DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is sent in response to Applicant’s Communication received 21 Dec 2022 for application number 18/011,964. The Office hereby acknowledges receipt of the following and placed of record in file: Specification, Drawings, Abstract, Oath/Declaration, and Claims.
Claims 1-19 are presented for examination (elected claims 1-13 are examined below; claims 14-19 are withdrawn. See Election/Restrictions below).
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 27 Feb 2023, 24 Aug 2023, 05 Sep 2024, 01 Nov 2024, and 26 Mar 2025 were filed before the mailing of this Office Action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I. (claims 1-13 are readable thereon) in the reply filed on 13 Nov 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the subject matter of the groups are sufficiently related as to not create a search burden. This is not found persuasive because Examiner finds that the groups are different enough (i.e. Group I. directed to a method of forming, Group II. directed to a solution, and Group III. directed to a semiconductor film) that searching all the different groups would create a search burden.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 14-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected groups, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 13 Nov 2025.
As such, elected claims 1-13 are examined below; claims 14-19 are withdrawn.
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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujita et al. [hereinafter as Fujita] (US 2021/0013035 A1 – as cited in IDS filed 27 Feb 2023) in view of Uno et al. [hereinafter as Uno] (JP2018070422A).
In reference to claim 1, Fujita teaches A method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation, the method comprising
a step of firstly mixing a solute [for example, 3-cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane as a solute; para 0114] comprising a halogen-containing organic dopant compound or a halide dopant [3-cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane is partly organic and contains a halogen/is a halide, i.e. chlorine] with a first solvent [hydrochloric acid as the solvent; para 0114], but not with other solvents [only hydrochloric acid can be considered the solvent in this example], wherein
an acidic solvent is used as the first solvent [hydrochloric acid; para 0114].
However, Fujita does not explicitly teach to prepare a dopant precursor solution separately from a film-forming raw material.
Fujita and Uno teach mixing with a first solvent, but not with other solvents [hydrochloric acid as the solvent; para 0114 of Fujita; only hydrochloric acid can be considered the solvent in this example; also, Uno teaches a solution prepared by dissolving in a solvent, the solvent being a hydrohalic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, etc.; in Uno, the acid is the only solvent] to prepare a dopant precursor solution [the solution created in para 0114 of Fujita] separately from a film-forming raw material [Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art, absent unexpected results, having the teachings of Fujita and Uno before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the raw material forming as disclosed by Uno into the solution forming for film formation of Fujita in order to obtain a film forming raw material solution created separately from a doping solution.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to obtain a film forming raw material solution created separately from a doping solution to provide the predictable result of providing a known way of efficiently producing a raw material solution [Uno, para 0006].
In reference to claim 2, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 1.
Fujita teaches The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 1, wherein the first solvent to be used has a pH of 3 or less [hydrochloric acid is known to have a pH of 0 to 1, in common lab strengths].
In reference to claim 3, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 1.
Fujita and Uno teach The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 1, wherein the first solvent to be used comprises hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, or formic acid [hydrochloric acid as the solvent; para 0114 of Fujita; also, Uno teaches a solution prepared by dissolving in a solvent, the solvent being a hydrohalic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, etc.].
In reference to claim 4, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 1.
Fujita teaches The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 1, wherein the organic dopant compound to be used is a silane compound [3-cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane; para 0114].
In reference to claim 5, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 1.
Uno teaches The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 1, wherein the halide to be used contains tin [para 0014 discloses a tin chloride solution].
In reference to claim 6, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 1.
Uno teaches The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 1, further comprising a step of mixing and thereby diluting the dopant precursor solution with a second solvent [para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other (i.e. diluted) to create a raw material solution].
In reference to claim 7, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 1.
