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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/22/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tseng et al., US 2023/0400478 in view of Eisenmann et al., US 5373893
Regarding claim 1,Tseng discloses a chip cooling module, comprising: a socket (Fig. 4a; test socket 2), comprising a chip slot and at least one fluid channel (Fig. 1-4b; chip slot 21, fluid inlet 3 ), wherein the chip slot is configured to accommodate a chip (Fig. 1-4b; bottom of socket 2 accommodates a chip/dut C); and a fluid supply device, in communication with the at least one fluid channel of the socket (Fig. 1-3; cooling liquid supply device 5), wherein the at least one fluid channel comprises an opening, and the opening is provided on a sidewall of the socket and faces the chip slot (Fig. 1-4a; inlet 3 comprises opening on side of slot 21).
Tseng is silent in wherein the opening is a divergent opening and in response to the fluid supply device supplying a cooling fluid to the at least one fluid channel, the cooling fluid forms a jet stream toward the chip slot through the divergent opening; and the cooling fluid is a gas. Eisenmann teaches a coolant opening comprising a divergent opening and in response to the fluid supply device supplying a cooling fluid to the at least one fluid channel, the cooling fluid forms a jet stream toward the chip slot through the divergent opening (Fig. 1; nozzle 29 in divergent shape); and the cooling fluid is a gas (Abstract; “chilled gas”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Eisenmann into Tseng for the benefit of supplying the cooling fluid in a more efficient manner.
Regarding claim 2, Tseng teaches wherein in response to the chip being accommodated in the chip slot, a fluid accommodating space is formed by a lower surface of the chip and the chip slot (Fig. 4b; upper and lower space SL1, SL2). Tseng is silent in response to the fluid supply device supplying the cooling fluid to the at least one fluid channel the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward the fluid accommodating space through the divergent opening. Eisenmann teaches in response to the fluid supply device supplying the cooling fluid to the at least one fluid channel the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward the fluid accommodating space through the divergent opening (Fig. 1; nozzle 29 in divergent shape). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Eisenmann into Tseng for the benefit of supplying the cooling fluid in a more efficient manner.
Regarding claim 3, Tseng teaches wherein the socket further comprises at least one fluid discharge channel, wherein the at least one fluid discharge channel is arranged on another sidewall of the chip slot, one end of the at least one fluid discharge channel is connected to the chip slot, and another end of the at least one fluid discharge channel is connected to an external atmosphere; and the sidewall and the another sidewall are respectively located on two opposite sides of the chip slot (Fig. 4a-4b; outlet 4 is on sidewall).
Regarding claim 4, Tseng teaches further comprising a socket plate, wherein the socket plate is arranged on the socket; the socket plate comprises at least one jet stream channel, one end of the at least one jet stream channel is connected to the fluid supply device, and another end of the at least one channel is connected to the chip slot of the socket; the at least one channel comprises an opening, and the opening is provided on the sidewall of the socket and faces the chip slot (Fig. 4a-4b; socket 2 has a plate with inlet and outlet 3, 4).
Tseng is silent in the opening being a divergent opening, a jet stream channel, and the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward the chip slot through the divergent jet opening. Eisenmann teaches channel is a jet stream channel, wherein the at least one channel comprises a divergent jet opening; and the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward a dut through the divergent jet opening (Fig. 1; nozzle 29 in divergent shape). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Eisenmann into Tseng for the benefit of supplying the cooling fluid in a more efficient manner.
Regarding claim 5, Tseng discloses a chip testing apparatus, comprising: a socket (Fig. 1-4a; socket 2), comprising a chip slot and at least one fluid channel, wherein the chip slot is configured to accommodate a chip (Fig. 1-4; bottom of socket 2 accommodates a chip/dut C; see also inlet 3), the at least one fluid channel comprises an opening, and the opening is provided on a sidewall of the socket and faces the chip slot (Fig.1- 4b; fluid inlet 3 on sidewall); a fluid supply device, in communication with the at least one fluid channel of the socket (Fig. 1-3; inherent); and a controller, electrically connected to the socket and the fluid supply device (Fig. 3; controller 7), wherein the controller is configured to control the fluid supply device to supply a cooling fluid to the at least one fluid channel (claim 4), and the controller is configured to control the socket to test the chip (¶[0032]; controller 7 controls valve 9 to test chip).
