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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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)(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 1-4 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim (8604624)
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Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a power module (please see figures above), comprising:
a first metal-clad substrate (106);
a chip (202) located on a side of the first metal-clad substrate; and
first solder (208) located between the first metal-clad substrate and the chip, wherein:
a first metal layer (104) is disposed on a surface of the first metal-clad substrate,
wherein the surface faces the chip (please see figures above);
the first metal layer comprises a groove (please see portion of 104 which is missing) that penetrates the first metal layer in a thickness direction (please see figures above),
wherein the first metal layer further comprises a blocking part (fig. 8: 220);
a first thickness of the first metal layer is less than a second thickness, the first thickness comprises a thickness of at least a part of an area in the blocking part, and the second thickness comprises a thickness of the first metal layer in an area other than the groove and the blocking part (please see figures above); and
the blocking part is located between the chip and the groove adjacent to the blocking part (please see figures above), wherein the blocking part is configured to prevent the first solder from overflowing into the groove when the chip is welded to the first metal-clad substrate with the first solder (Kim teaches 220 prevents the spread of 208).
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches a power module according to claim 1, the blocking part comprising: at least one recess structure that is recessed towards a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction in which the chip points to the first metal-clad substrate (please figures above).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches a power module according to claim 2, the blocking part comprising: one recess structure, wherein the one recess structure extends along a second direction, and wherein the second direction is an extension direction of a side of the chip, and wherein the side of the chip is adjacent to the blocking part (please see figures above).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches a power module according to claim 2, the blocking part comprising: a plurality of recess structures, wherein the plurality of recess structures in the blocking part are arranged in at least one row, wherein an arrangement direction of the plurality of recess structures is a second direction, and wherein the second direction is an extension direction of a side of the chip, and wherein the side of the chip is adjacent to the blocking part (please see figures above).
Regarding claim 6, Kim teaches a power module according to claim 1, wherein the blocking part comprises at least one step-shaped structure, and wherein each step-shaped structure comprises at least one step (see fig. 6 which shows the groove having a step).
Regarding claim 7, Kim teaches a power module according to claim 6, wherein the blocking part comprises one step-shaped structure, the at least one step-shaped structure extends along a second direction, and the second direction is an extension direction of a side of the chip, and wherein the side of the chip is adjacent to the blocking part (please see figures above).
Regarding claim 8, Kim teaches a power module according to claim 6, the blocking part comprising: a plurality of step-shaped structures, wherein the plurality of step-shaped structures in the blocking part are arranged in at least one row, wherein an arrangement direction of the step-shaped structures is a second direction, and wherein the second direction is an extension direction of a side of the chip, and wherein the side of the chip is adjacent to the blocking part (please see figure above).
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Darveaux (10410885)
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Regarding claim 1, Darveaux teaches an power module (please see figures above), comprising:
a first metal-clad substrate (900);
a chip (335) located on a side of the first metal-clad substrate; and
first solder (please see fig. 9B above) located between the first metal-clad substrate and the chip, wherein:
a first metal layer (907) is disposed on a surface of the first metal-clad substrate,
wherein the surface faces the chip (please see fig. 9B);
the first metal layer comprises a groove (please see multiple groves in 907) that penetrates the first metal layer in a thickness direction (please see fig. 9B),
wherein the first metal layer further comprises a blocking part (please see portions of 907 that prevent solder balls on 335 from overflow);
a first thickness of the first metal layer is less than a second thickness, the first thickness comprises a thickness of at least a part of an area in the blocking part, and the second thickness comprises a thickness of the first metal layer in an area other than the groove and the blocking part (please see the multiple thickness seen in 907, comparing these thicknesses meeting this limitation); and
the blocking part is located between the chip and the groove adjacent to the blocking part (please see fig. 9B), wherein the blocking part is configured to prevent the first solder from overflowing into the groove when the chip is welded to the first metal-clad substrate with the first solder (please see fig. 9B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 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.
Claim 9 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.
Claims 10-18 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: prior art fails to anticipate and/or obviate all structural limitations mentioned in claim 10, such as a circuit board, wherein: the circuit board is electrically connected to the power module; and the vehicle-mounted power circuit is located in a vehicle-mounted charger or a vehicle-mounted inverter, and the vehicle-mounted power circuit is configured to provide a power conversion function for an electric vehicle. These limitations, in conjunction with others, teach a structure novel in the art.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALEB E HENRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5370. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CALEB E HENRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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