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 .
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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) based on an application filed in the Japan on February 15, 2024, and receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. It should be noted that in order to effectively benefit from the foreign priority date, an English translation of the certified copy (of the foreign application as filed) filed together with a statement that the translation of the certified copy is accurate must be presented.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on August 26, 2024 and May 20, 2025 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Title
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:
--Isolator Device With Inductor Coils Embedded In A Flexible Printed Circuit Board--
Claim Objections
Claims 15 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding Claim 15, the limitation “an electrode pad on an upper surface of substrate” should read --an electrode pad on an upper surface of the substrate--
Regarding Claim 20, the limitation “a second surface of the base film, the first coil is on the first surface” should read --a second surface of the base film, wherein the first coil is on the first surface--
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-14 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (U.S. Pub. 2025/0014799), hereinafter Tanaka, in view of Fouquet et al. (U.S. Pub. 2008/0180206), hereinafter Fouquet.
Regarding Claim 1, Tanaka teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) comprising:
-a first rigid substrate ((53B); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0093]);
-a circuit layer (comprising (54A) and (54B), hereinafter (54X); Fig. 24, Paragraphs [0078] and [0094]) stacked on the first rigid substrate (53B) in a first direction (Z direction; Fig. 24);
-a first coil ((22A); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0045]) in the circuit layer (54X);
-a second coil ((21A); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0045]) in the circuit layer (54X), the second coil spaced (21A) from and aligned with the first coil (22A) in the first direction (Z);
-a first semiconductor chip ((14); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) connected to the first coil (22A) by a first wiring ((17A) / combination of center-right (W) and pads (52), (41), hereinafter (W1); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraphs [0042] and [0238]); and
-a second semiconductor chip ((13); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) connected to the second coil (21A) by a second wiring ((16A) / combination of center-left (W) and pads (51), (32), hereinafter (W2); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraphs [0042] and [0238]).
Tanaka does not explicitly disclose:
-the circuit layer is a flexible printed circuit board;
(resulting in the limitations: a flexible printed circuit board stacked on the first rigid substrate in a first direction; a first coil in the flexible printed circuit board; a second coil in the flexible printed circuit board)
Fouquet teaches an insulator device ((20); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0025] comprising a flexible printed circuit board ((39); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0031]), further comprising:
-a first coil ((23); Fig. 5, paragraph [0032]) in the flexible printed circuit board (39);
-a second coil ((24); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0032]) in the flexible printed circuit board (39), the second coil (24) spaced from and aligned with the first coil (23) in the first direction (e.g. laterally down in Fig. 5)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Fouquet into the device of Tanaka such that it comprises a flexible printed circuit board stacked on the first rigid substrate in a first direction; a first coil in the flexible printed circuit board; a second coil in the flexible printed circuit board. This would be due to the fact that doing so would result in a device with reduced processing costs (Fouquet, Paragraphs [0028] and [0030]).
For the following claim rejections, all references are directed towards Tanaka unless otherwise specified. For example, (13) refers to (Tanaka, (13)), while (Fouquet, (33)) refers to element (33) of Fouquet.
Regarding Claim 2, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 1, wherein:
-the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X)) is between (vertically) the first rigid substrate (53B) and the first and second semiconductor chips ((14) and (13)) in the first direction (Z).
Regarding Claim 3, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 2, wherein:
-the first wiring (W1) extends through the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X)) in the first direction (Z).
Regarding Claim 4, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 2, further comprising:
-a second rigid substrate (comprising portions (33), (53A), and (43) all made of e.g. Si, hereinafter (S2); Fig. 24, Paragraphs [0058], [0063], and [0076]) stacked on the flexible printed circuit board (portion (53A) on modified (54X)), wherein the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X)) is between the first rigid substrate (53B) and the second rigid substrate (S2) in the first direction (Z-direction).
Regarding Claim 5, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 4, wherein:
-the first wiring extends (W1) through the second rigid substrate ((S2), specifically portion (43)) in the first direction (Z).
Regarding Claim 6, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 5, wherein:
-the second wiring (W2) extends through the second rigid substrate ((S2), specifically portion (33)) in the first direction (Z).
Regarding Claim 7, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 6, wherein:
-the first wiring (W1) extends in the first direction (Z) through a portion (via (52)) of the first rigid substrate (53B) and in a second direction parallel ((X), e.g. before (W) reaches (52)) to an upper surface of the first rigid substrate (53B).
