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 .
Status of Claims
The following is in response to the communication filed 7/31/2024.
Claims 1-7 are currently pending.
Claims 1-7 have been examined.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) to International Application PCT/JP2023/025247 filed on July 7, 2023 which claims priority from a Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-135711 filed on August 29, 2022. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 7/31/2024, are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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.
The following title is suggested: SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE ARRANGED WITH EXTENDED SHOULDER PORTIONS FOR HEAT AND CURRENT DISPERSEMENT
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)(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, 6, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bergmann et al. US 20230056722 A1 (hereinafter Bergmann).
Regarding claim 1, Bergmann discloses:
A semiconductor device, (Fig. 1, power module 1) comprising:
a first terminal (terminal 30) and a second terminal; (terminal 28)
a first conductor (load track 5, 6) having a plurality of semiconductor elements (semiconductor switches 11-14, 23-26) arranged side by side in an arrangement direction (Fig. 1) thereon, the first conductor electrically connecting the plurality of semiconductor elements to the first terminal via first wiring; (See Fig. 1, load track 5, 6 is connected electrically to the terminal 30 and is considered to be connected via a wiring.) and
a second conductor (load track 4, 7,8) electrically connecting the plurality of semiconductor elements on the first conductor to the second terminal via second wiring, (See Fig. 1, load track 7, 8 is connected to semiconductor switches 11-14, 23-26 is connected electrically to the terminal 30 and is considered to be connected via a wiring.) wherein
the first terminal (terminal 30) is located on one side of the first conductor in the arrangement direction, (first direction 9)
the second terminal (terminal 28) is located on one side of the second conductor in the arrangement direction, (first direction 9) another side of the second conductor opposite to the one side of the second conductor being located at the same side of the first conductor as the one side of the first conductor with respect to the arrangement direction, and (See Fig. 1)
the second conductor (load track 4, 7, 8) has a shoulder portion that extends in a width direction (second direction 10) perpendicular to both the arrangement direction (first direction 9) and a thickness direction of the second conductor,(See related Fig. 3 to show the device of Fig. 1 having a thickness direction.) and two extended portions arranged at the shoulder portion spaced apart from each other in the width direction, (Fig. 1, second direction 10) the two extended portions both extending in the arrangement direction and being electrically connected to the plurality of semiconductor elements. (See Fig. 1)
Regarding claim 6, Bergmann further discloses:
wherein the first conductor (load track 5, 6) and the two extended portions each are separated into two portions to have a gap in the arrangement direction, (See Fig. 1, load track 5 is separated from load track 6) the two portions of each of the first conductor and the two extended portions being electrically connected to each other by wiring. (Fig. 1, the two portions are electrically connected to each other by wirings on the device.)
Regarding claim 7, Bergmann further discloses:
the plurality of semiconductor elements on the first conductor is a plurality of first semiconductor elements, (Fig. 1, semiconductor switches 11-14, 23-26 are a first set of semiconductor elements.)
the two extended portions of the second conductor ((load track 4, 7, 8) are a first extended portion (load track 7) and a second extended portion (load track 8), and
the second conductor further includes a third extended portion (load track 4) having a plurality of second semiconductor elements arranged side by side in the arrangement direction, (semiconductor switches 15-18, 19-22) the first to third extended portions being arranged at the shoulder portion of the second conductor spaced apart from one another in the width direction and respectively extending in the arrangement direction, (See Fig. 1, load track 7, and 8 are spaced a part from each other in the second direction 10 and extend in the first direction 9.) the third extended portion electrically connecting the plurality of second semiconductor elements to the second terminal, (See Fig. 1, load track 4 is electrically connected to the second terminal 28 in the device.)
the semiconductor device further comprises
a third terminal (terminal 27) and a third conductor (top portion of load track 4), the third terminal is located on one side of the third conductor in the arrangement direction that is the same side as the one side of the first conductor, and (the top portion of load track 4 is located on top side of the device which is the same side of the device as load tracks 5, 6.)
the third conductor has a shoulder portion that extends in the width direction, (the top portion of load track 4 extends in the second direction 10) and two extended portions arranged at the shoulder portion thereof spaced apart from each other in the width direction, (load tracks 7, 8 are spaced apart from load track 4 in the second direction.) the two extended portions of the third conductor respectively extending in the arrangement direction (the extended shoulder portions of track 4 have some respective extending in the first direction 9) and being electrically connected to the plurality of second semiconductor elements by wiring. (Load track 4 is electrically connected to the device by wiring elements.)
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.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bergmann in view of Okayama US 20150155797 A1 (hereinafter Okayama).
Regarding claim 2, Bergmann discloses all the elements of claim 1.
Bergmann does not appear to disclose:
wherein the first conductor has a plurality of notches arranged such that a size of a notched increases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor.
Okayama, which teaches semiconductor device for mounting multiple power semiconductor elements (Okayama, Abstract), discloses:
the first conductor (Fig. 5, metal wire 34) has a plurality of notches (notches 17) arranged such that a size of a notched increases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor. (See Fig. 5, as the notches are places in the direction of the current flow the notch side increases.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Bergmann to have the first conductor has a plurality of notches arranged such that a size of a notched increases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor as taught by Okayama for purposes of adjusting the wire resistance. (Okayama, [0097].)
Regarding claim 3, Bergmann and Okayama discloses all the elements of claim 2.
Okayama further discloses:
each of the plurality of notches (Fig. 5, notches 17) is located between a corresponding two of the plurality of semiconductor elements (power semiconductor elements MOSFET 701-704 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig.5 but not labeled in Fig. 5) that are adjacent to each other.
Regarding claim 4, Bergmann discloses all the elements of claim 1.
Bergmann does not appear to disclose:
wherein a width of the first conductor in the width direction decreases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor.
Okayama, which teaches semiconductor device for mounting multiple power semiconductor elements (Okayama, Abstract), discloses:
wherein a width of the first conductor (Fig. 1, metal wire 4) in the width direction decreases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor. (Fig.1 and [0066] the width of the wire gradually changes corresponding with the electrical current flow direction.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Bergmann to have a width of the first conductor in the width direction decreases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor as taught by Okayama for purposes of the resistance of the wire becomes small toward the electric current flowing direction. (Okayama, [0068].)
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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 5, the cited prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest, along with the other claimed features, a semiconductor device comprising a total number of wiring members of the plurality of wiring members that connect a respective one of the plurality of semiconductor elements to either one of the two extended portions decreases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor.
Bergmann teach the elements of claim 1 as recited above. Bergmann further discloses:
the second wiring includes a plurality of wiring members that respectively electrically connect a respective one of the plurality of semiconductor elements to either one of the two extended portions. (See Fig. 1 of Bergmann, load track 7, 8 is connected to semiconductor switches 11-14, 23-26 is connected electrically to the terminal 30 and is considered to be connected via a wiring.)
However, neither Bergmann nor any other cited prior art appear to teach "a total number of wiring members of the plurality of wiring members that connect a respective one of the plurality of semiconductor elements to either one of the two extended portions decreases toward a downstream side of a current passing through the first conductor."
Prior Art Considered Pertinent
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mari Curbelo et al. US 20220216157 A1 – Fig. 3, a power module with connected cross track areas.
Conclusion
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/HEIM KIRIN GREWAL/ Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/DAVIENNE N MONBLEAU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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