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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/21/2026 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s Amendment to the claims filed 01/21/2026 has been considered and is entered. Claim 1, 14, and 20 have been canceled. Claim 21 is amended. Claim 22 has been added. Claims 2-13, 15, and 16 have been amended to depend from claim 21. No new matter has been added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments and arguments based thereon have placed the scope of the claims outside that of the prior art proffered to make the prior Final Rejections over 35 USC 103, and art used in combination for further rejections made over 35 USC 103. As such, all rejections over art made in the prior office action have been withdrawn.
After further search and consideration, the Examiner makes a new grounds of rejection over Ajioka et al (US 20110081616 A1) and further secondary references as set forth in the body of the rejection below.
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) 7-16, 18, and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajioka et al (US 20110081616 A1).
Regarding Claims 7-13, and 21-22 Ajioka discloses a photosensitive resin composition, a photosensitive element, resist pattern manufacturing method, and a printed circuit board and method of making such. The photosensitive resin composition comprises a binder polymer (A), a photopolymerizing compound (B) having ethylenically unsaturated bonds, a photopolymerization initiator (C), and a polymerization inhibitor (D) (Abstract).
Ajioka does not disclose a particular experimental embodiment that meets the sum of limitations of the claims. These limitations are met by the general disclosure of the reference.
The binder polymer of Ajioka is discussed from [0033]-[0042], where the binder polymer includes acrylic based resins, styrene-based resin, epoxy-based resins, amide-based resins, alkyd-based resins, and phenol based resins. Combinations of two or more resins may be used. The binder is produced by radical polymerization of appropriate monomers, such as styrene, polymerizable styrene derivatives, alkyl methacrylate esters, benzyl methacrylate ester (aryl methacrylate ester – claim 7), , and other compounds discussed from [0034]-[0037]. These monomers may be used singly or in combination as stated in [0034]. The resin, when bearing a styrene or styrene derivative unit, may have such units in 0.1 to 40wt% of the binder resin’s total polymerizable monomer content (claim 8 – the claimed range of 40% by mass or more, interpreted as 40-100 wt%, overlaps at 40% with the reference’s range).
The molecular weight of the binder polymer is preferably between 20,000 and 300,000 (claim 9), where weights lower than 20,000 will result in lower developing solution resistance and weights above 300,000 will unsatisfactorily lengthen developing time.
The component (B), the photopolymerizable compound, is described from [0043]-[0060], where the compound may be a compound conforming to formula (II), where the compound is a bisphenol A -type compound having methacrylic acid derivative ester groups at terminal ends (claim 10), where the compound comprises one or more polyoxyalkylene groups (claim 12 - the compound of formula II comprises oxyalkyl groups -O-X-, -O-Y, -Y-O-, and -X-O-, where X and Y each represent a C1-C6 alkylene group, where these groups are present between 0-20 times as delimited by subscripts m1, n1, m2, and n2 as described in [0050]) – further exemplary compounds are described in [0051]-[0055]. The component (B) is preferably present in 20-60 parts by weight of the composition as relative to 100 parts by weight of the combination of base resin (A) and polymerizable compound (B) (claims 11 and 13) – the reference recites that when this range is used, the composition’s photosensitivity is more satisfactory.
The photoinitiator (C) is described from [0061]-[0067], where the photoinitiator preferably includes an acridine compound such as the acridine of formula (I). A second photopolymerization initiator may be included, such as a pyrazoline compound as described in [0066]. The content of the photopolymerization initiator may be 0.01-20 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of base resin (A) and polymerizable compound (B) ([0071]). When the component is within this range, the photosensitivity and internal curing property of the composition is improved.
The polymerization inhibitor (D) is described in [0068], where the inhibitor may be a compound such as t-butyl catechol. The content of the inhibitor as described in [0072] is 20 to 100 ppm by weight based on the total solid content of the composition – or 0.002% to 0.01% by weight of the total solid content of the composition (which may range from 100.01 to 120 parts of combined components (A)-(C)). Converting to per 100 parts of (A) and (B) results in a weight percentage of 0.0016 to 0.0099, falling within the claimed range of claims 21 and 22 at 0.0016 to 0.0099. When the inhibitor is not used in the range taught by the reference, the stability of the composition is insufficient – use in the taught range improves the composition’s stability.
