Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/029,388

POLYSILAZANE, SILICEOUS FILM-FORMING COMPOSITION COMPRISING THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SILICEOUS FILM USING THE SAME

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Mar 30, 2023
Examiner
MOORE, MARGARET G
Art Unit
1765
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Merck Patent GmbH
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
68%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 0m
To Grant
83%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 68% — above average
68%
Career Allow Rate
885 granted / 1302 resolved
+3.0% vs TC avg
Strong +15% interview lift
Without
With
+15.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 0m
Avg Prosecution
44 currently pending
Career history
1346
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
57.4%
+17.4% vs TC avg
§102
15.9%
-24.1% vs TC avg
§112
9.0%
-31.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1302 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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. Claims 12 to 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okamura et al. 2016/0379817. Okamura et al. teach polysilazanes. Paragraph 19 and on exemplify the repeat- ing units that are the same as those found in claim 14. Of particular importance see Table 1, paragraph 28 and 29, which show a polysilazane having an SiH3 ratio of .051 and an NH ratio of .042 in a 17% by mass solution in xylol (xylene). This anticipates claims 12 and 17. For claims 13 and 14, note from the units shown in Table 1, as well as the units shown in paragraph 20, that this is a perhydropolysilazane. For claim 15, see the molecular weights in paragraph 24 which fall within this range. For claim 16, on one hand, note that this is a product by process claim such that this process need not be specifically taught for the product to be met. On the other hand, see the method by which the polysilazane of Okamura et al. are prepared. For instance paragraph 39 teaches reacting dichlorosilane, meeting formula (1), with ammonia in the presence of a solvent. While this does not specifically state that the solvent meets the claimed relative dielectric constant, the two solvents specifically taught in paragraph 39 meet this requirement (dichloromethane 8.9 at 25oC; benzene 2.28 at 20oC). For claim 18, note that above regarding the process and paragraph 39, as it currently applies. For claims 19 to 22, see paragraphs 49 and on which teach a method for forming a siliceous film. Note that paragraph 51 teaches electronic devices. Also note that para-graphs 55 to 57, among others, teach preparing the film in the presence of water vapor, i.e. steam. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARGARET MOORE whose telephone number is (571)272-1090. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Heidi Kelly, can be reached at 571-270-1831. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. Mgm 12/18/25 /MARGARET G MOORE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 30, 2023
Application Filed
Dec 18, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12601178
BONDING ADHESIVE AND ADHERED ROOFING SYSTEMS PREPARED USING THE SAME
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12595339
PREPARATION OF ORGANOSILICON COMPOUNDS WITH ALDEHYDE FUNCTIONALITY
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12590185
RAPID-CURING TWO-COMPONENT SILICONE COMPOSITION HAVING A LONGER MIXER OPEN TIME
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026
Patent 12583975
UV-CURABLE ORGANOPOLYSILOXANE COMPOSITION AND USE THEREOF
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12577351
Increasing the molecular weight of low molecular weight alpha,omega-polysiloxanediols
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
68%
Grant Probability
83%
With Interview (+15.1%)
3y 0m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1302 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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