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 .
Detailed Action
Specification Objection
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 U.S.C. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 6 and 8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kajihara (EP 3428962), in view of Higashi (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2020/0266129).
Regarding Claim 1
FIG. 24 of Kajihara discloses a semiconductor module, comprising: a substrate (25B); a semiconductor device (1) mounted on the stacked substrate; a lead frame in contact with and electrically connected to the semiconductor device; and an encapsulation resin (7) encapsulating encapsulated members including the semiconductor device, the lead frame, and the substrate, wherein the lead frame has a Cu layer (2) and an Al layer (5) on the Cu layer, the Cu layer facing the semiconductor device and the Al layer facing the encapsulation resin.
Kajihara is silent with respect to the substrate “a stacked substrate”.
FIG. 4 of Higashi discloses a similar semiconductor module, comprising [0003] a stacked substrate (2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kajihara, as taught by Higashi. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kajihara in the above manner for purpose of high thermal conductivity ([0005] of Higashi).
Regarding Claim 6
FIG. 24 of Kajihara discloses the lead frame has a bent portion located within the encapsulation resin, and the Al layer covers the Cu layer at the bent portion while the Cu layer is exposed from the Al layer at an end of the lead frame.
Regarding Claim 8
FIG. 24 of Kajihara discloses the encapsulation resin (7) is an epoxy resin.
Claims 1 and 6-8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2017/0278771), in view of Honda (JP 4396028, machine-translation provided).
Regarding Claim 1
FIG. 4 of Kanai discloses a semiconductor module, comprising: a stacked substrate (2); a semiconductor device (1) mounted on the stacked substrate; a lead frame (12) in contact with and electrically connected to the semiconductor device; and an encapsulation resin (10) encapsulating encapsulated members including the semiconductor device, the lead frame, and the stacked substrate.
Kanai is silent with respect to the substrate “the lead frame has a Cu layer and an Al layer on the Cu layer, the Cu layer facing the semiconductor device and the Al layer facing the encapsulation resin”.
FIG. 2 of Honda discloses a similar semiconductor module, wherein the lead frame has a Cu layer (1) and an Al layer (2) on the Cu layer, the Cu layer facing the semiconductor device (3) and the Al layer facing the encapsulation resin (4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kanai, as taught by Honda. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kanai in the above manner for purpose of improving reliability in terms of moisture resistance and the like ([0010] of Honda).
Regarding Claim 6
FIG. 2 of Honda discloses the lead frame has a bent portion located within the encapsulation resin, and the Al layer covers the Cu layer at the bent portion while the Cu layer is exposed from the Al layer at an end of the lead frame.
Regarding Claim 7
FIG. 2 of Honda discloses the Al layer covers 30% to 80% of a surface area of the lead frame including the bent portion.
Regarding Claim 8
Kanai discloses the encapsulation resin is an epoxy resin [0025].
Claims 1-3 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2017/0278771), in view of Takano (JP 2014192202, machine-translation provided).
Regarding Claim 1
FIG. 4 of Kanai discloses a semiconductor module, comprising: a stacked substrate (2); a semiconductor device (1) mounted on the stacked substrate; a lead frame (12) in contact with and electrically connected to the semiconductor device; and an encapsulation resin (10) encapsulating encapsulated members including the semiconductor device, the lead frame, and the stacked substrate.
Kanai is silent with respect to the substrate “the lead frame has a Cu layer and an Al layer on the Cu layer, the Cu layer facing the semiconductor device and the Al layer facing the encapsulation resin”.
FIG. 1 of Takano discloses a similar semiconductor module, wherein the lead frame has a Cu [0019] layer (11) and an Al [0025] layer (15) on the Cu layer, the Cu layer facing the semiconductor device (12) and the Al layer facing the encapsulation resin (17).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kanai, as taught by Takano. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kanai in the above manner for purpose of improving adhesion strength and bonding strength (Abstract of Takano).
