Last updated: April 19, 2026

Application No. 18/277,428

RESIST FILM THICKENING COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THICKENED PATTERN

Non-Final OA

Filed

Aug 16, 2023

Examiner

ANGEBRANNDT, MARTIN J

Art Unit

1737

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Merck Patent GmbH

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 55% of cases after interview

— +34.5% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 1351 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

ANGEBRANNDT, MARTIN J View full profile →

Grants 55% of resolved cases

Career Allow Rate

745 granted / 1351 resolved

-9.9% vs TC avg

Strong +34% interview lift

Without

With

+34.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 3m

Avg Prosecution

86 currently pending

Career history

1437

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

59.6%

+19.6% vs TC avg

§102

4.2%

-35.8% vs TC avg

§112

2.1%

-37.9% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1351 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 16, 2023

Application Filed

Mar 12, 2026

Non-Final Rejection (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/900,937

Patent 12578652

PHOTOMASK AND METHODS FOR MEASURING AND MANUFACTURING THE PHOTOMASK

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026

17/980,313

Patent 12566369

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A PHOTOMASK FROM A BLANK MASK

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 03, 2026

18/389,961

Patent 12566377

MULTIPLE PATTERNING WITH ORGANOMETALLIC PHOTOPATTERNABLE LAYERS WITH INTERMEDIATE FREEZE STEPS

2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 03, 2026

17/843,723

Patent 12554191

PELLICLE MEMBRANE AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME

2y 5m to grant Granted Feb 17, 2026

17/716,522

Patent 12535740

INTERSTITIAL TYPE ABSORBER FOR EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET MASK

2y 5m to grant Granted Jan 27, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

AI Strategy Recommendation

Get an AI-powered prosecution strategy using examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

55%

Grant Probability

90%

With Interview (+34.5%)

3y 3m

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1351 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.