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 .
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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/13/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration as file 06/13/2024 is noted by the Examiner.
Title Objection
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kikuchi et al. JP 2013137241 (Provided by Applicant; Hereinafter Kikuchi).
Regarding claim 1, Kikuchi teaches a probe card (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; probe card, 13) to which a probe (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]) for contacting an object to be inspected (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]) is attached and which is connected to a tester head (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; test head, 14) by means of vacuum adsorption (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; vacuum chamber, 31), the probe card (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; probe card, 13) comprising:
a probe guide (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; probe card holder, 20) for holding the probe (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]); and
a probe substrate (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; connection unit, 22) which is stacked on the probe guide (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; probe card holder, 20) and has a first surface (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]) facing the tester head (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; test head, 14) and a second surface (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]) facing the probe guide (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; probe card holder, 20), and in which a through hole (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; communication hole, 33) passing through from the first surface (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]) to the second surface (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]) is disposed (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]), wherein
the probe guide (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; probe card holder, 20) abuts the probe substrate (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; connection unit, 22) due to an inside of the through hole (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; communication hole, 33) being evacuated while the probe substrate (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; connection unit, 22) abuts the tester head (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; test head, 14) by means of the vacuum adsorption (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; vacuum chamber, 31).
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 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.
Claim(s) 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kikuchi in view of Ueda US 2020/0003860 (Provided by Applicant; Hereinafter Ueda).
Regarding claim 5, Kikuchi teaches the probe card according to claim 1, but not specifically further comprising: a vacuum sealing mechanism for blocking a boundary between the probe guide and the probe substrate from an outside.
However, Ueda does teach further comprising: a vacuum sealing mechanism for blocking a boundary between the probe guide and the probe substrate from an outside (Fig. 2; [0032-0040]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kikuchi by implementing the teachings of Ueda regarding further comprising: a vacuum sealing mechanism for blocking a boundary between the probe guide and the probe substrate from an outside; for the purpose of “inspecting electrical characteristics of a target object, and an inspection system.” (See Ueda; [0001]).
Regarding claim 7, Kikuchi teaches an inspection system (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]) comprising: the probe card (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; probe card, 13) according to claim 1 (See Rejection of claim 1) and the tester head (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; test head, 14) including an exhaust device (Figs. 1, 2; [0020-0033]; vacuum chamber, 31).
Kikuchi does not specifically teach wherein the exhaust device evacuates an inside of the through hole, and the probe guide and the probe substrate are integrally connected to the tester head by means of the vacuum adsorption.
However, Ueda does teach wherein the exhaust device evacuates an inside of the through hole (Fig. 2; [0032-0040]), and the probe guide and the probe substrate are integrally connected to the tester head by means of the vacuum adsorption (Fig. 2; [0032-0040]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kikuchi by implementing the teachings of Ueda regarding wherein the exhaust device evacuates an inside of the through hole, and the probe guide and the probe substrate are integrally connected to the tester head by means of the vacuum adsorption; for the purpose of “inspecting electrical characteristics of a target object, and an inspection system.” (See Ueda; [0001]).
Claim(s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kikuchi in view of Washio et al. US 2014/0118018 (Provided by Applicant; Hereinafter Washio).
Regarding claim 6, Kikuchi teaches the probe card according to claim 1, but not specifically wherein the through hole is formed at a position where the through hole communicates with a cavity formed in the tester head when the probe substrate abuts the tester head.
However, Washio does teach wherein the through hole is formed at a position where the through hole communicates with a cavity formed in the tester head when the probe substrate abuts the tester head (Figs. 1-5; [0066, 0070-0081, 0090-0095, 0101-0102]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kikuchi by implementing the teachings of Washio regarding wherein the through hole is formed at a position where the through hole communicates with a cavity formed in the tester head when the probe substrate abuts the tester head; so that “the flatness of tips of the probes provided on probe card is prevented from getting worse since degree of vacuum which does not deform the probe card is created individually in each vacuum chamber as compared to the case where first vacuum chamber is constituted as a single vacuum chamber and no extra pressure is applied to the probe card where vacuum chambers are provided so that portions in probe card where vacuum chambers are provided are prevented from being deformed” (See Washio; Abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 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.
Regarding claim 2, the prior art does not teach or suggest, in combination with the rest of the limitations of claim 1,
“…wherein the probe guide has a recess disposed in an upper surface of the probe guide facing the probe substrate, and the recess is disposed at a position continuous with an opening of the through hole formed in the second surface in a state where the probe guide and the probe substrate are stacked.”
Claims 3 and 4 are also allowed as it further limits objected claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wu et al. US 2020/0292615 - A probe card includes a circuit board having a through opening therein. A fixing member is at least partially in the through opening of the circuit board and has a through opening therein. The through opening of the fixing member is defined at least partially by opposite first and second sidewalls of the fixing member. A plurality of probes each includes an arm portion and a tip portion. One end of the arm portion is connected to the circuit board. The arm portion extends through the first sidewall of the fixing member into the through opening of the fixing member. The arm portion is angled with respect to a direction perpendicular to the first sidewall of the fixing member when viewed from above.
Amemiya US 2015/0192607 - A wafer inspection apparatus 10 includes a middle plate 22 that mounts a probe card 18 in which multiple contact probes 20 are provided; a drawer type table 21 in which the middle plate 22 is provided; a tester 15 to which the probe card 18 is mounted; and a transfer robot 17 that transfers the middle plate 22. The middle plate 22 includes a base 23 and multiple supports 24 protruding toward the probe card 18 to be mounted. A protruding height of each support 24 is equal to or higher than a protruding length of the contact probe 20 from the probe card 18.
Shia et al. US 2015/0061713 - Wire probes are described that resist rotation during assembly into a probe head of a die tester. One example includes probe wires with a protrusion at a pre-determined position along the length of the wire. A probe substrate with pads on one side each to attach to and electrically connect with a probe wire and a pads on the opposite side to connect to test equipment and a probe holder above the substrate with holes.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAUL J RIOS RUSSO whose telephone number is (571)270-3459. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm, EST.
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/RAUL J RIOS RUSSO/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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