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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 6-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected composition, method, and products, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/21/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kakimoto (JP 59-180542 and its machine translation).
Kakimoto disclose a negative resist and compound comprising an ester of an azidobenzoic acid polyol compound having a structure as instantly claimed. Compounds prepared in reference examples include those below as described by the reference
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In the formulas, Ar1 and Ar2 are phenyl with azide crosslinking groups, n1 is 2 or 4, R1 to R4 are H, and L1 and L2 are -C(=O). The compounds as claimed meet the limitations of the instant claims 1 and 2.
With respect to the instant claim 3, as further seen in the formulas, at least one of R11 to R15 and at least one of R21 to R25 is a crosslinking azide group.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ho et al (9,745,252) in view of Kakimoto et al.
Ho et al disclose a cross-linking compound having a general structure falling within the scope of the instant Formula 1.
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In the formula, the instant Ar1 and Ar2 are each phenyl with azide crosslinking groups, fluorine atoms, and alkyl groups as substituents, L (instant group represented by n1) is a linking group which may contain oxygen heteroatoms (see examples, column 6, lines 31-57, instant L1 and L2 are -C(=O)O- and -C(=O). In examples, R1 to R4 are hydrogen atoms.
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In the example, the linking group include -CH2CH2O-.
While the reference teaches similar structures and teaches the any suitable linking group, including a -CH2CH2O-, the reference fails to specifically teach a group wherein n1 is 2 or more.
Kakimoto et al has been discussed above. The reference teaches a compound falling within the scope of the instant claims, and teaches that known linking groups for bis-azide compounds include -CH2CH2O- groups, wherein the instant n1 is 2 or 4.
Given the teachings of the references, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Ho et al, choosing as the linking group, that as taught by Kakimoto et al to be known and useful for a similar compound. The resultant compound would also meet the limitations of the instant claims.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chua et al (8,530269) in view of Kakimoto et al.
Chua et al disclose an azide-based crosslinking agents comprising a general structure similar to that of the instant Formula 1.
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In the formula, the instant crosslinking group is an azide, Ar1 and Ar2 are phenyl groups, with the remaining substituents being fluorine atoms (instant claims 4 and 5), and L being a linking group, with broad examples including -C(=O)O-CH2CH2O-C(=O)- wherein the L (instant group represented by n1) is a linking group which may contain oxygen heteroatoms (see examples, column 6, lines 31-57, instant L1 and L2 are -C(=O)O- and -C(=O).
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In the example, the linking group include -CH2CH2O-.
While the reference teaches similar structures and teaches the any suitable linking group, including a -CH2CH2O-, the reference fails to specifically teach a group wherein n1 is 2 or more.
Kakimoto et al has been discussed above. The reference teaches a compound falling within the scope of the instant claims, and teaches that known linking groups for bis-azide compounds include -CH2CH2O- groups, wherein the instant n1 is 2 or 4.
Given the teachings of the references, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Chua et al, choosing as the linking group, that as taught by Kakimoto et al to be known and useful for a similar compound. The resultant compound would also meet the limitations of the instant claims 1-5.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMANDA C WALKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1337. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 5:30am to 4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at 571-272-3433. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AMANDA C. WALKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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