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 .
This is a Non-Final office action based on application 18/651,064 filed April 30, 2024. Claims 1-17 are currently pending and have been considered below.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9-10, 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hong (2019/0355643).
Regarding claim 1, Hong discloses a semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor element (Fig. 3, 102);
a first lead (132) including a die pad portion (114) and a first terminal portion (144), the die pad portion including a first lead obverse surface (128) that faces a first side in a thickness direction and on which the semiconductor element is mounted and a first lead reverse surface (130) that faces a second side in the thickness direction; and
a sealing resin (118) including a first resin surface (122) facing the first side in the thickness direction, a second resin surface (120) facing the second side in the thickness direction, and a third resin surface (124) facing a first side in a first direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, the sealing resin covering the semiconductor element and a portion of the die pad portion,
wherein the first lead reverse surface (Fig. 2a/2b; Paragraph [0006]) is exposed from the second resin surface and spaced apart from the third resin surface in the first direction,
the first terminal portion includes a first portion (164) and a second portion (144), only one set of the first portion passes through the third resin surface (Fig. 2a), and the first portion is spaced apart from the second resin surface in the thickness direction, and
the second portion (144) is located on the first side in the thickness direction relative to the first portion and used for mounting.
Regarding claim 2, Hong further discloses:
the first terminal portion includes a third portion (136) interposed between the first portion and the second portion.
Regarding claim 3, Hong further discloses:
wherein the third portion extends from the first portion toward the first side in the thickness direction (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, Hong further discloses:
the third portion (136) is parallel to the thickness direction (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5, Hong further discloses:
the first terminal portion includes two second portions (144; Fig. 2a/2b), one of which is said second portion.
Regarding claim 9, Hong further discloses:
the second portion (144) can have a J-type or C-type lead configuration and extends from the third portion (136) toward the first side in the first direction (Paragraph [0029).
Regarding claim 10, Hong further discloses:
the second portion is along a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 13, Hong further discloses:
the die pad (114) has a thicker portion (166) that is larger than thinner section (168) which is equal to first portion (164) of the first terminal portion (Fig. 3; Paragraph [0039]).
Regarding claim 14, Hong further discloses:
one side of the first portion is flush with the first lead obverse surface (128) (Fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 11-12 & 15-17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claim 6 is considered allowable because none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose the two second portions extend outward from the third portion in a second direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and the first direction. Claims 7 & 8 are also considered allowable based on their dependency from claim 6.
Claim 11 is considered allowable because none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose a size of the second portion in a second direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and the first direction is larger than a size of the third portion in the second direction. Claim 12 are also considered allowable based on its dependency from claim 11.
Claim 15 is considered allowable because none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose a connecting member connected to the semiconductor element; and a second lead located on the second side in the first direction relative to the first lead, and including a pad portion that includes a second lead obverse surface facing the first side in the thickness direction, wherein the connecting member is connected to the second lead obverse surface, and the first lead obverse surface and the second lead obverse surface are located at a same position in the thickness direction. Claims 16 & 17 are also considered allowable based on their dependency from claim 15.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON C FOX whose telephone number is (571)270-5016. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-6:00PM.
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/BRANDON C FOX/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/DAVID VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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