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 .
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 19-22 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.
► With respect to claim 19,
Line 4, “the cover contact element” lacking antecedent basis renders the claim indefinite. It is not where the cover contact element comes from and is located. Applicant is respectfully suggested to clarify and use appropriate consistent claimed language to define scope of claim.
► With respect to claim 20,
Line 3, “which are each applied to one of two or more power semiconductors” renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear which claimed elements are each applied to one of two or more power semiconductors. Applicant is respectfully suggested to clarify and use appropriate claimed language to define scope of claim.
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.
Claims 16-23, 25-27 and 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hoegerl et al [US 2015/0155267]
► With respect to claim 16, Hoegerl et al (fig 37, text [0001]-[0165]) discloses the claimed power module comprising:
a circuit carrier (102)
a first sintered connecting layer (3506) applied to the circuit carrier;
at least one power semiconductor (104) applied to at least one portion of the first sintered connecting layer;
at least one portion of a second sintered connecting layer (3506) applied to the at least one power semiconductor; and
a portion of an electrical cover contact element (110) applied to the at least one portion of the second sintered connecting layer.
► With respect to claim 17, Hoegerl et al (figs 37/3, text [0157]) discloses the electrical cover contact element is planar, and wherein the electrical cover contact element is a contact plate.
► With respect to claim 18, Hoegerl et al (figs 37/3) discloses the electrical cover contact element is configured for electrical contacting of two or more power semiconductors.
► With respect to claim 19, Hoegerl et al discloses the electrical cover contact element (110) has at least one first portion for electrical connection of a power semiconductor, and wherein the electrical cover contact element further includes at least one second portion for an electrical connection of the electrical cover contact element.
► With respect to claim 20, Hoegerl et al (figs 37/3) discloses wherein two or more first portions of the electrical cover contact element (110) are each applied to one of two or more portions of the second sintered connecting layer (3506 on top of chip pads 3504 of chips 104), the two or more portions of the second sintered connecting layer are each applied to the one of two or more power semiconductors
► With respect to claim 21, Hoegerl et al (fig 37) discloses wherein: (i) the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element is arranged next to the at least one first portion of the electrical cover contact element and/or to a side of the at least one first portion of the electrical cover contact element; and/or (ii) the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element is electrically connected laterally to the circuit carrier, the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element being electrically connected via the first sintered connecting layer.
► With respect to claim 22, Hoegerl et al discloses wherein: (i) the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element is arranged on the at least one first portion of the electrical cover contact element and/or above the at least one first portion of the electrical cover contact element; and/or (ii) the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element is electrically connected, at a top, to a further component, the further component being a component other than the circuit carrier, the further component being an electrical contact, or a busbar, or a housing, at least one portion of the further component being arranged on the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element, wherein the portion of the further component arranged on the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element is connected to the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element by a welded connection, and wherein a further portion of the further component is connected to a metal layer of the circuit carrier by a further welded connection.
► With respect to claim 23, Hoegerl et al discloses wherein the electrical cover contact element (redistribution 110) is a power contact or a measuring contact or a signal contact.
► With respect to claim 25, Hoegerl et al (text [0136], chip 104 thickness) discloses wherein: (i) the first sintered connecting layer and/or the second sintered connecting layer has an average layer thickness in a range from 10µm to 100µm; and/or (ii) the at least one power semiconductor has an average height in a range from 70µm to 300µm; and/or (iii) the electrical cover contact element has an average material thickness in a range from 100µm to 2000µm;
and/or (iv) the electrical cover contact element has an average material thickness which is greater than an average layer thickness of the first sintered connecting layer and/or than an average layer thickness of the second sintered connecting layer and/or is greater than an average height of the at least one power semiconductor.
► With respect to claim 26, Hoegerl et al discloses wherein the circuit carrier (102) includes at least one metal layer (114), and wherein the first sintered connecting layer is applied to the metal layer of the circuit carrier.
► With respect to claim 27, Hoegerl et al discloses wherein: (i) the circuit carrier further has an insulating layer (112), wherein the insulating layer has, on at least one side, at least one first portion coated with at least one first portion of the metal layer and a second portion coated with at least one second portion of the metal layer and at least one portion without a metal layer, wherein the at least one power semiconductor is applied to a first portion of the first sintered connecting layer, which is applied to the first portion of the metal layer of the circuit carrier, and wherein the at least one second portion of the electrical cover contact element is applied to a second portion of the first sintered connecting layer, which is applied to the second portion of the metal layer of the circuit carrier, or (ii) on the metal layer of the circuit carrier, a further portion of a further component is connected to metal layer of the circuit carrier by a further welded connection, the further component being an electrical contact, or a busbar, or a housing.
► With respect to claim 29, Hoegerl et al (fig 37) discloses the at least one power semiconductor is encapsulated with a casting compound (122), the casting compound being a hard casting compound, and wherein the casting compound is also applied to the at least one metal layer-free portion of the insulating layer.
► With respect to claim 30, Hoegerl et al (fig 37) discloses wherein the electrical cover contact element is also at least partially encapsulated with the casting compound, and: (i) an upper side of the electrical cover contact element is also at least partially encapsulated with the casting compound, or (ii) the upper side of the electrical cover contact element is at least partially free of the casting compound.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 24 and 28-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoegerl et al [US 2015/0155267] in view of Kohl et al [US 2015/0357303]
► With respect to claim 24, steel coated with copper and/or silver is known material of electrical cover contact element. Selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945) "Reading a list and selecting a known compound to meet known requirements is no more ingenious than selecting the last piece to put in the last opening in a jig-saw puzzle." 325 U.S. at 335, 65 USPQ at 301. See also In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (selection of a known plastic to make a container of a type made of plastics prior to the invention was
held to be obvious).
► With respect to claim 28, Hoegerl et al substantially discloses the claimed power module but is silent about an upper side and/or a bottom side of the at least one power semiconductor is formed by and/or coated with a noble metal layer.
However, Kohl et al (fig 1, text [0001]-[0060] more particular text [0050]-[0054]) teaches using the power semiconductors (20a-d) with sides (contact areas K) being formed/coated with noble metal layer.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for those skilled in the art, in view of Kohl et al, to use the power semiconductors of Hoegerl et al with the upper side and/or bottom side being coated with the noble metal layer as being claimed to the power module with improved lifetime and production of electrical connection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANHHA S PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1696. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/THANHHA S PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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