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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 11422039 B2 (Takase) in view of CN 115376939 A (Fuergut).
Regarding claim 1: Takase teaches an assembly comprising a component (device 10) and a temperature sensor unit for measuring a temperature of the component (sensor unit 20), wherein the component has a recess (opening 15), wherein the temperature sensor unit comprises a housing element and a temperature sensor element (housing section 14 and temperature sensor 40), wherein the housing element comprises a first housing section and a second housing section (inner space 16 and plate members 60 and 70), wherein the second housing section projects from the first housing section (Figs. 2-3), wherein the temperature sensor element is arranged at least partially in the second housing section (Figs. 2-3), wherein the second housing section is arranged in the recess of the component (Fig. 2).
Takase does not directly teach that this component is a semiconductor component.
However, Fuergut teaches a method for forming a semiconductor package (Abstract), having terminals (Abstract), lead wires (Abstract), and a printed circuit board (Background). One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been able to apply the structure of Fuergut to the specifics of Takase without defeating the purpose of either invention, and instead maintaining the purpose of the invention to measure temperature in a new environment without the use of inventive skill.
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the component of Takase with the semiconductor application of Fuergut. This is because they both teach structure regarding the implementation of a printed circuit board. This is important in order to sense the temperature of a specific environment, namely a portion of a semiconductor package.
Regarding claim 2: Modified Takase teaches the assembly according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the temperature sensor unit comprises at least two electrical conductor elements (Takase: pair of detection lines 33), wherein each of the at least two electrical conductor elements comprises a first conductor section and a second conductor section (Takase: connection portions 37 and detection lines 33 with insulating film 35), wherein the respective first conductor section is arranged within the first housing section and is electrically connected to the temperature sensor element, and wherein the respective second conductor section projects out of the first housing section (Takase: detection lines 33 with insulating film 35 projects out of housing, see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3: Modified Takase teaches the assembly according to claim 2 (see above), wherein the semiconductor component comprises at least two terminals (Takase: pair of lead members 42), wherein the second conductor sections of the temperature sensor unit are oriented parallel or at least substantially parallel to the terminals of the semiconductor component (Takase: Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4: Modified Takase teaches the assembly according to claim 2 (see above), wherein the at least two electrical conductor elements are each formed as tapes or strips, in particular as copper tapes (Takase: “The pair of detection lines 33 are made of a copper foil”, Paragraph (27)).
Regarding claim 5: Modified Takase teaches the assembly according claim 1 (see above), wherein the temperature sensor unit comprises at least one mechanical connecting element adapted to be mechanically connected to a support for the semiconductor component, in particular to a heat sink on which the semiconductor component is mounted (Takase: unit stopper 17, Fig. 2; Fuergut: heat sink 203).
Regarding claim 6: Modified Takase teaches the assembly according to claim 5 (see above), wherein the at least one mechanical connecting element connects to the first housing section at a predetermined angle and/or wherein a main extension direction of the at least one mechanical connecting element is oriented parallel or at least substantially parallel to a main extension direction of the second housing section (Takase: unit stopper 17, Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 7: Modified Takase teaches the switch arrangement comprising at least one assembly according to claim 1 (see above) and at least one further semiconductor component (Fuergut: the plurality of semiconductor packages 100 has multiple components 200), wherein the semiconductor component of the at least one assembly and the at least one further semiconductor component are connected in parallel, or wherein the semiconductor component of the at least one assembly and the at least one further semiconductor component form a half bridge (Fuergut: "the structure described herein, method and concept can be applied to multi-die semiconductor package, semiconductor package with separating die bonding pad, configured as a power converter circuit (such as semi-bridge or boost converter) of the semiconductor package, a rectifier bridge, or six package configuration.", (Paragraph 5 on Page 19 of provided translation)).
