DETAILED ACTION
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 and 4 to 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2020/032285, as interpreted by the English language equivalent Itoh et al. 11,987,731.
Itoh et al. teach a pressure sensitive adhesive composition which contains the
components as found in column 4, lines 13 and on. These are further defined through-out the reference.
In Example 12 a vinyl polydimethylsiloxane gum with a plasticity of 152 is used.. While this does not specifically teach the Mw of the siloxane, the Examiner notes that an Mw of 60,000 and even an Mw of 100,000 (claim 4) correspond to liquid siloxanes such that the gum found in Itoh et al. will necessarily and inherently meet this require-ment. (The Examiner believes that one having ordinary skill in the siloxane art would immediately agree with this statement but it is also easily supported by a quick internet search of siloxane viscosity vs. molecular weight.)
Note that this composition is cured by means of a hydrosilylation reaction.
With regard to the newly added requirement that the polyorganosiloxane (a1), the component that contains the Si-alkenyl group, contains at least two different polymers, this is not sufficient to overcome this rejection.
As applicants are well aware, the prior art is neither limited to nor by the working examples. And while the Examiner relied upon Example 12 as an exemplary teaching, anticipation is found in the entirety of the teachings of Itoh et al.
To this extent, see column 7, lines 30 to 33, which teaches that a rubber like siloxane is a preferred selection for component A in Itoh et al. As noted above, such a siloxane will inherently and necessarily meet the MW requirements of claims 1 and 4. The teachings on the bottom of column 7 though the top of column 8 indicate that such a siloxane having a high degree or polymerization can be used in admixture with a silox-ane having a lower degree or polymerization. Ratios as high as 1:1 are disclosed for this mixture. Thus it is clear that mixtures of alkenyl containing siloxanes, i.e. a polymer meeting formula (V) and a different polymer, are anticipated by Itoh et al.
On the other hand, column 9, lines 5 to 38, specifically teaches that the MQ resin therein can contain alkenyl groups While the MQ resin in Table 1 does not contain alkenyl groups, this is a contemplated embodiment that the skilled artisan would have anticipated. This is further supported by the teachings in column 13, lines 10 to 16, which refer to the SiH/alkenyl ratio wherein the total number of alkenyl groups are those found in both components A and B.
Additionally see column 14, lines 48 to 51, which teaches the addition of alkenyl siloxanes as curing retardants.
Thus each of the claimed components necessary in claimed (a1) are anticipated by Itoh et al. Column 15, line 45 and on, teaches the various benefits to including a polydimethylsiloxane having no reactive groups (meeting claimed component (B). This meets the requirement of claim 6.
In this manner, the composition as now amended is fully anticipated by Itoh et al. The above rationale addresses claims 1 and 4 and 6..
Note that Table 1 teaches only non-reactive siloxane gums such that it will necessarily have a viscosity of greater than 3,400 Pa.s. meeting claim 5.
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 7 to 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2020/032285, as interpreted by the English language equivalent Itoh et al. 11,987,731.
This reference does not anticipate claim 7 in that it does not specifically teach a
substrate with bumps as claimed.
In columns 18 through 22 Itoh et al. teach various utilities for the adhesive therein including properties and benefits thereof. This includes various substrates and various component that are found in a semiconductor as well as various lamination utilities. The Examiner notes that semiconductor substrates with bumps are known in the art, as is disclosed in the instant specification. See for instance paragraph 4.
From this one having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to use the adhesive composition of Itoh et al. in a semiconductor substrate with bumps in an effort to take advantage of the known properties and benefits associated therewith, as per the teachings in Itoh et al. In this manner claim 7 is rendered obvious.
For claim 8 see column 18, line 47 (among other locations) that refers to peeling off the substrate.
For claim 9, see column 18, line 54 (among other locations) that refers to curing by heating.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/24/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicants’ remarks rely on the newly added requirement that the alkenyl siloxane containing two different siloxanes. As addressed above this feature is not novel over the teachings in Itoh et al. Applicants’ response makes multiple references to the MQ siloxane found in their specification but the claims are not limited this. Indeed, of they were such an embodiment is found in Itoh et al. Applicants rely on the alleged novelty and unobviousness of claim 1 for claims 7 to 9. As such this rejection is main-tained as well.
Conclusion
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 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 MARGARET MOORE whose telephone number is (571)272-1090. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Heidi Kelly, can be reached at 571-270-1831.
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/MARGARET G MOORE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765