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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/24/2026 has been entered.
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-6 and 8-15 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 10/28/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 8-15 drawn to non-elected Group (II)-(III) having been withdrawn from consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) in the Office action mailed on 12/09/2025.
The Restriction requirement is maintained as FINAL.
Claims 1 and 6 are under examination on merits and are rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
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.
Claims 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), second paragraph, as being indefinite because the instant claim 1 comprises both a product that is “chemical formulae 1-1 to 1-3, 2-1 to 2-3” and a method step of using the claimed compound that is “chemical formulae 1-1 to 1-3, 2-1 to 2-3 is placed in a canister and injected into a deposition chamber loaded with the semiconductor substrate”..MPEP 2173.05(P)II..
Maintained 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by N.S. Choi, et al, 161(2), Journal of Power Sources,1254-1259 (2006)(“Choi”).
Choi teaches a electrolyte solution of 1.3 M lithium hexafluoro phosphate (LiPF6) in ethylene carbonate(EC) and diethyl carbonate (DEC). Choi at Abstract line 2.
Per Experimental Section, Choi teaches that the electrolyte solution is prepared by a dissolve of LiPF6 into a mixture of ethylene carbonate(EC)/diethyl carbonate (DEC) (EC/DEC 3/7,v/v). Choi at page 1255, left col. SciFinder indicates that ethylene carbonate(EC) and diethyl carbonate (DEC) has the follows chemical structure.
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The compound ethylene carbonate(EC) has the same chemical structure as that of the chemical formula 1-2; and the compound diethyl carbonate (DEC) has the same chemical structure as that of the chemical formula 2-3 in claims 1 and 6. As mentioned in the previous office action that the language of “as a compound used to pretreat the surface of a semiconductor substrate on which an oxide film is to be formed by a deposition process” is interpreted as intended use rather than claim limitation. Therefore, while Choi does not teach the limitation recited by the instant claim 6, compound claimed by claim 6 is still met by Choi because the instant claim 6 only further limits the intended use of the claimed compound but the compound itself.
With regards the limitation of “and is placed in a canister and injected into a deposition chamber loaded with the semiconductor substrate”, the claim is met by the prior art because (i). As mentioned above that the instant claims 1 and 6 have 112(b) issue; (ii). in the Response to Restriction filed on 10/28/2025, Applicant elected Group I directed to a compound (see the Response to Restriction filed on 10/28/2025), and (iii).the Chio ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate meet each and every structure limitation of the claimed compound(s), therefore, claims 1 and 6 are anticipated by Choi.
Related Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. WO 2006127335 teaches carbonate ester can be used as a coalescing agent for a waterborne coating composition. WO 2006127335A1 at Abstract.
Conclusion
No claims are allowed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANK S. HOU whose telephone number is (571)272-1802. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30 am-2:30 pm Eastern on Monday to Friday.
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/FRANK S. HOU/Examiner, Art Unit 1692
/SCARLETT Y GOON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1693
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