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 12/02/2024 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding “Failure to particularly point out & distinctly claim [indefinite]”:
Claim 1 in lines 4-5 recites the limitation "the cover part includes a through opening configured to house the device under test" and in lines 6-7 "wherein the heating unit includes a graphene structure covering the through opening". It is unclear how the cover part can house a device under test if there is a graphene structure covering the through opening(is the graphene structure removable so that the device under test can then be received?). For the purposes of examination, (based on Fig. 2-131: “cover part” & Fig. 2-130P: “through opening” & Fig. 2-132: “graphene structure”) it is assumed that there is an opening in the cover and the graphene structure does not block the opening (i.e. does not cover the entire opening). It is recommended to amend the independent claims with a limitation directed towards the para 0011 disclosure of “a socket cover on the socket base, wherein the socket cover includes a cover part that covers the socket base and includes a through opening sized and shaped to receive the device under test (DUT); and a first graphene structure around the through opening;”
Claim 10 in lines 4-5 recites the limitation "a cover part that covers the socket base and includes a through opening sized and shaped to receive the device under test" and in lines 8-9 "wherein the heating unit includes a second graphene structure covering the through opening". It is unclear how the cover part can receive a device under test if there is a graphene structure covering the through opening (is the graphene structure removable so that the device under test can then be received?). For the purposes of examination, (based on Fig. 2-131: “cover part” & Fig. 2-130P: “through opening” & Fig. 2-132: “graphene structure”) it is assumed that there is an opening in the cover and the graphene structure does not block the opening (i.e. does not cover the entire opening). It is recommended to amend the independent claims with a limitation directed towards the para 0011 disclosure of “a socket cover on the socket base, wherein the socket cover includes a cover part that covers the socket base and includes a through opening sized and shaped to receive the device under test (DUT); and a first graphene structure around the through opening;”
Claim 18 in lines 5-6 recites the limitation "the cover part includes a through opening sized and shaped to receive the device under test" and in lines 7-8 "wherein the heating unit includes a graphene structure covering the through opening". It is unclear how the cover part can receive a device under test if there is a graphene structure covering the through opening(is the graphene structure removable so that the device under test can then be received?). For the purposes of examination, (based on Fig. 2-131: “cover part” & Fig. 2-130P: “through opening” & Fig. 2-132: “graphene structure”) it is assumed that there is an opening in the cover and the graphene structure does not block the opening (i.e. does not cover the entire opening). It is recommended to amend the independent claims with a limitation directed towards the para 0011 disclosure of “a socket cover on the socket base, wherein the socket cover includes a cover part that covers the socket base and includes a through opening sized and shaped to receive the device under test (DUT); and a first graphene structure around the through opening;”
Claims 1, 10, & 18 in lines 12-13, 11-13, & 10-12 (respectively) recites the limitation "the first region and the second region are non-overlapping portions of a major plane of the graphene structure". It is not clear what “a major plane” is. For the purposes of examination, (based on Fig. 4 R1 and R2) this limitation is interpreted as ‘first and second regions are non-overlapping portions of a plane of graphite’. It is recommended to amend the independent claims with a limitation directed towards the para 0072 disclosure of “The first region R1 and the second region R2 may correspond to non-overlapping portions of a major plane of the second graphene structure 142 (e.g., the largest plane of the second graphene structure 142)”
Claim 17 in lines 1-3 recites the limitation "wherein: the first graphene structure and the second graphene structure are each individually electrically controlled". It is not clear what is being controlled. For the purposes of examination, (based on para 0068: “an electrical circuit is formed and the first graphene structure 132 and the second graphene structure 142 generate heat which is transferred to the device under test 120. The DC voltage applied to the first graphene structure 132 and the second graphene structure 142 may each be individually controlled.”) this limitation is interpreted as ‘a voltage applied to the graphene structures is individually controlled’. It is recommended to amend the independent claims with a limitation directed towards the para 0068 disclosure of “an electrical circuit is formed and the first graphene structure 132 and the second graphene structure 142 generate heat which is transferred to the device under test 120. The DC voltage applied to the first graphene structure 132 and the second graphene structure 142 may each be individually controlled”
Regarding ‘rejected for inheriting the rejected limitation(s) of a parent claim without rectifying the issue(s) for which the parent claim was rejected’:
Claims 2-9, 11-17, & 19-20 in line 1 recites the limitation "The test socket of claim 1[3][6]", "The test socket of claim 10", & "The optical fault isolation apparatus of claim 18" (respectively).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Regarding claims 1 and 10:
The search found the closest prior art of:
US 11802910 B1 “Probe Apparatus For Testing Semiconductor Devices” (Yang) which teaches at least the limitation(s) of:
“a heating unit on the socket cover”: see Fig. 3A-110: “socket”, Fig. 3A-120: “cover”, Fig. 3A-150: “thermal adjuster”. See Fig. 3A below:
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None of the prior art either singularly nor obvious combination thereof teaches all of at least:
“and a heating unit on the socket cover, wherein the heating unit includes a graphene structure covering the through opening,”
“and a first transparent plate on the graphene structure,”
“the graphene structure has a first thickness in a vertical direction in the first region and a second thickness in the vertical direction in the second region, and the first thickness is thinner than the second thickness.”
These limitations when combined with all other limitations overcome the prior art of record.
Regarding claim 18:
The search found the closest prior art of:
US 11802910 B1 “Probe Apparatus For Testing Semiconductor Devices” (Yang) which teaches at least the limitation(s) of:
“a heating unit on the socket cover”: see Fig. 3A-110: “socket”, Fig. 3A-120: “cover”, Fig. 3A-150: “thermal adjuster”. See Fig. 3A above.
US 6407560 B1 “Thermally-induced Voltage Alteration For Analysis Of Microelectromechanical Devices” (Walraven) teaches at least the limitation(s) of:
“an optical device including a laser light source; and a housing that accommodates the optical device,”: see Fig. 1-14: “Laser”. See Fig. 1 below:
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None of the prior art either singularly nor obvious combination thereof teaches all of at least:
“and a heating unit on the socket cover, wherein the heating unit includes a graphene structure covering the through opening,”
“an optical device including a laser light source; and a housing that accommodates the optical device,”
2) “the graphene structure has a first thickness in a vertical direction in the first region and a second thickness in the vertical direction in the second region, and the first thickness is thinner than the second thickness.”
These limitations when combined with all other limitations overcome the prior art of record.
Regarding claims 2-9, 11-17, & 19-20:
These claims are allowable because they are dependent on allowable (upon amendments to overcome 112(b) issues) independent claims 1, 10, & 18 (respectively).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 10012692 B2 "Precision Probe Positioning For At-speed Integrated Circuit Testing Using Through Silicon In-circuit Logic Analysis" (Ross) is relevant to the Applicant's disclosure, see Fig. 1A & Fig. 8A.
US 8907691 B2 "Integrated Circuit Thermally Induced Noise Analysis" (Patterson) is relevant to the Applicant's disclosure, see Fig. 4-430: "heating element".
US 7884633 B2 "Wide Area Soft Defect Localization" (Potok) is relevant to the Applicant's disclosure, see Fig. 10-260: "heat exchanger".
US 8907691 B2 "Integrated Circuit Thermally Induced Noise Analysis" (Patterson) is relevant to the Applicant's disclosure, see Fig. 4-430: "heating element".
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARTIN WALTER BRAUNLICH whose telephone number is (571)272-3178. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 am-5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached at (571) 272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARTIN WALTER BRAUNLICH/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/HUY Q PHAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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