DETAILED ACTION
This is the Office action based on the 17991044 application filed November 21, 2022, and in response to applicant’s argument/remark filed on December 15, 2025. Claims 1-2, 5-8 and 10-20 are currently pending and have been considered below. Applicant’s cancellation of claims 3-4 and 9 acknowledged.
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 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.
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.
Claim 2 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. Claim 2 recites “(t)he method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing further comprises providing a halogenated sulfur compound”, while claim 1 recites “(a) method for selectively removing silicon oxide from a surface of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor system, the substrate comprising a surface comprising silicon oxide; and providing a haloalkylamine to the reaction chamber to selectively remove the silicon oxide from the surface…” (all emphases added). One of ordinary skill in the art would not be clear which step of providing in claim 1 is the step of providing in claim 2 refers to. For the purpose of examining it will be assumed that the step of providing in claim 2 refers to the step of providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor system.
Claims 10-15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) because they are directly or indirectly dependent on claim 2.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 5-8 and 16-20 are allowable. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: With respect to claim 1, none of the cited prior arts teaches the compound R2NCF2R’ in the context of claim 1;
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submission should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS PHAM whose telephone number is (571) 270-7670 and fax number is (571) 270-8670. The examiner can normally be reached on MTWThF9to6 PST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Allen can be reached on (571) 270-3176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOMAS T PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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