Regarding Claim 2
FIG. 1 of Takano discloses the Al layer has a thickness that is 10% to 50% of a film thickness of the lead frame.
Regarding Claim 3
FIG. 1 of Takano discloses the Al layer has at a surface thereof, an oxide film (Claim 3).
Claim 4 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai and Takano, in view of Salsa (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2018/0202061).
Regarding Claim 4
Kanai as modified by Takano discloses Claim 3.
Kanai as modified by Takano is silent with respect to “the oxide film has a film thickness of 5 μm to 10 μm”.
Salsa discloses a similar semiconductor module, wherein the oxide film has a film thickness of 5 μm to 10 μm [0003].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kanai, as taught by Salsa. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kanai in the above manner for purpose of providing sealing to prevent aluminum from corrosion ([0003] of Salsa).
Claim 5 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai and Takano, in view of Hasegawa (JP 2012025145, machine-translation provided).
Regarding Claim 5
Kanai as modified by Takano discloses Claim 3.
Kanai as modified by Takano is silent with respect to “the oxide film is a porous barrier layer of 80 nm or greater that has a plurality of pores, each pore having a diameter that is not more than 15 nm”.
Hasegawa discloses a similar semiconductor module, wherein the oxide film is a porous barrier layer of 80 nm or greater that has a plurality of pores, each pore having a diameter that is not more than 15 nm (Abstract). Furthermore, it is known in the art that pore diameters of anodic aluminum oxide range from 5nm to several hundred nm.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kanai, as taught by Hasegawa. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kanai in the above manner for purpose of joining aluminum and resin ([0003] of Hasegawa).
Claims 6 and 7 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai and Takano, in view of Pao (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2009/0079045).
Regarding Claim 6
Kanai as modified by Takano discloses Claim 1, wherein the Cu layer is a lower layer and the Al layer is an upper layer.
Kanai as modified by Takano is silent with respect to “the lead frame has a bent portion located within the encapsulation resin”, and the upper layer covers the lower layer at the bent portion while the lower layer is exposed from the upper layer at an end of the lead frame.
FIG. 3 of Pao discloses a similar semiconductor module, wherein the lead frame (2) has a bent portion located within the encapsulation resin (5), and the upper layer (222) covers the lower layer at the bent portion while the lower layer (221) is exposed from the upper layer at an end of the lead frame.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kanai, as taught by Pao. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kanai in the above manner for purpose of capable of largely increasing the space utilization of circuit board and is applicable to a portable electronic device whose internal space is limited and requirement for function is high ([0009] of Pao).
Regarding Claim 7
FIG. 3 of Pao discloses the Al layer covers 30% to 80% of a surface area of the lead frame including the bent portion.
Claims 6 and 7 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanai and Takano, in view of Hata (JP 5540857, machine-translation provided).
Regarding Claim 6
Kanai as modified by Takano discloses Claim 1.
Kanai as modified by Takano is silent with respect to “the lead frame has a bent portion located within the encapsulation resin, and the Al layer covers the Cu layer at the bent portion while the Cu layer is exposed from the Al layer at an end of the lead frame”.
FIG. 3 of Hata discloses a similar semiconductor module, wherein the lead frame has a bent portion located within the encapsulation resin, and the Al layer (4) covers the Cu layer (3) at the bent portion while the Cu layer is exposed from the Al layer at an end of the lead frame.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kanai, as taught by Hata. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kanai in the above manner for purpose of securing a sufficient amount of liquid at the time of connection ([0036] of Hata).
Regarding Claim 7
FIG. 3 of Hata discloses the Al layer covers 30% to 80% of a surface area of the lead frame including the bent portion.
Pertinent Art
Baek (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2022/0208654), Zheng (CN 113122845), Kikuchi (CN 115917054), Zhang (CN 102768901) and Kawakita (JP 2010192807).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHENG-BAI ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-3904. The examiner can normally be reached on 11am – 7pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached on (571)270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHENG-BAI ZHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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