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 § 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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamamoto (US 20170213778 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamamoto teaches a semiconductor module (Fig 9; semiconductor device, [0007]) comprising:
a heat dissipation plate (HP: layers 10/30/40/50) having a plate shape (shown with plate shape); and
a semiconductor element (20) mounted (shown mounted) to the heat dissipation plate (HP) in a thickness direction (Z) of the heat dissipation plate (HP) and generating heat when supplied with electricity (well known to generate heat when supplied with electricity), wherein
the heat dissipation plate (HP) includes a first heat dissipation portion (11) and a second heat dissipation portion (12) formed of a material (graphite, [0028]) having anisotropic thermal conductivity (anisotropic, [0028]),
the first heat dissipation (11) portion includes a position facing (shown facing) the semiconductor element (20) in the thickness direction (Z), and has higher (higher, [0028]) thermal conductivity (1700 W/m*K, [0028]) in a planar direction (X, [0029]) of a first virtual plane (XZ) parallel (shown parallel) to the thickness direction (Z) than in a direction (Y) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the planar direction (X) of the first virtual plane (XZ), and
the second heat dissipation portion (12) is connected (shown connected) to the first heat dissipation portion (11) in a direction parallel (X) to the planar direction (X) of the first virtual plane (XZ) and perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the thickness direction (Z), and has higher (higher, [0028]) thermal conductivity (1700 W/m*K, [0028]) in a planar direction (Y) of a second virtual plane (XY) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the thickness direction (Z) than in a direction (Z) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the planar direction (Y) of the second virtual plane (XY).
Regarding claim 2, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 1 and goes on to teach the second heat dissipation portion (12, Fig 9) is connected (shown connected) to a portion of the first heat dissipation portion (11) extending (shown extending) in a direction (X) parallel (shown parallel) to the planar direction (X) of the first virtual plane (XZ) and perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the thickness direction (Z) of the heat dissipation plate (HP) from the position facing the semiconductor element (20), and
is also connected (shown connected) to a portion of the first heat dissipation portion (11) extending (shown extending) in a direction (Z) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the planar direction (X) of the first virtual plane (XZ) from the position facing the semiconductor element (20).
Regarding claim 3, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 1 and goes on to teach the heat dissipation plate (HP, Fig 9) further includes a third heat dissipation portion (50), and
the third heat dissipation portion (50) is connected (shown indirectly connected) to the second heat dissipation portion (12) in a direction parallel (Y) to the planar direction (Y) of the second virtual plane (XY), and
has higher (higher, [0061]) thermal conductivity (1700 W/m*K, [0028]) in a planar direction (Z) of a third virtual plane (YZ) that is not perpendicular (shown not perpendicular) to a direction (Z) in which the third heat dissipation portion (50) is connected (shown connected) to the second heat dissipation portion (12) and
is parallel (shown parallel) to the thickness direction (Z) than in a direction (X) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the planar direction (Z) of the third virtual plane (YZ).
Regarding claim 4, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 3 and goes on to teach the third virtual plane (YZ, Fig 9) is parallel (shown parallel) to a direction (Z) in which the third heat dissipation portion (50) is connected (shown connected) to the second heat dissipation portion (12) and is parallel (shown parallel) to the thickness direction (Z).
Regarding claim 5, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 3 and goes on to teach the first virtual plane (XZ, Fig 9) and the third virtual plane (YZ) are parallel (shown parallel) to a direction (Z) in which the first heat dissipation portion (11), the second heat dissipation portion (12), and the third heat dissipation portion (50) are arranged.
Regarding claim 6, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 1 and goes on to teach the heat dissipation plate (HP, Fig 9) further includes a metal plate (30), and
the metal plate (30) is disposed on (shown on) a surface (10T: top surface of 10) of the heat dissipation plate (HP) facing (shown facing) the thickness direction (Z) or at an intermediate position in the thickness direction of the heat dissipation plate.
Regarding claim 7, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 1 and goes on to teach the heat dissipation plate (HP, Fig 9) further includes an insulator (40) having a plate shape (shown with plate shape), and
the insulator (40) is disposed on (shown on) a surface (10B: bottom surface of 10) of the heat dissipation plate (HP) facing (shown facing) the thickness direction (Z) or at an intermediate position in the thickness direction of the heat dissipation plate.
Regarding claim 8, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 1 and goes on to teach the heat dissipation plate (HP, Fig 9) further includes a metal plate (30), and
the metal plate (30) covers (shown covering) surfaces (11a/12a) of the heat dissipation plate (HP) facing (shown facing) the thickness direction (Z) and surfaces (11c/12c: left side surfaces of 11 and 12) of the heat dissipation plate (HP) facing (shown facing) a direction (X) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the thickness direction (Z).
Regarding claim 9, Yamamoto teaches the module of claim 1 and goes on to teach the heat dissipation plate (HP, Fig 9) further includes a metal plating layer (30) disposed on (shown on) a surface (10T: top surface of 10) of the heat dissipation plate (HP) facing (shown facing) the thickness direction (Z).
Regarding claim 10, Yamamoto teaches a heat dissipation plate (HP: layers 10/30/40/50, Fig 9) comprising:
a first heat dissipation portion (11) and a second heat dissipation portion (12) formed of a material (graphite, [0028]) having anisotropic thermal conductivity (anisotropic, [0028]), wherein
the first heat dissipation portion (11) includes a position to face (shown facing) a semiconductor element (20) that is to be mounted (shown mounted) to the heat dissipation plate (HP) in a thickness direction (Z) of the heat dissipation plate (HP), and has higher (higher, [0028]) thermal conductivity (1700 W/m*K, [0028]) in a planar direction (X, [0029]) of a first virtual plane (XZ) parallel (shown parallel) to the thickness direction (Z) than in a direction (Y) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the planar direction (X) of the first virtual plane (XZ), and
the second heat dissipation portion (12) is connected (shown connected) to the first heat dissipation portion (11) in a direction parallel (X) to the planar direction (X) of the first virtual plane (XZ) and perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the thickness direction (Z), and has higher (higher, [0028]) thermal conductivity (1700 W/m*K, [0028]) in a planar direction (Y) of a second virtual plane (XY) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the thickness direction (Z) than in a direction (Z) perpendicular (shown perpendicular) to the planar direction (Y) of the second virtual plane (XY).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chou (US 20110186270 A1) - multiple graphite heat spreaders attached to a metal housing
Deguchi (US 20190139858 A1) - top and bottom heat spreaders comprised of graphite layers
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeremy D Watts whose telephone number is (703)756-1055. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 8:00am-4:30pm, F 8:00-3pm EST.
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/JEREMY DANIEL WATTS/Examiner, Art Unit 2897 /CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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