The resin composition is dissolved in a solvent as described in [0075], then coated onto a metal surface such as a copper or other metal, dried to form a film, and then covered with a protective film or else used as a photosensitive element. The thickness of the photosensitive resin composition film is generally between 1 and 200 microns, preferably between 10 and 50 microns as per [0084], overlapping the range of claim 21 where the thickness is 20 microns or less.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention from the general disclosure of the reference, which discloses components and inclusion amounts directed to a composition having improved photosensitivity, stability, and internal photocuring.
Regarding Claims 15, 16, and 18, Ajioka discloses the limitations of the claims as described above regarding claim 21, but does not disclose a particular experimental embodiment wherein an embodiment meeting the claim limitations used to make a photosensitive element comprising a support, and a photosensitive resin layer disposed thereon, or methods for making such.
This limitation is met by the general disclosure of the reference, where the resin composition is dissolved in a solvent as described in [0075] and used to form a photosensitive element, as described from [0076]-[0085]. The photosensitive element comprises a support and a photosensitive resin layer thereatop, with a protective film further provided atop the photosensitive resin layer.
The photosensitive element is also used in a method for forming a resist pattern, wherein a lamination step is performed by laminating the photosensitive resin composition layer is laminated on a board, then exposed to light in a patternwise manner so as to photo cure exposed sections, then removing the unexposed sections to form a cured pattern via development (claim 18)
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention from the general disclosure of the reference, which discloses components and inclusion amounts directed to a composition having improved photosensitivity, stability, and internal photocuring, and method for using such to arrive at a photosensitive element and patterned resist resulting from the processed composition – the improvements in the processed composition result in an improved product having improved properties.
Claim(s) 2-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajioka et al (US 20110081616 A1) as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of Miyasaka et al (US 20130298398 A1).
Regarding Claim 2-5, Ajioka does not disclose a particular embodiment of a pyrazoline, only that pyrazoline compounds may be used.
This limitation is met by Miyasaka.
Miyasaka discloses a photosensitive resin composition comprising a binder polymer having a methacrylic acid based structural unit, a photopolymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator, and a sensitizing dye.
The binder resin of Miyasaka is described from [0038]-[0052], and may be a resin comprising monomers such as styrene and benzyl methacrylate or derivatives thereof, among others as described at [0039].
The photopolymerizable compound of Miyasaka is described from [0053]-[0078], where the polymerizable unit conforms to a compound such as the genus of compounds described by formula (2) at [0059] – these compounds are bisphenol A type compounds having optional polyoxyalkyl groups and terminal methacrylate or acrylate groups.
The photoinitiator of Miyasaka is described from [0079]-[0083], and may be an aromatic ketone compound, a benzoin ether compound, or an acridine, or another compound as described in [0081]. The photoinitiator is present in 0.01 to 10 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of base resin (A) and photopolymerizable compound (B).
The photosensitizer (D) is described from [0084]-[0103], where pyrazoline compounds are specifically described from [0089]-[0095], where the pyrazolines conform to formula (6) and/or (7):
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Where R11-R13 each independent represent a C1-C12 straight/branched chain alkyl group, C1-C10 straight/branched chain alkoxy group, or a halogen atom. Subscripts a-c independently represent an integer of 0-5, where the sum of the three subscripts is 1-6. Which the sum is greater than 2, the R groups may all be the same or may each be different. Specific examples of the pyrazoline compound (6) are described in [0092].
The above formula (and derivative compounds therefrom) read upon the instantly claimed claims 2 and 3 for where:
The pyrazoline has two aryl groups bonded to the pyrazoline ring
Claimed Rd11-Rd13 each independent represent a C1-C10 alkoxy group or C1-C12 alkyl group
Claimed subscripts d11-d13 each independently represent an integer of 0-5.
The pyrazoline is present in the composition at an amount of 0.05-5 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of base resin (A) and polymerizable compound (B) (claim 4), and is ascribed to improve the sensitivity of the resist and improve resist shape from patterning.
The pyrazoline is present in 0.05-5 parts by weight in tandem with 0.01 to 10 parts by weight of photoinitiator (C). Relative to the sum of initiator and sensitizer, the pyrazoline (D) may be present in 0.5 parts by weight to 99 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of photoinitiator (C) and sensitizer (D) (claim 5).
