RESPONSE TO AMENDMENT
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 .
Application Status
Amendments to claim 1, filed on 04 September 2026, have been entered in the above-identified application. Claim 8 has been previously cancelled by applicant. Claims 1-7 are pending, of which claims 6-7 remain withdrawn from consideration as described on page 3 of the Office Action mailed on 12 June 2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01 July 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
REPEATED REJECTIONS
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1 and 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koma (U.S. Pub. 2016/0372358) in view of Fukagawa (U.S. Pub. 2020/0115480).
Regarding claim 1, Koma discloses a semiconductor member processing sheet which includes a base layer and an adjacent adhesive layer, see FIG. 1 and p. 1-2, [0010]. The base layer is a resin film as described at p. 2, [0016] and is taught to be flexible, see p. 3, [0021]. This reads on a flexible film as claimed. As the sheet is flexible, it is suitable for use in a flexible device. Koma teaches that the adhesive layer is joined to the base film, see p. 3, [0019]. The adhesive layer has a storage elastic modulus G’ at 23 °C of preferably 3.5 x 105 Pa or more and 1 x 107 Pa or less (0.35 GPa to 10 GPa) before curing, see p. 11, [0095]. After partial curing of the adhesive, the storage elastic modulus is expected to be substantially similar to that prior to curing of the adhesive. Thus, the adhesive overlaps the claimed storage modulus limitation.
Koma further teaches that upon being irradiated with an energy ray (which cures the adhesive), the pressure-sensitive adhesive property of the adhesive layer is reduced, see p. 2, [0011] part (1). Although reduced, the adhesive strength is not zero. Table 1 on p. 15 shows the adhesive strength after irradiation is in the range of 20-125 mN/25 mm for Examples 1-10. Thus the adhesive layer has adhesive strength to an adherend after curing through a curing reaction as claimed.
Koma does not specify the surface free energy difference between the flexible base film and the adhesive layer to be 30 dynes/cm or less.
Fukagawa teaches an optical film, adhesive layer, and display device, see title and abstract and p. 2, [0024]. The laminate includes a substrate film and polarizer bonded through an adhesive layer, see p. 15, [0233]. Fukagawa notes when the surface energy difference between layers is reduced, the adhesive force tends to increase, and that the surface energy of the layers can be set appropriately to adjust this adhesive force, see p. 14-15, [0223]. The surface energy of the substrate film is preferably from 41.0 to 48.0 mN/m (41.0 to 48.0 dynes/cm), see p. 15, [0225]. Reducing the surface energy difference between the substrate film and an adjacent layer will thus increase the adhesive force. While Fukagawa does not specify a particular surface free energy difference, it is noted that the claimed surface free energy difference of 30 dynes/cm or less is greater than half of the total value of the surface free energy of the substrate film which is 41.0 to 48.0 dynes/cm as described at p. 15, [0225]. Thus, when adjusting the surface free energy difference to an amount which arrives at a suitable adhesive force, the resulting difference is expected to be much smaller than 41-48 dynes/cm and thus is expected to be less than 30 dynes/cm as claimed.
Koma and Fukagawa are analogous because they are similar in structure as each describes adhesive sheets.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to adjust the surface free energy of the adjacent layers to a small difference as described in Fukagawa in order to enhance the adhesion force between the layers.
Regarding claim 3, Koma further teaches that the adhesive includes an acrylic-based polymer main component reading on the claimed polymer component, an energy ray polymerizable compound, and a crosslinker, see p. 3, [0026]. The polymerizable compound may include an epoxy group, reading on a cyclic ether group as claimed, see p. 5, [0040]. The crosslinker described at p. 6, [0056] reads on a curing agent of the compound.
Regarding claim 4, Koma teaches that the adhesive has a thickness of from 5-80 microns, see p. 9, [0078].
Regarding claim 5, Koma discloses that the base layer is a resin film as described at p. 2, [0016] and is taught to be flexible, see p. 3, [0021]. This reads on a flexible film as claimed. As the sheet is flexible, it is suitable for use in a flexible device such as a flexible display.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koma (U.S. Pub. 2016/0372358) and Fukagawa (U.S. Pub. 2020/0115480) as applied above, and further in view of Xie (U.S. Pub. 2021/0223832).