Fujita and Uno teach A method for producing a laminate, comprising steps of:
producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation by the method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 1 [as expressed in claim 1 and para 0114 of Fujita];
preparing a film-forming raw material solution containing a film precursor [Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately];
heating a substrate [substrate 20 is heated; para 0116 of Fujita];
atomizing the doping raw-material solution for film formation and the film-forming raw material solution [Fujita, paras 0115-0116 discloses atomizing the raw material solution; Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately; thus, both the doping raw-material solution and film-forming raw material solution are atomized, in line with the process disclosed in Specification, para 0114-0115]; and
forming a film by supplying the heated substrate with the atomized doping raw-material solution for film formation and the atomized film-forming raw material solution by utilizing a carrier gas [Fujita, paras 0115-0116 discloses atomizing a raw material solution on a heated substrate using a carrier gas to form a film; Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately; thus, both the doping raw-material solution and film-forming raw material solution are atomized, in line with the process disclosed in Specification, para 0114-0115].
In reference to claim 8, Fujita teaches A method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation, the method comprising
a step of firstly mixing a solute comprising a dopant compound with a first solvent [for example, 3-cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane is mixed with hydrochloric acid; para 0114], wherein
an acidic solvent is used as the first solvent [hydrochloric acid; para 0114].
However, Fujita does not explicitly teach mixing, but not with other solvents, to prepare a dopant precursor solution separately from a film-forming raw material.
Fujita and Uno teach mixing, but not with other solvents, to prepare a dopant precursor solution [the solution created in para 0114 of Fujita] separately from a film-forming raw material [Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art, absent unexpected results, having the teachings of Fujita and Uno before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the raw material forming as disclosed by Uno into the solution forming for film formation of Fujita in order to obtain a film forming raw material solution created separately from a doping solution.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to obtain a film forming raw material solution created separately from a doping solution to provide the predictable result of providing a known way of efficiently producing a raw material solution [Uno, para 0006].
In reference to claim 9, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 8.
Fujita The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 8, wherein the first solvent to be used has a pH of 1 or less [hydrochloric acid is known to have a pH of 0 to 1, in common lab strengths].
In reference to claim 10, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 8.
Fujita and Uno teach The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 8, wherein the first solvent to be used comprises hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, or formic acid [hydrochloric acid as the solvent; para 0114 of Fujita; also, Uno teaches a solution prepared by dissolving in a solvent, the solvent being a hydrohalic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, etc.].
In reference to claim 11, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 8.
Naka Uno mura teaches The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claims 8, wherein the dopant compound to be used contains any of silicon, tin, and germanium [para 0014 discloses a tin solution].
In reference to claim 12, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 8.
Uno teaches The method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation according to claim 8, further comprising a step of mixing and thereby diluting the dopant precursor solution with a second solvent [para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other (i.e. diluted) to create a raw material solution].
In reference to claim 13, Fujita and Uno teach the invention of claim 8.
Fujita and Uno teach A method for producing a laminate, comprising steps of: producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation by the method for producing a doping raw- material solution for film formation according to claim 8 [as expressed in claim 1 and para 0114 of Fujita];
preparing a film-forming raw material solution containing a film precursor [Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately];
heating a substrate [substrate 20 is heated; para 0116 of Fujita];
atomizing the doping raw-material solution for film formation and the film-forming raw material solution [Fujita, paras 0115-0116 discloses atomizing the raw material solution; Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately; thus, both the doping raw-material solution and film-forming raw material solution are atomized, in line with the process disclosed in Specification, para 0114-0115]; and
forming a film by supplying the heated substrate with the atomized doping raw-material solution for film formation and the atomized film-forming raw material solution by utilizing a carrier gas [Fujita, paras 0115-0116 discloses atomizing a raw material solution on a heated substrate using a carrier gas to form a film; Uno, para 0014 discloses that multiple solutions may be added to each other to create a raw material solution (film-forming raw material), i.e. the solutions are created separately; thus, both the doping raw-material solution and film-forming raw material solution are atomized, in line with the process disclosed in Specification, para 0114-0115].
Conclusion
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/ANDREW CHUNG/
Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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