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 .
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9, and 11-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Koyama et al. (US 2016/0190038 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Koyama discloses (Figure 1-4) A thermal management device (cooler 100b) comprising: a body (at jacket 21 and top plate 20) including: an internal volume configured to receive a working fluid through an inlet (inflow port 23) and exhaust the working fluid through an outlet (outflow port 24), and an inner contact surface (at top plate 20) configured to transfer heat from a heat-generating component (at one of semiconductor chips 8) to the internal volume; a first zone of the internal volume including a first thermal management feature; a second zone of the internal volume including a second thermal management feature different from the first thermal management feature (as the thermal management features are only broadly defined these can be any feature associated with thermal management such as zones around the fins 22 and pines 25 below one of the semiconductor chips 8 as seen in figure 1(a) and 1(b), or the main refrigerant path 30, or the inlet and outlet zones around the inflow and outflow port, as some examples of what can classify as a first or second thermal management feature as all are features associated with zones of the cooler 100b) ; and a proportioning valve located in the internal volume and configured to direct a portion of the working fluid flow toward or away from the first zone and/or second zone (one of bimetal valves 26 can direct fluid flow to or away from the fins 22 or the main refrigerant path 30 per paragraph 0063).
Regarding claim 2, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Koyama further discloses the first thermal management feature is a thermal transfer structure (the fins 22 provide a structure for thermal transfer per paragraph 0063).
Regarding claim 3, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Todorovic further discloses the first thermal management feature is a nozzle (a nozzle is only generally defined the inflow regions around inflow port can form an inlet nozzle).
Regarding claim 4, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Koyama further discloses the first zone and the second zone (where the first and second zones are in fins 22 on opposite sides of the central path ) are in fluid parallel to one another (per paragraph 0067 the refrigerant is directed to the fins from the central path 30 via the bimetal valves 26 and as such fluid would be directed to the fins on either side of the central path via the valves).
Regarding claim 5, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Koyama further discloses the first zone and the second zone are in fluid series to one another (from the zone around the inlet 23 to the any of the downstream zones at the fins 22 or outlet 24 would be in fluid series).
Regarding claim 6, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Koyama further discloses the inner contact surface (20) is a contact surface of a contact wall (20 contacts the semiconductor module 100a) including a continuous heat spreader (as the heat spreader is only vaguely defined the heat spreader can simply be a sheet with high heat transfer capabilities such as the metal base 1) .
Regarding claim 9, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Koyama further discloses the working fluid is a single-phase working fluid (it is desirable that the refrigerant is a liquid per paragraph 0024).
Regarding claim 11, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Koyama further discloses a valve configured to change a working fluid flow in at least the first zone (an additional one of the of bimetal valves 26 can direct fluid flow to or away from the fins 22 or the main refrigerant path 30 per paragraph 0063).
Regarding claim 12, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 11 above and Koyama further discloses the valve is a passive valve (bimetal valve 26 per paragraph 0058).
Regarding claim 13, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 12 above and Koyama further discloses the valve includes a plurality of materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion (per paragraph 0059).
Regarding claim 14, Koyama discloses (Figure 1-4) a thermal management device (cooler 100b) comprising: a body (at jacket 21 and top plate 20) including: an internal volume configured to receive a working fluid ( in the jacket 21), at least one inlet to the internal volume (at inflow port 23) at least one outlet from the internal volume (at outflow port 24), a proportioning valve located in the internal volume and configured to direct a portion of the working fluid flow toward or away from a first zone and/or a second zone (one of bimetal valves 26 can direct fluid flow to or away from the fins 22 or the main refrigerant path 30 per paragraph 0063) and an inner contact surface (at top plate 20) configured to transfer heat from a heat-generating component (at one of semiconductor chips 8) to the internal volume; the first zone of the internal volume including a first thermal management feature; the second zone of the internal volume including a second thermal management feature different from the first thermal management feature (as the thermal management features are only broadly defined these can be any feature associated with thermal management such as zones around the fins 22 and pines 25 below one of the semiconductor chips 8 as seen in figure 1(a) and 1(b), or the main refrigerant path 30, or the inlet and outlet zones around the inflow and outflow port, as some examples of what can classify as a first or second thermal management feature as all are features associated with zones of the cooler 100b) .