Regarding claim 2, Koma and Fukagawa are relied upon as described above. However, they do not specify the absolute value difference of a coefficient of linear expansion of a flexible film and the adhesive layer to be 25 ppm/K or less as claimed.
Xie similarly describes a flexible circuit board used in a display panel, see abstract and p. 1, [0007-0012]. The flexible circuit board is adjacent to a non-flexible component. Xie teaches that the difference of thermal expansion coefficients between the flexible component and non-flexible component should be small, particularly less than 40% of the value of the thermal expansion coefficient of the flexible circuit board, so that instability and low manufacturing yield caused by a large difference in thermal expansion coefficients can be avoided. Example values of these coefficients are 2.49 ppm/°C for the flexible control circuit board and 3 to 3.5 ppm/°C for the non-flexible circuit board, see p. 3, [0055]. The difference in absolute value is less than 25 ppm/K as claimed.
Koma, Fukagawa, and Xie are analogous because they are similar in structure and function as they describe laminate components.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to use adjacent materials with a low difference in thermal expansion coefficient as taught in Xie in order to arrive at the claimed invention, as Xie teaches that low differences in thermal expansion coefficients can reduce instability and low manufacturing yield, see p. 3, [0055].
Claims 1 and 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Machida (U.S. Pub. 2019/0070833) in view of Fukagawa (U.S. Pub. 2020/0115480).
Regarding claim 1, Machida discloses a protective film used for an optical surface such as a display, see abstract and p.1, [0001-0003]. The film includes a base layer and an adhesive layer on at least on surface thereof, see p. 2, [0013]. The adhesive includes a styrene based elastomer having a shear storage modulus G’ measured at 30 °C and 60 °C within the range of 0.8 x 106 and 1.8 x 106 Pa (0.8 to 1.8 GPa), see p. 2, [0016]. Machida states that the base layer has a thickness of from 20 to 100 microns, preferably 25 to 80 microns, see p. 4, [0035], and is able to conform to an adherend, see p. 3, [0030]. This reads on a flexible film as claimed.
Machida also teaches that the laminated film can is used as a protective film, particularly for the back face of the prism sheets, see p. 4, [0042]. The back face of the prism sheet preferably has an adherend surface wet tension (surface free energy) of 25 mN/m or more and no more than 60 mN/m, see p. 4, [0045]. The adherend surface free energies in Examples 1-4 are 50, 42, 36, and 48 mN/m, respectively, see Table 1 on p. 6.
Machida teaches curing the adhesive using UV light, see p. 4, [0041] and [0044]. The adhesive strength to an adherend at an initial time and after aging at 60 °C for 72 hours is shown in Tables 3 and 5 on p. 7. The adhesive strength is shown to increase over time, such as Example 1 has an initial adhesive strength to adherend B of 35 mN/25 mm and an adhesive strength over time of 450 mN/25 mm. Thus the cured adhesive layer exhibits adhesive strength to an adherend as claimed.
Machida does not specify the absolute value of a difference of surface free energy of a flexible film and of a cured layer obtained by curing the adhesive layer as claimed.
Fukagawa teaches an optical film, adhesive layer, and display device, see title and abstract and p. 2, [0024]. The laminate includes a substrate film and polarizer bonded through an adhesive layer, see p. 15, [0233]. Fukagawa notes when the surface energy difference between layers is reduced, the adhesive force tends to increase, and that the surface energy of the layers can be set appropriately to adjust this adhesive force, see p. 14-15, [0223]. The surface energy of the substrate film is preferably from 41.0 to 48.0 mN/m (41.0 to 48.0 dynes/cm), see p. 15, [0225]. Reducing the surface energy difference between the substrate film and an adjacent layer will thus increase the adhesive force.
Thus, when comparing the surface free energy of the substrate in Fukagawa and the back face of the prism sheet of Machida, the difference in surface energies is less than 30 dyn/cm (30 mN/m). A small difference between the surface free energy of the adhesive layer and that of the flexible film is desired as this increases the adhesive force between the layers as taught in Fukagawa.