Regarding Claim 8, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 5, wherein:
-a first portion of the first wiring (e.g. (52) of (W1)) extends in a second direction parallel to a surface of the flexible printed circuit board ((52) extends along the (X)) along the surface of the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X)) and connects to the first coil (22A).
Regarding Claim 9, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 1, further comprising:
-a resin ((80); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0050]) covering the first semiconductor chip (14) and the second semiconductor chip (13);
-a first lead frame including a portion extending out of the resin (‘primary lead’ as part of (11); Fig. 1 Paragraph [0069]), the first lead frame (as of (11)) electrically connected to the first semiconductor chip (13); and
-a second lead frame including a portion extending out of the resin (‘secondary lead’ as part of (12); Fig. 1, Paragraph [0072]), the second lead frame (as of (12)) electrically connected to the second semiconductor chip (14).
Regarding Claim 10, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 1, further comprising:
-a resin ((80); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0050]) covering the first semiconductor chip (14) and the second semiconductor chip (13);
-a first back electrode (52)/(Fouquet, (51)) on a backside surface (e.g. surface facing positive Z – direction) of the first rigid substrate (53B);
-a second back electrode (51)/(Fouquet, (52)) on the backside surface (e.g. surface facing Z) of the first rigid substrate (53B);
-a first through-conductive region (portion of center-right wire (W) within (54X))/(Fouquet, (36)) extending in the first direction (Z) through the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X))/(Foquet, (39)) and the first rigid substrate (53B) and electrically connected to the first back electrode (52)/(Fouquet, (51));
-a second through-conductive region (portion of center-left wire (W) within (54X))/(Fouquet, (30)) extending in the first direction (Z) through the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X))/(Foquet, (39)) and the first rigid substrate (53B) and electrically connected to the second back electrode (51)/(Fouquet, (52));
-a first conductive layer (41) electrically connecting the first semiconductor chip (13) to the first-through conductive region (portion of center-right wire (W) within (54X))/(Fouquet, (36)); and
-a second conductive layer (32) electrically connecting the second semiconductor chip (13) to the second-through conductive region (portion of center-left wire (W) within (54X))/(Fouquet, (30)).
Regarding Claim 11, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 1, wherein:
-the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X))/(Fouquet, (39)) comprises:
-a base film (Fouquet, (33); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0022]),
-a first insulator layer (Fouquet, (34); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0036]) on a first surface (e.g. top) of the base film (Fouquet (33)), and
-a second insulator layer (Fouquet, (37); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0036]) on a second surface (e.g. bottom) of the base film (33).
Regarding Claim 12, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 11, wherein:
- the first coil (Fouquet, (23)- corresponding to (22A)) is on the first surface of the base film (Fouquet, top of (33)),
-the second coil (Fouquet, (24)- corresponding to (21A)) is on the second surface of the base film (Fouquet, bottom of (33)),
-the thickness of the first insulator layer (Forquet, (34)) on the first surface is greater than or equal to the thickness of the first coil (Fouquet, (23)- corresponding to (22A)) in the first direction (Z, see Fouquet, Fig. 5), and
the thickness of the second insulator layer (Fouquet, (37)) on the second surface is greater than or equal to the thickness of the second coil (Fouquet, (24)- corresponding to (21A)) in the first direction (Z, see Fouquet, Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 13, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 11, wherein:
-wherein the base film (Fouquet, (33)) is polyimide (Paragraph [0028]), the first insulator layer (Fouquet, (34)) is a thermosetting resin (Fouquet, ‘epoxy resin’; Paragraph [0028]), and the second insulator layer (Fouquet, (34)) is a thermosetting resin (Fouquet, ‘epoxy resin’; Paragraph [0028]).
Regarding Claim 14, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 1, further comprising:
-a first die pad ((70); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0242]);
-a second die pad ((60); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0242]) spaced from the first die pad in a second direction (e.g. X-direction, Fig. 24) intersecting the first direction (Z); and
-a third die pad ((160); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0242]) between the first and second die pads ((70) and (60)) in the second direction (X), wherein
-the first semiconductor chip (14) is on the first die pad (70),
-the second semiconductor chip (13) is on the second die pad (60), and
-the first rigid substrate (53B) and the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X)) are on the third die pad (160).
