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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “a second connection sub-portion in direct contact with the energy storage material layer” in claim 27 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 14-16, 21-23 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Engelhardt, US 2014/0153193, and further in view of Pidwerbecki, US 2014/0002998.
Regarding claim 14, Engelhardt discloses; a chip package structure, comprising: a substrate (Fig. 4 and [0028]; PLCB 212); a chip (Fig. 4 and [0009]; heat producing components 214, shown as microprocessors) on a side of the substrate; an energy storage material layer (Fig. 1-2, 4 and [0015]; phase change material 36) on a side of the chip opposite the substrate; and a package layer comprising a first portion (Fig. 4 and [0028]; thermal planes 226 & attached Fig. 4 below) covering the chip and a second portion (Fig. 4 and [00]; thermal planes 226 & attached Fig. 4 below) covering the energy storage material layer; wherein an orthographic projection of the chip on the substrate is within an orthographic projection of the energy storage material layer on the substrate (attached Fig. 4 below). Engelhardt substantially discloses the invention that orthographic projection of the chip on the substrate is within an orthographic projection of the phase change material of the heat sink on the substrate as shown in the attached Fig. 4 below but is silent about an area ratio of the orthographic projection of the energy storage material layer on the substrate to the orthographic projection of the chip on the substrate is in a range of 1:1 to 1.5:1. However, Pidwerbecki shows that projection area of the thermal coating with micro phase change material 104 on the packaging component 202 is slightly larger than the projection area of the component body 102 on the packaging component 202 (Fig. 1a-5). 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 an area ratio of the orthographic projection of the energy storage material layer on the substrate to the orthographic projection of the chip on the substrate is in a range of 1:1 to 1.5:1, so that thermal coating contacts the electrical component body to provide superior thermal capacitance, heat conduction, convection, and radiant transport from the electrical component [0020].
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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, attached Fig. 4 above and [0010]; thermal planes are illustrated as aluminum).
Regarding claim 16, Engelhardt discloses; the chip package structure further comprises a first heat conduction support frame (Fig. 1-2, attached Fig. 4 above and [0010]; thermal pads 22) connected between the chip and the energy storage material layer.
Regarding claims 21 and 23, Engelhardt substantially discloses the invention with phase change material is exemplified as paraffin wax but is silent about the energy storage material layer comprises a phase transition energy storage material selected from straight-chain alkanes with 18 to 22 carbon atoms in claim 21 and an energy storage value of the phase transition energy storage material is 230 KJ/Kg to 250 KJ/Kg in claim 23. However, Pidwerbecki teaches that for the thermal coating of the thermal component, the number of carbon atoms may exceed 18 in an alkane material to be used as an inner (melting) component of the mPCM 114 and the latent heat of fusion of the inner (melting) component of the mPCM 114 about 200 kJ/kg up to 285 kJ/kg [0046]. 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 the energy storage material layer comprises a phase transition energy storage material selected from straight-chain alkanes with 18 to 22 carbon atoms in claim 21 and an energy storage value of the phase transition energy storage material is 230 KJ/Kg to 250 KJ/Kg in claim 23, so that inner component of particles of the mPCM may be a higher order alkane material, in which the number of carbon atoms is sufficient to impart a melting temperature above room temperature (20°C) [0046].
Regarding claim 22, Engelhardt discloses; a phase transition temperature of the phase transition energy storage material is 28 degrees Celsius to 44 degrees Celsius ([0017]; melting point of paraffin wax is between 46 and 68 degrees Celsius- a prima facie case of obviousness exists where the claimed ranges or amounts do not overlap with the prior art but are merely close- MPEP 2144.05.I).
Regarding claim 27, Engelhardt discloses; the first heat conduction support frame comprises a first connection sub-portion having an end in direct contact with the chip and a second connection sub-portion in direct contact with the energy storage material layer (Fig. 1-2, attached Fig. 4 above and [0010]; bottom portion of thermal pads 22 is in direct contact with the component 14 and top portion of the thermal pads 22 is in direct contact with the phase change material 36).
Claim(s) 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Engelhardt, US 2014/0153193 in view of Pidwerbecki, US 2014/0002998 as applied to claims 14-16, 21-23 and 27 above, and further in view of Uppal, US 2020/0219790.
Regarding claims 17 and 19, Engelhardt in view of Pidwerbecki 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. 4 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 in view of Pidwerbecki 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.4 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.4 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.4 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.4), wherein the support sub-portion extends (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.4 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.4 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.4 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.
Regarding claim 28, Engelhardt discloses; an end of the support sub- portion close to the chip is in contact with a bottom of the groove (Fig. 1-2; [0015] and attached Fig.4 above; the frame 34 is illustrated as a grid of interconnected walls in contact with a bottom of the chambers 35), and a side of the cover plate sub-portion opposite the support sub-portion is coplanar with a side of the package layer outside the groove opposite the chip.
Claim(s) 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Engelhardt, US 2014/0153193 in view of Pidwerbecki, US 2014/0002998 as applied to claims 14-16, 21-23 and 27 above, and further in view of CHENG, CN 107760274.
Regarding claims 24-26, Engelhardt in view of Pidwerbecki substantially discloses the invention with phase change material is exemplified as paraffin wax and that paraffin wax may also include an additive material, such as carbon black, to increase the radiation heat transfer emissivity but specifically silent about the energy storage material layer further comprises a heat conduction material dispersed in the phase transition energy storage material in claim 24, the heat conduction material is selected from metal oxide powder or silicon dioxide powder in claim 25 and a mass fraction of the heat conduction material in the energy storage material layer is greater than or equal to 3% and less than or equal to 8% in claim 26. However, CHENG teaches that heat conducting phase change energy storage material comprises the following components according to weight percentage: phase-change energy-storage material 30~90wt%, binding material 3~20wt%, second heat-conducting powder as 5~40wt% (Page 2; Line 37- Page 3, line 1) and second heat-conducting powder is zinc oxide ( Page 5; Line 33-35). 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 in view of Pidwerbecki by providing the energy storage material layer further comprises a heat conduction material dispersed in the phase transition energy storage material in claim 24, the heat conduction material is selected from metal oxide powder or silicon dioxide powder in claim 25 and a mass fraction of the heat conduction material in the energy storage material layer is greater than or equal to 3% and less than or equal to 8% in claim 26, so that heat-conducting powder can effectively improve the coefficient of heat conductivity of the phase change energy storage material ( Page 4; Line 27-28).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 28 is 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Regarding applicant’s argument about independent claim 14 that Engelhardt does not disclose the amended chip-scale projection relationship or the 1:1 to 1.5:1 projection-area ratio, however new 103 rejection has been applied, please see the rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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
/LEX H MALSAWMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892
Prosecution Insights