Regarding claim 15, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 14 above and Koyama further discloses the valve is an inlet valve configured to change a flowrate of the working fluid through the first zone (the valve 26 controls flow into or away from fins 22 to control flow rate through the fins 22 per paragraph 0067, and since the zones are vaguely defined some of the fins 22 can form the firs zone).
Regarding claim 16, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 14 above and Koyama further discloses the valve is an outlet valve configured to change a flowrate of the working fluid through the first zone (the valve 26 controls flow out of the main refrigerant path 30 to the fins 22 per paragraph 0067, and since the zones are vaguely defined the main refrigerant path can form the first zone).
Regarding claim 17, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 14 above and Koyama further discloses the first zone is in a first portion of the internal volume and the second zone is in a second portion of the internal volume, wherein the first portion and second portion are discrete fluid volumes from one another ( in the fins on the 22 on the upper side of figure 1(a) and the fins 22 on the lower side of figure 1(a)).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koyama et al. (US 2016/0190038 A1) in view of Shih et al. (US 2013/0039012 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above however Koyama does not explicitly disclose the inner contact surface is at least partially integrally formed with a die surface.
Shih teaches (figure 1-5) a thermal management device with an inner contact surface (at the inner surface of container 26 and substrate 22 in contact with cooling substance/ water 24), where the inner contact surface is at least partially integrally formed with a die surface (the cooling substance /water 24 directly contacts the semiconductor device 20 through the opening 261 per paragraph 0041-0042 and 0045).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to have modified the contact surface of Koyama to be integrally formed with a die/semiconductor surface as taught by Shih. Doing so would allow for an structure that could improve the heat dissipation efficiency as recognized by Shih (per paragraph 0008 and 0045).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koyama et al. (US 2016/0190038 A1) in view of Zaffetti et al. (US 2011/0232879 A1).
Regarding claim 8 Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above and Koyama further discloses the working fluid is a first working fluid in the first zone, and further comprising a second working fluid in the second zone.
Zaffetti teaches (figure 1-3) a thermal management device with multiple zones (in the individual cooling plates 22 and 24 per paragraph 0012) where the working fluid in the first zone and the second zone are different fluids ( per paragraph 0013).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to have modified the working fluid in different zones of Koyama to be different working fluids as taught by Zaffetti. Doing so would allow for different mediums in different zones/circuits which would allow for each of the zones/circuits to provide desired thermal control capabilities as recognized by Shih (per paragraph 0013).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koyama et al. (US 2016/0190038 A1) and Kang et al. (US 2023/0284414 A1, previously cited by the examiner).
Regarding claim 10, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 1 above however Koyama does not explicitly disclose that the working fluid is a dual-phase working fluid. Koyama does not explicitly disclose that the medium/working fluid is in a dual phase state.
Kang discloses a thermal management device ( heat exchanger 1) that uses a dual phase working fluid ( phase changing coolant per paragraphs 0030 and 0033-0034).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to have modified the working fluid of Koyama to be a two phase/ dual phase working fluid as taught by Kang. Doing so would provide an alternative coolant to a single phase coolant which can absorb large amounts of heat though the latent heat of vaporization as recognized by Kang (per paragraph 0030).
Claim(s) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koyama et al. (US 2016/0190038 A1) in view of Todorovic et al. (US 2019/0343019 A1).
Regarding claim 18 and 19, Koyama discloses the claim limitations of claim 17 above However Koyama does not explicitly disclose the at least one inlet is a first inlet and the body further includes a second inlet or the at least one outlet is a first outlet and the body further includes a second outlet as Koyama only explicitly discloses one inlet and one outlet.
Todorovic teaches (Figure 1-17) a thermal management device comprising: a body (substrate 12 or 102 in figures 1-12 and 13-17 respectively) including: an internal volume ( in the cavities 72 at wells 20), a first inlet to a first portion of the internal volume configured to receive a first working fluid (at one of the inlet orifices 128 in an first individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15), a second inlet to a second portion of the internal volume configured to receive a second working fluid (at another one of the inlet orifices 128 in an second individual well 20, different from the first individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15), a first outlet from the first portion of the internal volume (at the outlet orifice 130 in the first individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15), a second outlet from the second portion of the internal volume (at the outlet orifice 130 in the different individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to have modified the single jacket disclose in Koyama to include multiple individual cavities for cooling of additional heat generating components each with an inlet and outlet as taught by Todorovic. Doing so would allow for a multi module heat sink that would allow for cooling of any number of additional heat generating components beyond the first as recognized by Todorovic (per paragraph 0059).