Regarding Claim 18, Tanaka teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) comprising:
-a first rigid substrate ((53B); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0093]);
-a circuit layer (comprising (54A) and (54B), hereinafter (54X); Fig. 24, Paragraphs [0078] and [0094]) stacked on the first rigid substrate (53B) in a first direction (Z direction; Fig. 24);
-a second rigid substrate (comprising portions (33), (53A), and (43) all made of e.g. Si, hereinafter (S2); Fig. 24, Paragraphs [0058], [0063], and [0076]) stacked on the circuit layer (54X);
-a first coil ((22A); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0045]) in the circuit layer (54X);
-a second coil ((21A); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0045]) in the circuit layer (54X), the second coil spaced (21A) from and aligned with the first coil (22A) in the first direction (Z);
-a first semiconductor chip ((14); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) mounted on the second rigid substrate ((S2), specifically portion (43)) and connected to the first coil (22A) by a first wiring ((17A) / combination of center-right (W) and pads (52), (41), hereinafter (W1); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraphs [0042] and [0238]) with at least a portion of the first wiring extending in the second rigid substrate (portion of (W1) within (43)); and
-a second semiconductor chip ((13); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) mounted on the second rigid substrate ((S2), specifically (33)) connected to the second coil (21A) by a second wiring ((16A) / combination of center-left (W) and pads (51), (32), hereinafter (W2); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraphs [0042] and [0238]) with at least a portion of the second wiring extending in the second rigid substrate (portion of (W2) within (33)).
Tanaka does not explicitly disclose:
-the circuit layer is a flexible printed circuit board;
(resulting in the limitations: a flexible printed circuit board stacked on the first rigid substrate in a first direction; a second rigid substrate stacked on the flexible circuit substrate; a first coil in the flexible printed circuit board; a second coil in the flexible printed circuit board)
Fouquet teaches an insulator device ((20); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0025] comprising a flexible printed circuit board ((39); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0031]), further comprising:
-a first coil ((23); Fig. 5, paragraph [0032]) in the flexible printed circuit board (39);
-a second coil ((24); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0032]) in the flexible printed circuit board (39), the second coil (24) spaced from and aligned with the first coil (23) in the first direction (e.g. laterally down in Fig. 5)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Fouquet into the device of Tanaka such that it comprises a flexible printed circuit board stacked on the first rigid substrate in a first direction; a second rigid substrate stacked on the flexible circuit substrate; a first coil in the flexible printed circuit board; a second coil in the flexible printed circuit board. This would be due to the fact that doing so would result in a device with reduced processing costs (Fouquet, Paragraphs [0028] and [0030]).
For the following claim rejections, all references are directed towards Tanaka unless otherwise specified. For example, (13) refers to (Tanaka, (13)), while (Fouquet, (33)) refers to element (33) of Fouquet.
Regarding Claim 19, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 18, further comprising:
-a resin ((80); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0050]) covering the first semiconductor chip (14) and the second semiconductor chip (13) and contacting the second rigid substrate (S2);
Regarding Claim 20, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 18, wherein:
-the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X))/(Fouquet, (39)) comprises:
-a base film (Fouquet, (33); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0022]),
-a first insulator layer (Fouquet, (34); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0036]) on a first surface (e.g. top) of the base film (Fouquet (33)), and
-a second insulator layer (Fouquet, (37); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0036]) on a second surface (e.g. bottom) of the base film (33), wherein
- the first coil (Fouquet, (23)- corresponding to (22A)) is on the first surface of the base film (Fouquet, top of (33)), and
-the second coil (Fouquet, (24)- corresponding to (21A)) is on the second surface of the base film (Fouquet, bottom of (33)).
Claims 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka in view of Fouquet and Ho et al. (U.S. Pub. 2010/0259909), hereinafter Ho.
