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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim 8 new
Claims 1-3 and 6-7 withdrawn
Claims 4-5 and 8 pending
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4-5, and 8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the matrix" in page 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 4 states “ (i) forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) including a matrix molecule represented by the following [Formula 1] on a substrate using a solution of the matrix;”. However, it is unclear of the “matrix” is the same as the “matrix molecule” or not.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of Buck (PG Pub 2007/0140901 A1) disclose the process of immersion a gold substrate in a solution having matrix molecule with substituted biphenyl group head and SH group as BP4 (4-(4′-Methyl-biphenyl-4-yl)-butane-1-thiol)[0045], and the formation of thermally treated BP4 and non-thermally treated PB4 [0047], formula 1. And the replacement of the non-thermally treated PB4 with MHA (ω-mercaptohexadecanoic acid) formula 2 by immersion [0049] with chemical formula of HS-(C15H30)COOH, with m = 15, as seen in fig. 6. Additionally, Buch disclose that the group head biphenyl is replaceable with another group head/moiety such as bipyridyl [0022], leading to having chemical formula as follow: HS-(C4H8)-methyl-bipyridyl, with n = 4.
However, Buck does not disclose the n to be greater that m. Moreover, the formula 2 have carboxylic group instead of alkyl group, and without any repetition in the immersion steps.
None of the prior art of record, suggest or disclose the claimed process of forming a mixed SAM by immersion of a solution having HS−(Cn H2n+1)−head group of formula 1 wherein the head group is a substituted or unsubstituted bipyridyl group, and then another solution having HS−(Cm H2m+1) of formula 2, and n>m, where those immersion steps are repeated k times where k>2, as claimed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 02/09/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 4-5, 8 under 103a have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made of 112b, as shown above.
The previously applied 112b claims rejection, in light of the amended claim are now withdrawn. However, in light of the currently amended claims, new 112b claim rejection are now applied.
All other applicant arguments not specifically addressed above are deemed unpersuasive as either not commensurate in scope with the broadly drafted claims or are unsupported by factual evidence and are deemed mere attorney speculation.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mohammad Mayy whose telephone number is (571)272-9983. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 11:00AM-7:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached at 571-272-5166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mohammad Mayy/
Art Unit 1718
/GORDON BALDWIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1718