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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed on October 2, 2023.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Electronic Package With Improved Heat Dissipating and Manufacturing Method Thereof.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of device embodiment 1 (Fig. 3A, claims 3 and 13) in the reply filed on December 30, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the species I and II fall under a similar field of search and would not impose undue burden due to this assertion. This is not found persuasive because as stated in the restriction requirement of November 18, 2025, as Fig. 3A and 3B/3C have mutually exclusive characteristics (i.e. a continuous annular shape vs a discontinuous annular shape) and a search for one does not account for the other.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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) 1 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Murayama (US 2011/0291258). Claim 1, Murayama discloses (Fig. 3) an electronic package, comprising: a carrier structure (20, board, Para [0025]); an electronic element (40, semiconductor device, Para [0025]) disposed on the carrier structure (40 is disposed on 20); a heat conduction layer (60, thermal interface material, Para [0028]) formed on the electronic element (60 is formed on 40); and a heat dissipation member (72 of 70, second layer of heat radiation component, Para [0031]) having a recess portion (72 has a recess portion under it, hereinafter “recess”) and disposed on the heat conduction layer (72 is on 60), and the heat dissipation member covering the electronic element (72 covers 40), wherein an opening (lateral opening of recess, hereinafter “opening”) of the recess portion faces the electronic element (opening faces 40), the heat dissipation member is bonded to the heat conduction layer via (72 is bonded to 60 via 71) a heat dissipation layer (71 of 70, first layer of heat radiation component, Para [0031]), and the heat dissipation layer extends onto a wall surface of the recess portion (71 extends onto walls of recess).
Claim 11, Murayama discloses (Fig. 3) a method of manufacturing an electronic package, comprising: disposing an electronic element (40, semiconductor device, Para [0025]) on a carrier structure (20, board, Para [0025]); forming a heat conduction layer (60, thermal interface material, Para [0028]) on the electronic element (60 is formed on 40); and disposing a heat dissipation member (72 of 70, second layer of heat radiation component, Para [0031]) having a recess portion (72 has a recess portion under it, hereinafter “recess”) on the heat conduction layer (72 is on 60) to cover the electronic element (72 covers 40), wherein an opening (lateral opening of recess, hereinafter “opening”) of the recess portion faces the electronic element (opening faces 40), the heat dissipation member (72) is bonded to the heat conduction layer (60) via a heat dissipation layer (72 is bonded to 60 via 71, first layer of heat radiation component, Para [0031]) , and the heat dissipation layer (71) extends onto a wall surface of the recess portion (71 extends onto walls of recess).
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) 9 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murayama (US 2011/0291258) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sreeram (US 2002/0175403). Claim 9, Murayama discloses the electronic package of claim 1. Murayama does not explicitly disclose wherein the heat conduction layer is made of a liquid metal. However, Sreeram discloses a thermal interface material of a package includes solder (abstract). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the solder material of Sreeram to the thermal interface of Murayama as solder can prevent damage during thermal cycling (Sreeram, abstract). Claim 19, Murayama discloses the method of claim 11. Murayama does not explicitly disclose wherein the heat conduction layer is made of a liquid metal. However, Sreeram discloses a thermal interface material of a package includes solder (abstract). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the solder material of Sreeram to the thermal interface of Murayama as solder can prevent damage during thermal cycling (Sreeram, abstract).
Claim(s) 10 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murayama (US 2011/0291258) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Cesulka (US Pat. No. 6,930,386). Claim 10, Murayama discloses the electronic package of claim 1. Murayama does not explicitly disclose wherein the heat dissipation layer is a gold layer. However, Cesulka discloses (Fig. 1) that a heat sink element 100 may be formed of gold (Col. 4, lines: 7-20). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Cesulka, including the specific material of the
heat sink to the teachings of Murayama.
The motivation to do so is that the combination yields the predictable results of allowing for the
selection of a known material based on its suitability for the intended use as a heat radiator since gold is known to have good electrical and thermal conductivity (Cesulka, Col. 4, lines: 7-20). Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945). See also MPEP 2144.07.
Claim 20, Murayama discloses the method of claim 11. Murayama does not explicitly disclose wherein the heat dissipation layer is a gold layer. However, Cesulka discloses (Fig. 1) that a heat sink element 100 may be formed of gold (Col. 4, lines: 7-20). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Cesulka, including the specific material of the
heat sink to the teachings of Murayama.
The motivation to do so is that the combination yields the predictable results of allowing for the
selection of a known material based on its suitability for the intended use as a heat radiator since gold is known to have good electrical and thermal conductivity (Cesulka, Col. 4, lines: 7-20). Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945). See also MPEP 2144.07.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3, 5-8, 12-13, and 15-18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the closest prior art of record,
Regarding Claim 2 (from which claims 3 and 5-8 depend), wherein the recess portion has an annular shape and surrounds the heat conduction layer.
Regarding Claim 12 (from which claims 13 and 15-18 depend), wherein the recess portion has an annular shape and surrounds the heat conduction layer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chen (US 2005/0056926) discloses (Figs. 1A/2A) a heat dissipating structure 14 with a recess underlying it and where the overall structure has a ring shaped in Fig. 2A. However, Chen does not disclose that the recess has this ring shaped structure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUSTAVO G RAMALLO whose telephone number is (571)272-9227. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am - 6pm.
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/G.G.R/Examiner, Art Unit 2812