Regarding claim 20, Koyama discloses (Figure 1-17) a thermal management device (cooler 100b) comprising: a body (at jacket 21 and top plate 20) including: an internal volume ( in jacket 21), a first inlet to a first portion of the internal volume configured to receive a first working fluid (inflow port 23), a second portion of the internal volume configured to receive a second working fluid, a first outlet from the first portion of the internal volume (outflow port 24), and an inner contact surface (at top plate 20) configured to transfer heat from a heat-generating component (at one of semiconductor chips 8) to the internal volume; a proportioning valve located in the internal volume and configured to proportion a flow of the firs working fluid and the second working fluid (one of bimetal valves 26 can direct fluid flow to or away from the fins 22 or the main refrigerant path 30 per paragraph 0063) a first zone in the first portion of the internal volume including a first thermal management feature; a second zone in the second portion of the of the internal volume including a second thermal management feature different from the first thermal management feature (as the thermal management features are only broadly defined these can be any feature associated with thermal management such as zones around the fins 22 and pines 25 below one of the semiconductor chips 8 as seen in figure 1(a) and 1(b), or the main refrigerant path 30, or the inlet and outlet zones around the inflow and outflow port, as some examples of what can classify as a first or second thermal management feature as all are features associated with zones of the cooler 100b) .
However Koyama does not explicitly disclose a second inlet to a second portion of the internal volume configured to receive a second working fluid a second outlet from the second portion of the internal volume as Koyama only explicitly discloses one inlet and one outlet.
Todorovic teaches discloses (Figure 1-17) a thermal management device comprising: a body (substrate 12 or 102 in figures 1-12 and 13-17 respectively) including: an internal volume ( in the cavities 72 at wells 20), a first inlet to a first portion of the internal volume configured to receive a first working fluid (at one of the inlet orifices 128 in an first individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15), a second inlet to a second portion of the internal volume configured to receive a second working fluid (at another one of the inlet orifices 128 in an second individual well 20, different from the first individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15), a first outlet from the first portion of the internal volume (at the outlet orifice 130 in the first individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15), a second outlet from the second portion of the internal volume (at the outlet orifice 130 in the different individual well 20 as seen in figure 13-15), and an inner contact surface (at the bottom surface 68 at baseplate 66) configured to transfer heat from a heat-generating component (at semiconductor die 58 or other electronic components 60 of the heat generating component 50) to the internal volume; a first zone in the first portion of the internal volume including a first thermal management feature (with thermal management features at nozzles at inlets per paragraph 0034 or at features 46 which form jets to provide cooling and each region 49, seen in figure 3, may have a different pattern per paragraph 0044); and a second zone in the second portion of the internal volume including a second thermal management feature different from the first thermal management feature (with thermal management features at nozzles at inlets per paragraph 0034 or at features 46 which form jets to provide cooling and each region 49, as seen in figure 3, may have a different pattern per paragraph 0044).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to have modified the single jacket disclose in Koyama to include multiple individual cavities for cooling of additional heat generating components each with an inlet and outlet as taught by Todorovic. Doing so would allow for a multi module heat sink that would allow for cooling of any number of additional heat generating components beyond the first as recognized by Todorovic (per paragraph 0059).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-9, filed 11/12/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-6, 11 and 14-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102 in view of the prior art of Todorovic have been fully considered and are persuasive based upon the amendments made to the claims. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Koyama et al. (US 2016/0190038 A1) alone or Koyama in view of Todorovic et al. (US 2019/0343019 A1) as noted above where Koyama disclose the newly added limitations of a proportioning valve located in the internal volume.
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 HANS R. WEILAND whose telephone number is (571)272-9847. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6-3 EST and alternating Fridays.
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/HANS R WEILAND/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763