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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/22/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-3,6,8-14,19, 21 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP-582 in view of Tada (US 2019/0071588) and further in view of Kadohashi et al (US 2020/0303198; provided with the IDS of dated 12/11/2024).
With regards to claims 1 and 19, JP-582 discloses a polishing composition comprises polishing liquid containing colloidal silica particles having a positive zeta potential and an anionic surfactant and having a pH in a range of 1.5 to 7.0 [0009],[0029]; wherein, colloidal silica synthesized by chemically treating silanol groups on the surface of the colloidal silica with an amino group-containing silane coupling agent [0016],[0047]; and zeta potential of the cationized colloidal silica is 5 to 50 mV (see, claim 9, [0016]); and aforesaid pH range and the zeta potential range overlaps the claimed ranges of “pH value 3.5 or more and 5 or less” and the claimed “zeta potential of 30 mV or more” and overlapping ranges are prima facie obvious, MPEP 2144.05.
JP-582 discloses above but fails to teach the polishing composition comprises the anionic surfactant comprises a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Tada discloses a polishing composition for polishing a layer containing a silicon material portion. Examples of the silicon material include single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) [0015], wherein the composition comprises anionic surfactant comprises polyoxyethylene dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, etc. [0027] and aforesaid anionic surfactant reads on the claimed linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (chemical formula: C18H30NaO3S) (source: Google); and aforesaid surfactant obviously reads on the claimed specific anionic surfactant as required in the instant claim 19.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ Tada's teaching of introducing the anionic surfactant into the teaching of JP-582 for improvement in the polishing speed as suggested by Tada [0029].
Tada also disclose that the polishing composition further comprises other components such as a water-soluble polymer [0046] but fails to disclose the specific water-soluble polymer listed in the claim 1.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kadohashi et al disclose a polishing composition comprises polishing speed adjusting agents, at least one selected from the group consisting of water-soluble polymers having a polyalkylene chain and surfactants having a polyoxyalkylene chain is preferred, and a polyalkylene glycol and a polyalkylene copolymer are more preferred. In addition, the polyalkylene glycol is more preferably at least one of polypropylene glycol and polybutylene glycol [0048].
Kadohashi et al disclose that the object to be polished (workpiece) is, for example, silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide film (silicon oxide), silicon nitride, or a wiring, plug, or the like made of metal or the like [0011]-[0012].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ Kadohashi et al's teaching of introducing specified water-soluble polymer into the modified teaching of JP-582 for properly adjusting the polishing speed as suggested by Kadohashi et al.
With regards to clams 2-3 and 12, JP-582 discloses that the silane coupling agent comprises aminotrialkoxysilane, such as the amino group-containing silane coupling agent, a commercially available amino group-containing silane coupling agent (e.g., 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane [0047].
With regards to claims 13 and 14, JP-582 discloses above that zeta potential of the cationized colloidal silica is 5 to 50 mV [0016], which overlaps the claimed range of “30mV or more”. See, MPEP 2144.05.
With regards to claims 6 and 19, Tada discloses a polishing composition comprises anionic surfactant, which includes sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate [0027]; and aforesaid anionic surfactant of “sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate” reads on the claimed linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (chemical formula: C18H30NaO3S) (source: Google);
With regards to claims 8-9, Kadohashi et al teach the water-soluble polymer comprises polybutylene glycol [0048]; the polishing speed enhancer is a water-soluble polymer, the lower limit of the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the polishing speed enhancer is not limited, but preferably 500 or more, more preferably 2000 or more, still more preferably 4000 or more, and yet still more preferably 6000 or more [0049]; and aforesaid overlaps the claimed range and overlapping ranges are prima facie obvious, see MPEP 2144.05.
With regards to claim 10, modified JP-582 discloses above for the composition as the context of claim 1 and JP-582 also discloses that each component of the composition mixes together to form the polishing composition [0132] along with pH adjusting agent [0122].
With regards to claims 11 and 23, modified JP-582 discloses above for the composition as the context of claim 1 and JP-582 discloses that the polishing composition is used to polish an object comprises silicon oxide [0009]; and modified JP-582 disclose above that polishing composition comprises all the claimed components along with the composition pH (see, the rejection for claim 1 above); and Kadohashi et al disclose that the object to be polished (workpiece) is, for example, silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide film (silicon oxide), silicon nitride, or a wiring, plug, or the like made of metal or the like [0011]-[0012]; and Tada et al also disclose the object to be polished (workpiece) is, for example, silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide film (silicon oxide), silicon nitride, etc. [0015].
With regards to claim 21, Kadohashi et al disclose that the composition further comprises water- soluble polymer, such as non-ionic polymer [0046].
Conclusion
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SHAMIM AHMED
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1713
/SHAMIM AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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