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 Objections
Claims 2 and 4 are objected to because of the following informalities: according to MPEP2173.05(d), Description of examples or preferences is properly set forth in the specification rather than the claims. If stated in the claims, examples and preferences may lead to confusion over the intended scope of a claim. Therefore, to avoid the confusion Applicant is advised to omit “for example” in the claims. Moreover , a semiconductor chip is nothing else than an electronic component.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-7, 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bando, US2024/0387480 (Foreign Application Priority May 17, 2023).
In re Claim 1, Bando discloses a component for a package, wherein the component comprises: a functional body S1; and a wettability layer 12A arranged on a main surface of the functional body 30 and configured for promoting wetting of a connection medium to be applied on the wettability layer 12A for connecting the component with a further component of the package; wherein the wettability layer 12A has a lateral circumference at least part of which having a concave edge ([0113])(Figs. 1-12; [0056-0147]).
In re Claim 2, Bando discloses the component according to claim 1, configured as one of a leadframe structure ([0058], a clip, and an electronic component, for example a semiconductor chip ([0125]).
In re Claim 3, Bando discloses the component according to claim 1, wherein the wettability layer is a plating layer 12 ([0087-0088]).
In re Claim 4, Bando discloses the component according to claim 3, comprising one of the following features: wherein the plating layer 12A comprises or consists of silver ([0071]), when the component is configured as a leadframe structure ([0158]) or as a clip; wherein the plating layer 12A comprises or consists of one of the group comprising palladium, gold, titanium, nickel, and NiNiP ([0071]), when the component is configured as an electronic component, for example a semiconductor chip ([0125]).
In re Claim 5, Bando discloses the component according to claim 1, wherein the wettability layer 12 has the concave edge ([0113]) along its entire lateral circumference.
In re Claim 6, Bando discloses the component according to claim 1, wherein the wettability layer 12 has the concave edge 30P along each of four sides of its substantially rectangular lateral circumference (Fig. 5A; [0112]).
In re Claim 7, Bando discloses the component according to claim 1, wherein the concave edge is a stepped concave edge with a plurality of steps ([0102]; Fig. 4C).
In re Claim 12, Bando discloses the component according to claim 1, wherein the functional body S1 (30) has a lateral circumference at least part of which having a concave edge following a concave contour of the concave edge of the wettability layer 12 (Fig. 5A).
In re Claim 13, Bando discloses the component according to claim 12, wherein the functional body S1 comprises or consists of a die paddle (Fig. 2C).
In re Claim 14, Bando discloses the component according to claim 12, wherein the entire lateral circumference of the wettability layer 12 is located inside the entire lateral circumference of the functional body 30 so that an area of a main surface of the functional body 30 is larger than an area of the wettability layer 12 (Fig. 1A).
In re Claim 32, Bando discloses a method of manufacturing a package, wherein the method comprises: arranging a wettability layer 12 on a main surface of a functional body S1 of a component for promoting wetting of a connection medium to be applied on the wettability layer 12; forming the wettability layer 12 with a lateral circumference at least part of which having a concave edge; applying the connection medium 30 (Fig. 4D) on the wettability layer 12; and connecting the component with a further component by the connection medium 30 (Figs. 4).
In re Claim 33, Bando discloses a package which comprises: a carrier S1 (Figs. 1); a semiconductor chip 30 having an electrically conductive connection layer 11C; and a connection medium 12a connecting the electrically conductive connection layer 11C with the carrier S1; wherein the electrically conductive connection layer 11C has a lateral circumference at least part of which having a concave edge 11A ([0113]) (Figs. 1-12; [0086 -0089]).
In re Claim 34, Bando discloses the package according to claim 33, comprising a wettability layer 12 arranged on a main surface of the carrier S1 and configured for promoting wetting of the connection medium to be applied on the wettability layer 12 for connecting the electrically conductive connection layer 11C of the semiconductor chip 30 with the carrier S1; wherein the wettability layer 12 has a lateral circumference 11A at least part of which having a concave edge ([0113]).
In re Claim 35, Bando discloses the package according to claim 34, wherein at least one side of the lateral circumference of the wettability layer 12 has a concave edge with at least two concave indentations 12A in the respective side (Fig. 4A).
In re Claim 36, Bando discloses the package according to claim 34, wherein the concave edge 11A of the electrically conductive connection layer 11C follows a contour of the concave edge of the wettability layer 12 ([0113]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-11 and 37 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.
Reason for indicating allowable subject matter
In re Claim 8: the prior art of record cited by the current office action, alone or in combination, fail to anticipate or render obvious such limitation of claim 8 as: “the steps are defined by a step angle (β) in a range from 45° to 135°, for example in a range from 60° to 120°, preferably in a range from 80° to 100°.”, in combination with limitations of Claims 1 and 7 on which it depends.
In re Claim 9, the prior art of record cited by the current office action, alone or in combination, fail to anticipate or render obvious such limitation of claim 9 as: “at least part of the concave edge is formed at one side of the lateral circumference between two corners, wherein the concavity leads to an innermost central edge portion between the two corners”, in combination with limitations of Claim 1 on which it depends.
In re Claim 11: The prior art of record cited by the current office action, alone or in combination, fail to anticipate or render obvious such limitation of claim 1 as: “at least one side of the lateral circumference of the wettability layer has a concave edge with at least two concave indentations in the respective side”, in combination with limitations of Claim 1 on which it depends.
In re Claim 37: The prior art of record cited by the current office action, alone or in combination, fail to anticipate or render obvious such limitation of claim 37 as: “at least one side of the lateral circumference of the electrically conductive connection layer has a concave edge with at least two concave indentations in the respective side”, in combination with limitations of Claim 33 on which it depends.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIKOLAY K YUSHIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7885. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (7-7 PST).
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/NIKOLAY K YUSHIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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