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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-13 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/05/2025.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 14-20 in the reply filed on 12/05/2025 is acknowledged.
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)(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) 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Engelhardt, US 2014/0153193.
Regarding claim 14, Engelhardt discloses; a chip package structure, comprising: a substrate (Fig. 1-2 and [0009]; PCB 12); a chip (Fig. 1-2 and [0009]; heat producing components 14, shown as microprocessors) on a side of the substrate; an energy storage material layer (Fig. 1-2 and [0015]; phase change material 36) on a side of the chip opposite the substrate; and a package layer comprising a first portion (Fig. 1-2 and [0010]; thermal planes 24 & attached Fig. 1 below) covering the chip and a second portion (Fig. 1-2 and [0010]; thermal planes 24 & attached Fig. 1 below) covering the energy storage material layer.
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Regarding claim 15, Engelhardt discloses; a material of the first portion covering the chip is the same as a material of the second portion covering the energy storage material layer (Fig. 1-2 and [0010]; thermal planes 24 are illustrated as aluminum & attached Fig. 1 above).
Regarding claim 16, Engelhardt discloses; the chip package structure further comprises a first heat conduction support frame (Fig. 1-2 and [0010]; thermal pads 22) connected between the chip and the energy storage material layer.
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.
Claim(s) 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Engelhardt, US 2014/0153193 as applied to claims 14-16 above, and further in view of Uppal, US 2020/0219790.
Regarding claim 17 and 19, Engelhardt substantially discloses the invention that material of the first portion covering the chip and the material of the second portion covering the energy storage material layer is illustrated as aluminum, alternately, may comprise any material able to efficiently conduct or dissipate heat (Fig. 1-2 and [0010]; attached Fig. 1 above) but specifically silent about a material of the first portion covering the chip is different from a material of the second portion covering the energy storage material layer in claim 17 and the material of the first portion covering the chip comprises epoxy resin in claim 19. However, Uppal teaches that a mold material 180 may be formed over the first integrated circuit device 120 as the phase change material layer 170 may be disposed on the first surface 182 of the mold material 180 (Fig. 4-6 and [0047]). It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Engelhardt by providing a material of the first portion covering the chip is different from a material of the second portion covering the energy storage material layer in claim 17 and the material of the first portion covering the chip comprises epoxy resin in claim 19, so that the phase change material layer may increase the thermal capacitance (thermal energy storage) of the integrated circuit assembly, which may allow for thermal performance regardless of high power densities and turbo boosting ([0050]).
Regarding claim 18, Engelhardt discloses; the first portion covering the chip comprises a groove (Fig. 1-2 and [0016]; attached Fig.1 above; chambers 35) that is located on a side of the first portion covering the chip opposite the substrate, and the energy storage material layer (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.1 above; phase change material 36 is filled within the groove) is filled within the groove; wherein the second portion covering the energy storage material layer comprises a second heat conduction support frame that comprises a support sub-portion (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.1 above; the frame 34 is illustrated as a grid of interconnected walls) and a cover plate sub-portion (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.1), wherein the support sub-portion extends (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.1 above; the frame 34 extends into phase change material 36) into the energy storage material layer, and the cover plate sub-portion is connected to an end of the support sub-portion opposite the chip and covers at least part of the energy storage material layer (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.1 above; the frame 34 connected to second portion, covering the phase change material 36).
Regarding claim 20, Engelhardt discloses; the chip package structure further comprises a sealant (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.1 above; the inner wall 32 is exemplified as an elastomer material for retaining the phase change material 36) filled between the cover plate sub-portion and a sidewall of the groove.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AZM PARVEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1447. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6 EST.
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/AZM PARVEZ/
Examiner
Art Unit 2892
/NORMAN D RICHARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2892
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