Machida and Fukagawa are analogous because they are similar in structure and function as each describes adhesive sheets used with display devices
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to adjust the surface free energy of the adjacent layers to a small difference as described in Fukagawa in order to enhance the adhesion force between the layers.
Regarding claim 4, Machida teaches that the adhesive layer has a thickness of from 1-10 microns, see p. 4, [0034].
Regarding claim 5, Machida discloses a protective film used for an optical surface such as a display, see abstract and p.1, [0001-0003]. The film is flexible as Machida states that the base layer has a thickness of from 20 to 100 microns, preferably 25 to 80 microns, see p. 4, [0035], and is able to conform to an adherend, see p. 3, [0030]. Thus the film is considered suitable for use in a flexible display as claimed.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Machida (U.S. Pub. 2019/0070833) and Fukagawa (U.S. Pub. 2020/0115480) as applied above, and further in view of Xie (U.S. Pub. 2021/0223832).
Regarding claim 2, Machida and Fukagawa are relied upon as described above. However, they do not specify the absolute value difference of a coefficient of linear expansion of a flexible film and the adhesive layer to be 25 ppm/K or less as claimed.
Xie similarly describes a flexible circuit board used in a display panel, see abstract and p. 1, [0007-0012]. The flexible circuit board is adjacent to a non-flexible component. Xie teaches that the difference of thermal expansion coefficients between the flexible component and non-flexible component should be small, particularly less than 40% of the value of the thermal expansion coefficient of the flexible circuit board, so that instability and low manufacturing yield caused by a large difference in thermal expansion coefficients can be avoided. Example values of these coefficients are 2.49 ppm/°C for the flexible control circuit board and 3 to 3.5 ppm/°C for the non-flexible circuit board, see p. 3, [0055]. The difference in absolute value is less than 25 ppm/K as claimed.
Machida, Fukagawa, and Xie are analogous because they are similar in structure and function as they describe laminate components used in display panels.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to use adjacent materials with a low difference in thermal expansion coefficient as taught in Xie in order to arrive at the claimed invention, as Xie teaches that low differences in thermal expansion coefficients can reduce instability and low manufacturing yield, see p. 3, [0055].
RESPONSE TO APPLICANT’S ARGUMENTS
Applicant’s arguments in the response filed 04 September 2026 regarding the 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection of claims 1 and 3-5 of record over Koma in view of Fukagawa and of claim 2 in further view of Xie have been carefully considered but are deemed unpersuasive.
Applicant argues on p. 6-7 of the remarks that Koma expressly teaches that the adhesive sheet is temporarily attached to an adherend during processing and is subsequently removed therefrom, and that the adhesiveness is reduced by irradiation with energy rays. Curing thus facilitates removal. Accordingly, a skilled artisan would have no reason or motivation to reply on the adhesive layer of Koma when seeking to provide an adhesive layer that exhibits adhesive strength through curing.
The Examiner is not persuaded. While applicant correctly notes that Koma reduced the adhesiveness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer by curing with energy rays, this does not eliminate the adhesive strength of the layer. Table 1 on p. 15 shows the adhesive strength after irradiation is in the range of 20-125 mN/25 mm for Examples 1-10. Thus the adhesive layer has adhesive strength to an adherend after curing through a curing reaction as claimed.
Accordingly, this 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection is maintained.
Applicant’s arguments in the response filed 04 September 2026 regarding the 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection of claims 1 and 3-5 of record over Machida in view of Fukagawa and of claim 2 in further view of Xie have been carefully considered but are deemed unpersuasive.
Applicant argues on p. 7-9 that Machida describes moving the laminated film from the adherend after the protection and storage functions have been performed. Applicant argues that this is distinct from the adhesive layer of the present application.
The Examiner is not persuaded. Machida clearly teaches that the cured adhesive layer exhibits adhesive strength to an adherend, meeting the claimed limitation in claim 1. The claims require that the adhesive layer has adhesive strength to “an adherend” which is not limited to be a particular material layer or device. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Accordingly, this 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
All claims are rejected.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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.
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/Scott R. Walshon/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759