Tseng is silent in wherein the opening is a divergent opening a such that the cooling fluid forms a jet stream toward the chip slot when flowing through the divergent opening, and the cooling fluid is a gas. Eisenmann teaches a coolant opening comprising a divergent opening, such that the cooling fluid forms a jet stream toward the chip slot when flowing through the divergent opening (Fig. 1; nozzle 29 in divergent shape); and the cooling fluid is a gas (Abstract; “chilled gas”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Eisenmann into Tseng for the benefit of supplying the cooling fluid in a more efficient manner.
Regarding claim 6, Tseng teaches wherein in response to the chip being accommodated in the chip slot, a lower surface of the chip and the chip slot (Fig. 4a-4b). Tseng is silent in response to the fluid supply device supplying the cooling fluid to the at least one fluid channel, the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward the fluid accommodating space through the divergent opening. Eisenmann teaches in response to the fluid supply device supplying the cooling fluid to the at least one fluid channel, the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward the fluid accommodating space through the divergent opening (Fig. 1; nozzle 29 in divergent shape). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Eisenmann into Tseng for the benefit of supplying the cooling fluid in a more efficient manner.
Regarding claim 7, Tseng teachers wherein the socket further comprises at least one fluid discharge channel, wherein the at least one fluid discharge channel is arranged on another sidewall of the chip slot, one end of the at least one fluid discharge channel is connected to the chip slot, and another end of the at least one fluid discharge channel is connected to an external atmosphere; and the sidewall and the another sidewall are respectively located on two opposite sides of the chip slot (Fig. 4a-4b; fluid outlet holes 41, 42).
Regarding claim 8, Tseng teaches further comprising a socket plate, wherein the socket plate is arranged on the socket; the socket plate comprises at least one channel, one end of the at least one channel is connected to the fluid supply device, and another end of the at least one channel is connected to the chip slot of the socket, and the controller is further configured to control the fluid supply device to supply the cooling fluid to the at least one channel (Fig. 4a-4b; socket 2 has a plate with inlet and outlet 3, 4). Tseng is silent in wherein the channel is a jet stream channel, wherein the at least one channel comprises a divergent jet opening; and the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward the chip slot through the divergent jet opening. Eisenmann teaches channel is a jet stream channel, wherein the at least one channel comprises a divergent jet opening; and the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward a dut through the divergent jet opening (Fig. 1; nozzle 29 in divergent shape). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Eisenmann into Tseng for the benefit of supplying the cooling fluid in a more efficient manner.
Regarding claim 9, Tseng teaches further comprising a workpress, wherein the workpress corresponds to the chip slot of the socket and is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is further configured to control the workpress to approach the chip slot to press against the chip or control the workpress to move away from the chip slot (Fig. 4b; pressing head PH), wherein the workpress comprises an outlet channel and a pressing surface, the pressing surface comprises a flow-guiding groove, and the flow-guiding groove is in communication with the opening of the socket, wherein one end of the outlet channel is in communication with the flow-guiding groove, and another end of the outlet channel is in communication with an external atmosphere (Fig. 4b; pressing head PH with upper space SL1 and lower space SL2). Eisenmann teaches a divergent jet opening (Fig. 1; nozzle 29 in divergent shape). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Eisenmann into Tseng for the benefit of supplying the cooling fluid in a more efficient manner.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 10, prior art does not disclose or suggest: “wherein the workpress comprises at least one top flow channel, the at least one top flow channel is in communication with the fluid supply device, the at least one top flow channel comprises a divergent outlet, and the divergent outlet faces the chip slot; and the controller is further configured to control the fluid supply device to supply the cooling fluid to the at least one top flow channel, such that the cooling fluid forms the jet stream toward the chip slot through the divergent outlet” in combination with all the limitations of claim 10.
Conclusion
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/FEBA POTHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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