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 .
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 1-8 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Uno et al (WO 2019188265, cited in IDS, cited herein with identical US 20210024699, cited in IDS).
Uno teaches a polyimide film formed from such dianhydrides as 50 mol % BPDA (3,3,4,4 ' - biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride), 49 mol % PMDA (Pyromellitic anhydride), 1% mol BPAF (9,9 ' - ( 3,4 ' - dicarboxyphenyl) fluorenic dianhydride and such diamine as 100% TFMB (2,2 ' – bistrifluoromethylbenzidine). The film above has a Transmission at 450 nm of 78%, CTE of 18 ppm/K and Tg equal to 410C (see Table 2, Example 6 at 0095).
Regarding claims 2-8, Uno and Applicant teach the same components (i. e., PMDA, BPDA, BPAF and TFMB ( see Uno, Table 2 and instant printed publication at Table 1 , see 0150).
In reference to claims 15 and 16, Uno teaches the film can be suitably used as an electronic device transparent substrate such as a TFT substrate or an electrode substrate (see 0044).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uno as applied to claims 1-8, 10-11 and 15-16 above, and further in view of Auman et al (US 20200140615).
Uno teaches PMDA content between 10 and 50 mol % (see 0019) .
However, the reference fails to teach PMDA within the range of 51-90 mol%.
Auman discloses a polyimide film for flexible displays (see 0636) formed from the following combination of tetracarboxylic acid component:
pyromellitic dianhydride ( PMDA ) , 3,3,4,4'- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) , and 4,4 ' - (hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), wherein the mole percent of PMDA is 60 % , the mole ratio of BPDA is 20 % , and the mole ratio of 6FDA is 20 % (see 0136) and where monomeric diamine component is 2,2 ' - bis ( trifluoromethyl ) benzidine ( TFMB ) (see 0155).
Auman teaches that coefficient of thermal expansion ( CTE ) is less than 20 ppm / ° C, the glass transition temperature ( Tg ) is greater than 350 ° C and the transmittance at 550 nm is greater than or equal to 88% (see 0016).
It is clear that raising PDMA amount at expense of more flexible BPDA and 6FDA increases film rigidity and consequently, its dimensional stability and Tg value.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use increasing amount of PDMA in Uno’s films where higher Tg and dimensional stability is needed.
In reference to claim 10, Uno teaches a polyimide comprising 50 mol % BPDA and 5% mol BPAF and 100 mol % of TFMB, which has all claimed properties (see Table 2, Example 2).
Regarding claim 11, Uno teaches the ratio of BPDA based on a total of 100 mol % components in the polyamic acid and the polyimide may be 40 mol % or more (see 0018). Since higher BPDA content (i.e. 40 mol % is included, the limitations of the claim above are met.
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uno as applied to claims 1-8, 10-11 and 15-16 above, and further in view of Komatsu et al (JP 2019059959, cited in IDS, cited wherein with identical US 20220112209).
Uno fails to teach triphenylphosphine.
Komatsu teaches a polyimide used in wide variety electronic applications, including flexible transparent films (see 0121), obtained from tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides including PMDA and BPDA (see 0235) and such diamine as TFMB (see 0221).
Komatsu discloses that in the imidization of a polyamic acid, from the viewpoint of improving the molecular weight and improving the imidization rate, it is preferable to use a phosphorus - based compound such as triphenyl phosphite, triphenyl phosphate, triphenylphosphine, and
triphenylphosphine oxide in an amount of approximately 0.1 to 50 parts (see 0118).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use triphenylphosphine oxide in an amount of approximately 0.1 to 50 parts in polyimide synthesis to improve molecular weight and the imidization rate.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY LISTVOYB whose telephone number is (571)272-6105. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Heidi Riviere Kelley can be reached at (571) 270-1831. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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GL
/GREGORY LISTVOYB/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765