Regarding Claim 15, Tanaka teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) comprising:
-a first die pad ((60); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0242]);
- a first semiconductor chip ((13); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) on the first die pad (60)
-a second die pad ((160); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0242]) spaced from the first die pad (70)
-a substrate ((50) specifically comprising (53A), (53B), (54A), and (54B); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0050]) on the second die pad (160) and including (as part of the full structure of (50)) a first rigid substrate ((53B); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0093]) and a circuit layer (comprising (54A) and (54B), hereinafter (54X); Fig. 24, Paragraphs [0078] and [0094]) stacked on the first rigid substrate (53B) in a first direction (Z direction; Fig. 24);
-a first coil ((21A); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0045]) in the circuit layer (54X);
-a second coil ((22A); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0045]) in the circuit layer (54X), the second coil spaced (21A) from and aligned with the first coil (22A) in the first direction (Z);
-an electrode pad ((52); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0067]) on an upper surface of the substrate (50) and electrically connected to the second coil (22A);
- a third die pad ((70); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0242]) spaced from the first die pad (60) and the second die pad (160) in a second direction intersecting the first direction (e.g. X-direction, Fig. 24);
-a second semiconductor chip ((14); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) on the third die pad (70);
-a first wire (center-left (W); Fig. 24)
-a second wire (center-right (W); Fig. 24, Paragraph [0071]) electrically connecting the electrode pad (52) to the second semiconductor chip (14)
Tanaka does not explicitly disclose:
-the circuit layer is a flexible printed circuit board;
(resulting in the limitations: a flexible printed circuit board stacked on the first rigid substrate in a first direction; a first coil in the flexible printed circuit board; a second coil in the flexible printed circuit board)
Fouquet teaches an insulator device ((20); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0025] comprising a flexible printed circuit board ((39); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0031]), further comprising:
-a first coil ((23); Fig. 5, paragraph [0032]) in the flexible printed circuit board (39);
-a second coil ((24); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0032]) in the flexible printed circuit board (39), the second coil (24) spaced from and aligned with the first coil (23) in the first direction (e.g. laterally down in Fig. 5)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Fouquet into the device of Tanaka such that it comprises a flexible printed circuit board stacked on the first rigid substrate in a first direction; a first coil in the flexible printed circuit board; a second coil in the flexible printed circuit board. This would be due to the fact that doing so would result in a device with reduced processing costs (Fouquet, Paragraphs [0028] and [0030]).
Neither Tanaka nor Fouquet explicitly teaches:
-a first wire electrically connecting the first semiconductor chip to the second die pad
Ho teaches an isolator device ((5); Figs. 1 and 2, Paragraph [0026]), comprising:
-a first wire ((54a); Figs. 1 and 2, Paragraph [0036]) electrically connecting the first semiconductor chip ((64a); Figs. 1 and 2, Paragraph [0036]) to the second die pad ((38); Figs. 1 and 2, Paragraph [0031]- Not marked in Fig. 1, but is the layer contact pad (46a) is on, See Fig. 2)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Ho into the device of Tanaka as modified by Fouquet such that it comprised a first wire electrically connecting the first semiconductor chip to the second die pad. This would be due to the fact that doing so would produce the predictable result of connecting the first semiconductor device to the first coil with reduced manufacturing processes (not adding internal connections) and reducing height.
For the following claim rejections, all references are directed towards Tanaka unless otherwise specified. For example, (13) refers to (Tanaka, (13)), while (Fouquet, (33)) refers to element (33) of Fouquet.
Regarding Claim 16, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet and Ho teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 15, wherein:
-the flexible printed circuit board (modified (54X))/(Fouquet, (39)) comprises:
-a base film (Fouquet, (33); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0022]),
-a first insulator layer (Fouquet, (34); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0036]) on a first surface (e.g. top) of the base film (Fouquet (33)), and
-a second insulator layer (Fouquet, (37); Fig. 5, Paragraph [0036]) on a second surface (e.g. bottom) of the base film (33).
Regarding Claim 17, Tanaka as modified by Fouquet and Ho teaches an isolator device ((10); Figs. 1, 24, Paragraph [0032]) of Claim 16, wherein:
-wherein the base film (Fouquet, (33)) is polyimide (Paragraph [0028]), the first insulator layer (Fouquet, (34)) is a thermosetting resin (Fouquet, ‘epoxy resin’; Paragraph [0028]), and the second insulator layer (Fouquet, (34)) is a thermosetting resin (Fouquet, ‘epoxy resin’; Paragraph [0028]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DMITRI MIHALIOV whose telephone number is (571)270-5220. The examiner can normally be reached weekdays 7:30 - 17:30 US Eastern Time.
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/DMITRI MIHALIOV/ Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/DAVIENNE N MONBLEAU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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