 105 of the lead frame assembly; providing a clip frame structure 100a, the clip frame structure comprising: a die connection portion DCP configured to contact a contact terminal (source terminal) on a top side of the semiconductor die; and a continuous lead portion CLP extending along the die connection portion, wherein the continuous lead portion is integrally formed with the die connection portion (explicit on annotated fig. 6B), wherein the die attach structure provides (i.e. is) a bottom external lead to a bottom contact (drain contact) terminal arranged on the semiconductor die, and wherein the lead frame assembly includes a number of slots or holes (SL, SL’, SL”), including at least one slot or hole (left SL) formed through the die connection portion and at least one slot or hole (left SL’) formed through the bottom external lead.
m. Re claim 15, see claim 2 rejection above.
n. Re claims 16 and 17, see claim 3 rejection above.
o. Re claim 18, see claim 5 rejection above.
p. Re claims 19-20, see claim 7 rejection above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/28/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Examiner notes again that the Examiner has not interpreted anything to be leads 105b and 105a, so the arguments about a slot or hole not being formed through them is irrelevant. Further and again, the Examiner has specified that the limitation “the die attach structure provides a bottom external lead” means “the die attach structure provides (i.e. is) a bottom external lead” even though this was quite implicit before. Applicants' arguments about the unreasonable interpretation of the slots or holes are not convincing. The sections pointed out as out as PL, SL', SL" on annotated fig. 6B are openings or slots. Items SL are clearly opening or slots in clip frame 100a, and items SL' and SL" are also clearly openings or slots defined through die pad 105. Each SL'' is an opening or slot with four interconnected sidewalls and each SL' is an opening with three interconnected sidewalls, even if those sidewalls do not form a closed loop. Applicants state “Adopting the broadest reasonable interpretation, leads 105a or 105b do not have any "slot or hole" that is "formed through" them. Nor do they form a slot or hole, that is, through "the bottom external lead segment" for "a bottom external lead to the bottom contact terminal on the semiconductor die" as recited in claim 1. (Emphasis added.)” (emphasis added). There is nothing such as the underlined portion recited in claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 21 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PENIEL M GUMEDZOE whose telephone number is (571)270-3041. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00AM - 5:30PM.
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/PENIEL M GUMEDZOE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899