DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Following prior arts are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20230245950 A1 (Haba50)
US 20220015262 A1 (Rider62)
Restrictions/Elections
Applicant elected Species A of Figs. 3A-B without traverse. Claim 20 does not reads on Figs 3A-B. Claim 20 is directed to Species D of Fig. 6A & B. Therefore Claim 20 is withdrawn from examination.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 9-14, 17, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Haba50.
Haba50 teaches with regarding following clams:
1. A thermal management system for electronic device [(Fig.2-3, para 23-31)] , comprising: a circuit board [(#10, para 24)] : a first die and a second die [(#12, #14)] in an integrated chip, wherein the first die and the second die are laterally adjacent to each other and connected to the circuit board: [(para 23)] and a microfluidic channel between the first die and the second die, wherein the microfluidic channel acts as an insulating layer. [(channel between 12 and 14 shown in Fig.2; the gap itself is filled with air or dielectric liquid, which has insulating property)]
2. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic channel is capped with a manifold. [(cap 16, Fig.2 cap 16 with inlet and outlet; para 40 cap includes plurality of fins)]
3. The thermal management system of claim 2, wherein the manifold includes inlet and outlet to the microfluidic channel. [(Fig.2 para 23)]
4. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic channel is configured to transport a working fluid. [(Fig.2 para 23)]
5. The thermal management system of claim 4, wherein the working fluid is liquid working fluid. . [(Fig.2 para 23)]
6. The thermal management system of claim 4, wherein the working fluid is gaseous working fluid. . [(Fig.2 para 23)]
7. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a pump that delivers a working fluid to the microfluidic channel. [(para 71)]
9. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the first die and the second die are one or more of a logical chip, a memory chip, an application-specific chip, and a system-on-a-chip. [(par 25)]
10. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic channel includes thermal elements. [(Fig.3 #32, para 31)]
11. The thermal management system of claim 10, wherein the thermal elements are on one or more of the first die and the second die. [(Fig.3, para 31 #32)]
12. The thermal management system of claim 10, wherein the thermal elements are on a surface of one or more of the first die and the second die. [(Fig.3, para 31 #32)]
13. The thermal management system of claim 10, wherein the thermal elements is one or more of a pin, a fin, and a pin-fin. [(Fig.3 #32, para 31)]
14. The thermal management system of claim 10, wherein the thermal elements are formed by removing die material from an outer surface of one or more of the first die and the second die. [(Fig.3 #32, para 31)]
17. A thermal management system for electronic device, comprising: a circuit board: a first die and a second die, wherein the first die and the second die are laterally adjacent to each other and connected to the circuit board: a side-channel between the first die and the second die, wherein the side-channel acts as an insulating layer: and one or more thermal elements on top of the first die and the second die. [(see analysis of claims 1 and Fig.3 #32)]
19. The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the one or more thermal elements is one or more of a pin, a fin, and a pin-fin. . [(see analysis of claims 1 and Fig.3 #32)]
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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 8 & 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haba50 in view of Rider62.
Regarding Claim 8. Haba50 does not explicitly show the first die is configured to operate below a first junction temperature and the second die is configured to operate under a second junction temperature, and wherein the first junction temperature and the second junction temperature are different.
However, in the same/related field of endeavor, Rider62 teaches the first die is configured to operate below a first junction temperature and the second die is configured to operate under a second junction temperature, and wherein the first junction temperature and the second junction temperature are different. [(Rider62 para 34)]
Therefore, in light of above discussion it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of the prior arts because such combine system will have enhanced capabilities of cooling of various kind of dies and help achieve optimal power dissipation [(Rider62 para 34 )].
Regarding Claim 18. The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the one or more thermal elements are placed on an additional thermal layer positioned on top of the first die, the second die, and the side-channel. [(Rider62 Fig.3, Haba50 Fig.3)]
Claims 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haba50 in view of official notice.
Regarding Claims 15, 16. Haba50 does not explicitly show the specifics of these claims i.e
15. The thermal management system of claim 14, wherein removing a die material from the outer surface of the first die or the second die is performed by one or more of laser etching and ablation.
16. The thermal management system of claim 10, wherein the thermal elements are formed by additive manufacturing process to a top surface of the first die or the second die.
Examiner takes official notice that these are well known manufacturing process in the field of endeavor and it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of the prior arts because such combination would provide predictable result with no change of their respective functionalities. In regards to claim 15 Haba50 shows micro notches are created by removing material from the die (Fig.3 #32, para 31), for such low dimension removal laser etching and ablations are suitable as they provide precise control. Similarly with respect to claim 16, Haba50 teaches teeth like micro structure (Fig.3 #32, para 31) for such low dimension growth, additive manufacturing provides precise control.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shahan Rahaman whose telephone number is (571)270-1438. The examiner can normally be reached on 7am - 3:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nasser Goodarzi can be reached at telephone number (571) 272-4195. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/SHAHAN UR RAHAMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426
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