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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 6, and 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Anzai (WO2015/141618).
Anzai sets forth photosensitive compositions for forming relief patterns, such as insulating materials for electronic components—see abstract. Anzai sets forth cured films of said photosensitive compositions have excellent adhesion to polybenzoxazole resins, Si substrates and Cu substrates, as well as, have high resolution and heat resistance—see [0008].
Said photosensitive compositions comprises (A) at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polyamic acid which is polyimide precursor, polyamic acid ester, polyamic acid salt, polyamic acid amide, polyhydroxyamide which is capable of becoming polyoxazole precursor, polyaminoamide, polyamide, polyamideimide, polyimide, polybenzoxazole, polybenzimidazole, polybenzothiazole and phenolic resins; (B) a photosensitizer (corresponding to applicant’s photopolymerization initiator); and (C) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a polyfunctional (meth) acrylate and a low molecular weight imide compound having a molecular weight of less than 1,000 g/mol—see [0012]. Said resin composition further comprises (D) a silicon-containing compound
Per example 1, Anzai sets forth a resin composition comprising 50 g of a polyimide precursor having pendent ethylenically unsaturated groups (Polymer A); 50 g of a polyimide precursor having pendent ethylenically unsaturated groups (Polymer B); 2 g of photoinitiator Optomer NCI-831; 10 g of 4,4-bismaleimidodiphenylmethane; 4 g of hexamethoxymethylmelamine; 8 g of tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate; 3 g of a silicon-containing compound D-1; and 2-nitroso-1-naphthol (a thermal polymerization inhibitor)—see example 1 [0125].
Regarding claims 1, 2, 6, and 8-9: The polyimide (claim 6), Polymer A, is the reaction product of 4,4’-oxydiphthalic dianhydride; 4,4’-diaminophenyl ether; and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. Said reaction product of polymer A is deemed to comprise and anticipate group Y, wherein one X is oxygen and one X is an amide bond, Ra22 is a divalent hydrocarbon group (aromatic divalent hydrocarbon) substituted with an unsaturated group, i.e., the methacrylate group corresponding to group Y and Ra21 is a divalent hydrocarbon group, i.e., aromatic hydrocarbon group which meets applicant’s definition found in section [0080] of the disclosure. The polyimide (claims 1-2 and 6), Polymer B, is the reaction product of 3,3’,4,4’-bisphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 4,4’-diaminophenyl ether. Said reaction product of polymer B is deemed to comprise and anticipate group Y, wherein one X is oxygen and one X is an amide bond, Ra22 is a divalent hydrocarbon group (aromatic divalent hydrocarbon/arylene group, claim 9) substituted with an unsaturated group, i.e., the methacrylate group corresponding to group Y1 when RY1 is an alkyl having 1 carbon atom and LY1 is an alkanediyl having 2 carbon atoms and having a-C(O)O- groups and Ra21 is a divalent hydrocarbon group (arylene group, claim 8), i.e., aromatic hydrocarbon group which meets applicant’s definition found in section [0080] of the disclosure. The 4,4-bismaleimidodiphenylmethane monomer is deemed to correspond to applicant’s polyfunctional maleimide compound (A-1). The photosensitizer, Optomer NCI-831, corresponds to applicant’s photopolymerization initiator (C) in claims 1 and 2.
Regarding claim 4: Anzai explicitly set forth a composition comprising 50 g of a polyimide precursor having pendent ethylenically unsaturated groups (Polymer A); 50 g of a polyimide precursor having pendent ethylenically unsaturated groups (Polymer B); 2 g of photoinitiator Optomer NCI-831; 10 g of N, N ′, N ″ - [nitrilotris (ethylene)] tris (maleimide); 4 g of hexamethoxymethylmelamine; 8 g of tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate; 3 g of a silicon-containing compound D-1; and 2-nitroso-1-naphthol (a thermal polymerization inhibitor)—see example 6 [0130]. The N, N ′, N ″ - [nitrilotris (ethylene)] tris (maleimide) in the composition has three (3) maleimide groups.
Regarding claim 10: Anzai sets forth methods of producing cured relief patterns, such as insulating films for re-wiring—see [0086]- [0094]. Said method includes the steps of 1) applying the photosensitive resin composition described above onto a substrate to form a photosensitive resin layer on the substrate; (2) exposing the photosensitive resin layer;(3) developing the exposed photosensitive resin layer to form a relief pattern;(4) subjecting the relief pattern to a heat treatment to form a cured relief pattern—see [0086]. Said exposure step (2) includes exposing to an ultraviolet light source through a photomask or reticle having a pattern, wherein the exposure through a photomask corresponds to applicant’s selective exposure step limitation in claim 10. Thus, the method of claim 10 is anticipated.
Regarding claims 10-11: Anzai explicitly sets forth obtaining a cured resin film having a pattern comprising the resin composition of example 1. Anzai sets forth coating the resin composition of example 1 onto a polybenzoxazole resin film, exposing said coated resin film to UV radiation thru a reticle having a pattern; developing said exposed film with cyclopentanone (a solvent) and rinsing with propylene glycol methyl ether acetate—see [0106]. Thus, claim 10 and 11 are anticipated.
Regarding claim 12: Anzai sets forth said resin compositions and methods are useful for obtaining semiconductor devices comprising relief patterns—see [0094]. Anzai explicitly sets forth it is possible to provide a semiconductor device having a base material which is a semiconductor element and a cured relief pattern of polyimide formed on the base material by the above-described cured relief pattern production methods—see [0094].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3, 5, 7 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The overall teachings of the cited reference above does not expressly set forth the addition of a polyfunctional styrene compound in the photosensitive resin compositions. The unsaturated groups corresponding to formula Y1 in the polymers set forth in the cited reference above are pendent groups and not terminal groups. The maleimide compounds set forth in the cited reference which correspond to applicant’s (A-1) do not comprise phenolic hydroxyl groups.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANZA L MCCLENDON whose telephone number is (571)272-1074. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5.
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/SANZA L. McCLENDON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765
SMc
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