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 § 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 1-14 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US
20190241701), cited in IDS and previous Office Action in view of Takahashi et al. (US 6346298), necessitated by Amendment.
Kim teaches a black bank photosensitive resin composition, material and electronic device (i.e., OLED,
see 0003) comprising:
a polymer resin compound;
a monomer ;
a photoinitiator;
a coloring agent;
and a solvent (see claim 6).
Kim discloses a method for manufacturing a black bank, including a step of exposing and developing the
irradiating ultraviolet rays on the prebaked coated film through a predetermined pattern mask, and
developing the film using an aqueous alkali solution to remove unnecessary parts (see 0124).
The polymer can be represented by a polyimide formed from 2,2 Bis 3 amino 4 hydroxyphenyl
hexafluoropropane and 3, 3', 4, 4 - oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), (meeting the limitations of claims
9, 10 and 16) in PGMEA, where 2 - acryloyloxyethyl isocyanate is used as a photosensitive group (see
0152 and Table 1, entry H at page 13).
In reference to a number of repeating units, Kim teaches that the polymer has a weight average
molecular weight Mw =5200 g/mol (see 0152), meeting the limitations of claims 1 and 13).
Note that Kim does not teach a specific polymer, comprising all fragments of Chemical Formulas 1-3.
However, according to instant claim 1, dianhydrides X1-X3 can be represented by the same compound.
The same is correct for diamines Y1-Y3.
In addition, Kim teaches an imidization degree of 92% (see 0152), meaning that the ratio between
polyamic acid and polyimide and in the macromolecule is 8:92 (i.e., 0.09, meeting the limitations of
claim 12).
In other words, even though Kim does not teach a polymer, comprising both imide and amic acid
fragments, since imidization degree is less than 100%, the polymer has both structures in its formula.
Regarding claims 2-7, 14 and 16, Kim teaches a composition comprising:
400 g of lactam black (BK 5108, Tokushiki Co , Ltd , content 16 % ),
120 g of Polymer G,
60 g of Polymer E,
10 g of Polymer F
80 g of Polymer B1 as an alkali - soluble binder,
36 g of dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate as a multifunctional monomer,
4 g of OXE - 02 ( BASF Corporation ) as a photopolymerization initiator,
5 g of 3 - methacryloxypropyltrimethoxylsilane as an adhesion promoter,
2 g of BYK - 307 ( ALTANA) as a leveling agent, and
43 g of propylene glycol monomethyl ether as a solvent (see Experimental Example at 0153 and
paragraphs 145-152).
Considering only solid content, Kim teaches a composition, comprising about 17% wt. of a pigment, 21%
wt. of a binder, 9% wt. of a multifunctional monomer, 1% wt. of a photopolymerization initiator, 1.3%
wt. of a silane coupling agent.
Kim further teaches the content of the polymer resin compound is from 1% by weight to 20% by weight
(see 0095), the content of the monomer is from 1% by weight to 10% (see 0099), the content of the
photoinitiator is from 0.1 % by weight to 5% by weight based on the total weight (see 0101) and the
content of the coloring agent is from 5 % by weight to 15% (see 0104) based on the total weight of the
photosensitive resin composition.
Note that even though Kim teaches a dispersant (see claim 14), the reference is silent regarding its
content.
However, the position is taken that the claimed range for such ingredient (i.e., 2-15% wt. for dispersant)
is typical for the photosensitive resin composition.
Even though Kim discloses an unsaturated compound attached to a diamine (see Experimental Example
2), the reference fails to teach carbamate based group attached to diamine.
However, Kim teaches that the following carbamate-based group can be used as an alternative to an
unsaturated entity in a polymer (see 0065):
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Y3 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms ; a substituted or
unsubstituted ethylene oxide group ; or unsubstituted propylene oxide group, R11 and R14 are the same
as or different from each other, and each independently hydrogen ; deuterium ; a halogen group ; a
substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group ; a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group ; a substituted
or unsubstituted silyl group ; a substituted or unsubstituted phosphine oxide group ; a substituted or
unsubstituted aryl group ; or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group , R12 and R13 are the
same as or different from each other , and each independently O or S (see 0065 and claim 2).
Kim teaches that by introducing a carbamate substituent to A1 and A2 positions, the polymer resin
compound has excellent straightness and is effective in improving hole residues compared to when the
substituent is not introduced (see 0033). A device lifetime is reduced when residues are present in such
a hole pattern and visibility becomes poor when straightness is not favorable (see 0007).
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 carbamate substitutions in Kim's photosensitive composition, in order to
increase a final device lifetime.
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches a carbamate entities comprising unsaturated groups (see 0091).
Kim fails to teach newly added limitation regarding multiple polyimide present in the composition.
Takahashi teaches a photosensitive composition comprising three polyimide precursors (see claim 1).
The reference discloses that when the polyamic acids above possess different coefficient of linear thermal expansion values, which eventually prevents excessive curling and warpage (see 2:20), fabricating a flexible wiring board having low curling and excellent dimensional stability (coefficient of contraction).
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 multiple polyamic acids in Kim’s composition in order to obtain a film with excellent dimensional stability.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al in view of Takahashi et al as applied to claims 1-14 and 16-19 above, and further in view of Kang et al (US 20160377765), cited in IDS.
Although Kim teaches a surfactant (see claim 14), the reference is silent about its content.
Kang teaches a black photosensitive resin composition may include about 1 parts by weight to about
100 parts by weight of (B) the multi-functional monomer, about 0.1 parts by weight to about 100 parts
by weight of (C) the photopolymerization initiator, about 10 parts by weight to about 400 parts by
weight of (D) the black colorant and about 100 parts by weight to about 5000 parts by weight of (E) the
solvent based on about 100 parts by weight of the (A) copolymerization binder resin (see 0027, meeting
the limitations of claims 3, 4 and 8).
Kang discloses an alkali Soluble Polyimide-Polyamic Acid Copolymerization Resin (A) (see 0046, meeting
the limitations of claim 2) is represented by Chemical Formula 5 (see 0017 and claim 6):
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X1 and X2 are the same or different and are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted
tetravalent alicyclic organic group or a substituted or unsubstituted tetravalent aromatic organic group,
L6 and L7 are the same or different and are each independently a single bond, a substituted or
unsubstituted C1 to C10 alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted C3 to C10 cycloalkylene group,
or a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C20 arylene group,
each R is the same or different and each is independently a substituted or unsubstituted acrylic group, a
Substituted or unsubstituted methacrylic group or a substituted or unsubstituted norbornene group,
and m and n are the same or different and are each independently an integer ranging from 1 to
100,000. The copolymerization resin may have a weight average molecular weight of about 3,000 g/mol
to about 100,000 g/mol (see 0017).
Kang teaches that an alkali soluble polyimide-polyamic acid copolymerization resin has a
copolymerization resin has an unsaturated double bond at least one terminal end (see claim 1)
Kang teaches a composition comprising 2.5% wt. of surfactant (see Table 1, Example 1 at 0149)
The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie
obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. V. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297
(1945), 325 U.S. at 335, 65 USPQ at 301, see also In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA
1960), Ryco, Inc. V. Ag-Bag Corp., 857 F.2d 1418, 8 USPQ2d 1323 (Fed. Cir. 1988) and MPEP 2144.07.
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 2.5% wt. of surfactant in Kim's composition, since it is a known material
based on its suitability for its intended use.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 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
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