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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) were submitted on 10/4/24 and 11/24/25. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive as it is generic. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ichinohe et al. (U.S. 2017/0125316 A1; “Ichinohe”).
Regarding claim 1, Ichinohe discloses a semiconductor device comprising:
A semiconductor element (18, Fig. 1) ([0020]);
A package main body portion including a substrate portion (16, Fig. 1) on which the semiconductor element (18, Fig. 1) is installed and a frame portion (51, Fig. 1) that is provided on the substrate portion so as to surround the semiconductor element and has an opening portion formed on an upper side ([0021]); and
A cover member (41, Fig. 1) that closes the opening portion with the cover member supported by a support surface forming an opening end surface of the opening portion of the package main body portion, wherein the cover member (41, Fig. 1) includes an overhanging portion (61, Fig. 1) that sticks out over an outline of the support surface in plan view and is provided with the overhanging portion (61, Fig. 1) fixed to the frame portion (51, Fig. 1) ([0021]).
Regarding claim 13, Ichinohe discloses an electronic device comprising a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including:
A semiconductor element (18, Fig. 1) ([0020]);
A package main body portion including a substrate portion (16, Fig. 1) on which the semiconductor element (18, Fig. 1) is installed and a frame portion (51, Fig. 1) that is provided on the substrate portion so as to surround the semiconductor element and has an opening portion formed on an upper side ([0021]); and
A cover member (41, Fig. 1) that closes the opening portion with the cover member supported by a support surface forming an opening end surface of the opening portion of the package main body portion, wherein the cover member (41, Fig. 1) includes an overhanging portion that sticks out over an outline of the support surface in plan view and is provided with the overhanging portion (61, Fig. 1) fixed to the frame portion 51, Fig. 1) ([0021]).
Regarding claim 14, Ichinohe discloses an electronic device comprising a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including:
A semiconductor element (18, Fig. 1) ([0020]);
A package main body portion including a substrate portion (16, Fig. 1) on which the semiconductor element (18, Fig. 1) is installed and a frame portion (51, Fig. 1) that is provided on the substrate portion so as to surround the semiconductor element and has an opening portion formed on an upper side ([0021]); and
Wherein the package main body portion has a fixation mark (lateral end of 41, Fig. 1) of a cover member (41, Fig. 1) that closes the opening portion of the package main body portion with the cover member supported by a support surface forming an opening end surface of the opening portion.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sugano et al. (JPH11111959(A); 4/23/99; refences to English translation; “Sugano”).
Regarding claim 1, discloses a semiconductor device comprising:
A semiconductor element (6, Fig. 5) ([0018]);
A package main body portion including a substrate portion (4, Fig. 5) on which the semiconductor element (6, Fig. 5) is installed and a frame portion (19, Fig. 5) that is provided on the substrate portion so as to surround the semiconductor element and has an opening portion formed on an upper side ([0018]); and
A cover member (10, Fig. 5) that closes the opening portion with the cover member supported by a support surface forming an opening end surface of the opening portion of the package main body portion, wherein the cover member (10, Fig. 5) includes an overhanging portion (20a, Fig. 5) that sticks out over an outline of the support surface in plan view and is provided with the overhanging portion (20a, Fig. 5) fixed to the frame portion (19, Fig. 5) ([0021]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichinohe et al. (U.S. 2017/0125316 A1; “Ichinohe”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Matsuzawa (U.S. 2010/0149410 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Ichinohe the frame portion (51, Fig. 1) includes a wall portion (51, Fig. 1) and the overhanging portion (61, Fig. 1) includes a fixing surface forming portion (61, Fig. 1), the fixing surface (61, Fig. 1) forming portion extending along at least one side of the outline of the support surface in plan view, and having a fixing surface (61, Fig. 1) formed facing an outer side surface of the wall portion (51, Fig. 1). Yet, Ichinohe does not disclose the wall portion is provided on four sides in the shape of a rectangle. However, Matsuzawa discloses a wall portion (300, Fig. 2) of a frame portion is provided on four sizes in the shape of a rectangle (Fig. 2) ([0059]). This has the advantage of surrounding and protecting the semiconductor element. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Ichinohe with the wall portion provided on four sizes in the shape of a rectangle, as taught by Matsuzawa, so as to protect the semiconductor element.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichinohe et al. (U.S. 2017/0125316 A1; “Ichinohe”) as modified by Matsuzawa (U.S. 2010/0149410 A1) as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Kitamura (JP 2010192627(A); 9/2/10; references to English translation).
Regarding claim 9, Ichinohe as modified by Matsuzawa discloses the fixing surface forming portion (Ichinohe: 61, Fig. 1) has a lower end surface, the lower end surface being lower in position than a supported surface of the cover member (Ichinohe: 41, Fig. 1) supported by the support surface and forming a corner portion with the fixed surface. Yet, Ichinohe as modified by Matsuzawa does not disclose the corner portion has a chamfered shape. However, Kitamura discloses a corner portion (302a, Fig. 9) has a chamfered shape ([0008]). This has the advantage of increasing adhesion. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Ichinohe and Matsuzawa with the corner portion having a chamfered shape, as taught by Kitamura, so as to increase adhesion between the fixing surface forming portion and the frame portion or wall portion.
Claim(s) 2 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugano et al. (JPH11111959(A); 4/23/99; refences to English translation; “Sugano”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Matsuzawa (U.S. 2010/0149410 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Sugano discloses the frame portion (19, Fig. 5) includes a wall portion (19, Fig. 5), the overhanging portion (20a, Fig. 5) is a portion extending along at least one side of the outline of the support surface in plan view, and the package main body portion includes a cover fixing portion (20d, Fig. 5) that is provided on an outer side of the wall portion and to which the overhanging portion is fixed. Yet, Sugano does not disclose the wall portion is provided on four sides in the shape of a rectangle. However, Matsuzawa discloses a wall portion (300, Fig. 2) of a frame portion is provided on four sizes in the shape of a rectangle (Fig. 2) ([0059]). This has the advantage of surrounding and protecting the semiconductor element. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Sugano with the wall portion provided on four sizes in the shape of a rectangle, as taught by Matsuzawa, so as to protect the semiconductor element.
Regarding claim 12, Sugano as modified by Matsuzawa discloses the cover member (10, Fig. 5) has an opposite-side overhanging portion (left side 20a, Fig. 5) provided on an opposite side from the overhanging portion (right side 20a, Fig. 5), the opposite-side overhanging portion sticking out over the outline of the support surface in plan view.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 and 10-11 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.
Conclusion
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/REEMA PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812 9/28/2026
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