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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 7-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected composition, product, and method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/3/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tamura et al (JP 2011-169980 and its machine translation).
Tamura et al disclose a photosensitive resin and pattern forming method including a photosensitizer and a resin, wherein the resin includes a preferably a polyimide precursor or a polybenzoxazole ([0014], [0019], [0035], [0081]; instant claims 3-5). The sensitizer is a coumarin especially when a polyimide precursor is the resin, including a compound preferred by the instant invention, 3-methoxycarbonyl-7-diethylaminocoumarin (commercially availability having a known melting point ~90 o C; instant claim 2), which would meet the limitations for the compound having the absorption peak at 360 to 500 nm, and a coumarin compound, 3-(Carboxyethyl)-7-diethylamino coumarin (which has an absorption ~350 to 380 nm and emits light) is included with a polyimide precursor in examples having a melting point of 86 o C ([0082], [0121]; instant claim 1, 2).
The method includes applying the resin composition onto a substrate, exposing the layer, developing to form a relief pattern, and heat-treating the pattern ([0009]). The reference teaches the heat-treating is performed in a temperature range of 200 to 400 o C ([0102]; instant claim 6).
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakata et al (JP 2009-230089 and its machine translation).
Sakata et al disclose a photosensitive resin composition comprising a polyimide precursor or a polybenzoxazole precursor (A) (instant claims 1, 3-5; abstract, [0017], [0018]), and a photosensitive agent (B), a phenolic compound (C) ([0070]), and a sensitizer (abstract; instant claims 1, 3, and 4).
The sensitizer is a coumarin especially when a polyimide precursor is the resin, including a compound preferred by the instant invention, 3-methoxycarbonyl-7-diethylaminocoumarin (commercially availability having a known melting point ~90 o C; instant claim 2), which would meet the limitations for the compound having the absorption peak at 360 to 500 nm, and a coumarin compound, 3-(Carboxyethyl)-7-diethylamino coumarin (which has an absorption ~350 to 380 nm and emits light) is included with a polyimide precursor in examples having a melting point of 86 o C ([0080], [0131]; instant claim 1, 2).
The method includes applying the resin composition onto a substrate, exposing the layer, developing to form a relief pattern, and heat-treating the pattern ([0096]). The reference teaches the heat-treating is performed in a temperature range of 200 to 400 o C ([0109]; instant claim 6).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yunokuchi (10,354,932).
Yunokuchi disclose a photosensitive resin composition comprising a polyimide resin and a sensitizer, including a compound preferred by the instant invention, 3-methoxycarbonyl-7-diethylaminocoumarin (commercially availability having a known melting point ~90 o C; instant claim 2), which would meet the limitations for the compound having the absorption peak at 360 to 500 nm (column 11, lines 10-45, column 16, line 40 to column 17, line 6).
In the examples, the resin composition was applied to ta substrate, pre-baked, exposed, developed, and heated at a temperature of preferably 190 o C or less (example at 180 o C, with the range overlapping the claimed range of 160 o C or more and the reference preferring 160 o C to 190 o C) to cure the pattern as required by the instant claims 1 and 6 (column 9, lines 28-52, column 10, lines 19-30, column 41, lines 1-44).
The composition comprises a polyimide precursor (column 11, lines 1042; instant claims 3 and 5 for the ethylenically unsaturated group-containing compound). The composition may alternatively include a phenolic resin having a phenolic hydroxyl group (column 19, line16 to column 20, line 54; instant claims 3 and 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Yunokuchi, choosing to include a coumarin sensitizer as taught as a additive by the reference.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over any of Tamura et al, Sakata et al, or Yunokuchi in view of Koike et al (2020/0131381).
Each of Tamura et al, Sakata et al, and Yunokuchi has been discussed above. The references prefer coumarin sensitizers, but are not limited thereto, Furthermore, each references teaches that additional known compounds for similar compositions may be included.
Koike et al disclose a radiation curable composition, and teaches that sensitizers known in the art include coumarins, thiophene benzoxazoyl compounds such as 2,5-thiophene diylbis(5-tert-butyl-1,3-benzoxazole (known compound as disclosed by the instant invention having a melting point falling within the scope of the instant claim 2), coumarin derivatives, pyrazolone derivatives, , and additional known classes of compounds as known sensitizers ([0046], [0047]), that can absorb in the 300 to 450 nm range and emit in the 400 to 500nm range (instant claims 1, 2, and 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of any of Tamura et al, Sakata et al, or Yunokuchi, choosing as the sensitizer, that taught to be known and interchangeable with coumarins by Koike et al.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura et al, Sakata et al, or Yunokuchi in view of Polidore et al (11,401,353).
Each of Tamura et al ([0091]), Sakata et al ([0074]), and Yunokuchi (column 17, lines 30-34) has been discussed above. The references prefer coumarin sensitizers, but are not limited thereto, Furthermore, each references teaches that additional known compounds for similar compositions may be included.
Polidore et al teach a photocurable composition wherein the composition includes a scintillating agent which absorb high-energy radiation and emit to aid in hardening/ curing. The preferred compounds include 2,5-bis(5-tert-butyl-benzoxazol-2-yl)thiophene, taught as a preferred compound by the instant specification and possess the melting point and absorption and emitting properties as claimed.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of any of Tamura et al, Sakata et al, or Yunokuchi, choosing as an additional additive the scintillating agent of Polidore et al to improve the hardening/ curing of the composition.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Suwa et al (2008/0193718) is cited by the applicant and teaches a similar composition but the coumarin compound of the reference has an absorption outside of the claimed range.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMANDA C WALKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1337. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 5:30am to 4pm.
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/AMANDA C. WALKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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