The components of Ajioka and Miyasaka are substantially similar- both references’ compositions comprise photoinitiators that may be acridines, base resin that may comprise styrene and benzyl methacrylate, and a photopolymerizable compound that may be a methacrylate derivative of a bisphenol A compound that has polyoxyalkyl chain groups thereupon.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention by incorporating the specific pyrazoline compound(s) of Miyasaka into the composition of Ajioka as to improve the sensitivity of the resist and improve resultant pattern shape.
Claim(s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajioka et al (US 20110081616 A1) as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of Okade et al (US 20160330845 A1)
Regarding Claim 6, Ajioka discloses the limitations of the claim as discussed above regarding claim 21.
Ajioka does not disclose a particular experimental embodiment that meets the limitation of the % inclusion of a hydroxyalkyl methacrylate monomer in the base resin. Ajioka does generally describe monomer units that comprise hydroxyalkyl methacrylate monomers (see [0035], where the monomers may bear R8 groups with hydroxy-substituted alkyl groups), but does not ascribe a particular % inclusion in the binder polymer.
This limitation is met by Okade.
Okade discloses a photosensitive resin composition including a binder polymer, a photopolymerizable compound, and a photopolymerization initiator (Abstract).
The photopolymerizable compound is described from [0048]-[0076], and may be a bisphenol A derivative having methacrylate terminal groups and oxyalkyl repeating groups disposed between the bisphenol A core and the terminal methacrylate groups - See formula 4a in [0054]-[0055].
The photoinitiator C may be an acridine compound or other compound described from [0077]-[0080]. A photosensitizer (D) may also be present, such as a pyrazoline, as described at [0084]-[0085].
The binder polymer is described from [0029]-[0047], where the binder comprises a methacrylic acid (1), a styrene or alpha-methylstyrene (2), and a hydroxyalkyl methacrylate (3). Other polymerizable monomers may be included, such as benzyl methacrylate ([0037]). The molecular weight of the polymer is preferably between 10,000 and 200,000.
The content of the hydroxyalkyl methacrylate is preferably between 1 and 50% by mass – when the content is 1% or more, the release properties and adhesiveness are enhanced ([0034]).
A person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention prior to the filing date, incorporating the hydroxyalkyl methacrylate monomers into the binder resin of Ajioka in an amount ranging from 1-50% as taught by Okade would improve the release properties and adhesion and thus improve the processing and final products arising therefrom.
Claim(s) 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ajioka et al (US 20110081616 A1) as applied to claim 21, 16, and 18 above, and further in view of Kume et al (KR 20180027541 A).
Regarding Claims 17 and 19, Ajioka teaches the limitations of the claims as discussed regarding claims 16 and 18 above, teaching a photosensitive element comprising a photosensitive resin layer and a support thereupon.
Ajioka does not teach a support or base material having recesses (single or plural) thereupon.
This limitation is met by Kume.
Kume teaches a printed wiring board, photosensitive element, laminate, and method for forming a resist pattern ([0001]). The element of Kume comprises a substrate, a photosensitive layer, and an intermediate layer on a support film (base material) wherein the intermediate layer has a number of recesses having a diameter of 3 microns or greater (overlapping claim 19’s “500 microns or less at 3-500 microns – claim 19) ([0020]), ascribing a reduction in defects to patterns formed using the intermediate layer having these recesses.
The photosensitive layer of Kume is described from [0057]-[0119] and comprises a binder polymer, a photopolymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator, and an optional sensitizer and/or polymerization inhibitor. The binder polymer may comprise monomers such as styrene and methacrylic acid esters. These methacrylic acid esters may be substituted with hydroxyl or ester groups upon their ester side groups. The monomers of Kume are ethylenically unsaturated and include bisphenol A type monomers, where oxyalkyl groups may be present in the monomer. Preferred initiators include ketones such as benzophenone.
The lamination process of Kume includes a film forming step, wherein for example, a photosensitive layer is pressed into a heated substrate with an intermediate layer atop the other surface – the heat of the substrate will make the photosensitive layer malleable and fill recesses of the intermediate layer. A coating process using a liquid composition photosensitive layer would likewise fill these recesses.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention from the teachings of Ajioka and Kume, using the recessed support layer of Kume to arrive at a laminate having reduced defects during patterning.
Conclusion
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/A.P.T./Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/JONATHAN JOHNSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1734
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