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.
Claims 1-5, 10, 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by NISHIMURA et al. (US PG Pub 2020/0411425, hereinafter Nishimura).
Regarding claim 1, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose a semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor element (50) including an element front surface and an element back surface;
an interconnect (21) electrically connected to the semiconductor element;
an encapsulation resin (10/60, ¶ 52) including a resin front surface facing in a same direction as the element front surface, a resin back surface opposite to the resin front surface, and a resin side surface, the encapsulation resin encapsulating the semiconductor element and the interconnect; and
a pillar (22) electrically connected to the interconnect and exposed from the resin back surface, wherein
the pillar includes a portion contacting the encapsulation resin and at least partially including a curved portion being convex toward the encapsulation resin as viewed in a thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin (¶ 52, circular).
Regarding claim 2, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose the pillar (22) is shaped as a polygon including a corner that is rounded as the curved portion as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin (¶ 52).
Regarding claim 3, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose the resin back surface includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in a first direction extending along the resin back surface as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin,
the pillar (22) extends from the first end toward the second end in the first direction as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin, and the curved portion is arranged on a distal surface of the pillar and is convex toward the second end as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin (¶ 52).
Regarding claim 4, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose the curved portion is arranged on the entire distal surface, and the distal surface is semicircular as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin (¶ 52).
Regarding claim 5, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose the interconnect (21) includes a portion overlapping the curved portion as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin (10/60).
Regarding claim 10, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose the pillar (22) includes a thermal pad (¶ 76, formed of metal).
Regarding claim 11, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose external connection terminals (70) exposed from the resin back surface and the resin side surface.
Regarding claim 13, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose a conductive film (70) covering a portion of the pillar (22) exposed from the encapsulation resin (10/60).
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.
Claim 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishimura.
Regarding claim 6, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose the semiconductor element (50) includes a connection terminal (55) electrically connected to the interconnect (21), and
the connection terminal is opposed to the interconnect,
the semiconductor device, further comprising:
a bonding layer piece (44) bonding the connection terminal and the interconnect.
Nishimura does not explicitly disclose the bonding layer piece is circular as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin.
However, shape differences are considered obvious design choices and are not patentable unless unobvious or unexpected results are obtained from these changes. Additionally, the Applicant has presented no discussion in the specification which convinces the Examiner that the particular shape of the bonding layer piece is anything more than one of numerous shapes a person of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious for the purpose of electrical connection (In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976)). It appears that these changes produce no functional differences and therefore would have been obvious.
Regarding claim 7, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose a protective layer (41) arranged between the interconnect (21) and the bonding layer piece (44).
Nishimura does not explicitly disclose the protective layer is circular as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin.
However, shape differences are considered obvious design choices and are not patentable unless unobvious or unexpected results are obtained from these changes. Additionally, the Applicant has presented no discussion in the specification which convinces the Examiner that the particular shape of the protective layer is anything more than one of numerous shapes a person of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious for the purpose of a plating layer (In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976)). It appears that these changes produce no functional differences and therefore would have been obvious.
Regarding claim 8, figures 1 and 2 of Nishimura disclose the resin back surface includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in a first direction extending along the resin back surface as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin,
the pillar (22) extends from the first end toward the second end in the first direction as viewed in the thickness-wise direction of the encapsulation resin, and
the bonding layer piece (44) includes bonding layer pieces arranged in an extension direction of the pillar.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 12 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 YU-HSI DAVID SUN whose telephone number is (571)270-5773. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-4pm ET.
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/YU-HSI D SUN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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