Regarding claim 8: Modified Takase teaches the switch arrangement according to claim 7 (see above), further comprising a heat sink as a carrier (Fuergut: heat sink 203), wherein the semiconductor component of the assembly and the further semiconductor component are arranged on the heat sink (Fuergut: Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9: Modified Takase teaches the switch arrangement according to claim 8 (see above), wherein the temperature sensor unit comprises at least one mechanical connecting element adapted to be mechanically connected to a support for the semiconductor component of the assembly, in particular to a heat sink on which the semiconductor component of the assembly is mounted (Takase: unit stopper 17), wherein the at least one mechanical connecting element of the assembly is mechanically connected to the heat sink (Fuergut: heat sink 203, Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 10: Modified Takase teaches the switch arrangement according to claim 8 (see above), comprising at least two assemblies (Fuergut: the plurality of semiconductor packages 100 has multiple components 200), each assembly comprising: a semiconductor component and a temperature sensor unit for measuring a temperature of the semiconductor component (Takase: device 10, Fuergut: plurality of semiconductor packages 100, components 200), wherein the semiconductor component has a recess (Takase: opening 15), wherein the temperature sensor unit comprises a housing element and a temperature sensor element (Takase: housing section 14 and temperature sensor 40), wherein the housing element comprises a first housing section and a second housing section (Takase: inner space 16 and plate members 60 and 70), wherein the second housing section projects from the first housing section (Takase: Figs. 2-3), wherein the temperature sensor element is arranged at least partially in the second housing section (Takase: Figs. 2-3), wherein the second housing section is arranged in the recess of the semiconductor component (Takase: Fig. 2); and wherein the assemblies are arranged at opposite ends of a respective side surface of the heat sink, in particular at opposite ends with respect to a flow direction of a cooling fluid through the heat sink (Fuergut: "The arrangement provides a double-side cooling configuration, wherein a heat conducting surface is provided on opposite sides of the package" (Paragraph 3 on Page 10 of the provided translation)).
Regarding claim 11: Modified Takase teaches the switch arrangement according to claim 8 (see above), further comprising at least one clamping element adapted to press one or more of the semiconductor components of the assembly and the further semiconductor components against the heat sink (Fuergut: unit clamps 186).
Regarding claim 12: Modified Takase teaches the switch arrangement according to claim 7 (see above), further comprising a control board (Takase: “the pair of detection lines 33 are connected to a control unit”, Paragraph (28), Fuergut: control terminal 126), wherein a main extension plane of the control board is oriented perpendicular or at least substantially perpendicular to a main extension plane of the individual semiconductor components of the assembly and the further semiconductor components (Fuergut: Fig. 4A), wherein respective individual or multiple terminals of the individual semiconductor components of the assembly and the further semiconductor components are connected to the control board (Fuergut: Fig. 4A).
Regarding claim 13: Modified Takase teaches the switch arrangement according to claim 12 (see above), wherein the second conductor sections of the temperature sensor unit are electrically connected to the control board of the switch arrangement (Takase: “the pair of detection lines 33 are connected to a control unit”, Paragraph (28)).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
DE 102021110609 A1 teaches a power semiconductor with an insulation layer, a metal layer formed into conductor tracks, and a temperature sensor.
US 20220278030 A1 teaches a semiconductor device has a joint part in which a first conducting part and a second conducting part are joined by a joint material.
US 20220102260 A1 teaches a power module includes at least one electrically conductive power substrate; and a plurality of power devices arranged on and connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate.
DE 102020122803 A1 teaches a measuring device with a housing, a temperature sensor, and a printed circuit board.
US 20210367526 A1 teaches a packaged power module includes a case, a metal structure, and a transistor that has first and second terminals between which current is transmitted when the transistor is activated, and a control terminal controlling the transistor, wherein the first terminal is sintered to the first surface.
FR 3033404 A1 teaches a device for measuring the temperature of a container placed above an inductor in a hob comprises a temperature sensor, a support member of the temperature sensor and a thermal conductor. The support element has two protuberances and the thermal conductor has two holding parts, each holding part having a recess for accommodating a protrusion of the support member.
US 8444318 B2 teaches a temperature sensor is disclosed having a measuring resistor which is accommodated inside a protective tube and a proximal end of which is connected to a sensor head.
DE 102008056846 A1 teaches a power electronics module comprising a conductor having first and second ends, the second end being thermally coupled to a substrate. The power electronics module further comprises a component having a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the first end of the conductor. The component is designed to determine a temperature at the second end of the conductor with the aid of the temperature sensor.
EP 1936341 A1 teaches a temperature sensor includes a probe section for insertion into a hot zone.
US 4887062 A teaches a thermal sensor assembly is shown as having a housing formed of first and second body sections with the first being a probe-like portion for introduction into a medium the temperature of which is to be monitored; a thermistor and an electrical switch are electrically isolated from each other and situated within the housing; the thermistor is in series with and between one of the body sections and a terminal which is connectable to associated circuitry external of the sensor assembly; the electrical switch is effective to close an electrical circuit as between the same one of the body sections and a second terminal which is connectable to additional associated circuitry external of the sensor assembly.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIA FITZPATRICK whose telephone number is (703)756-5783. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-4pm.
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/JULIA FITZPATRICK/ Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/TARUN SINHA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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