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 Objections
Claims 6, 10, 13, 15 are objected to because of the following informalities: these claims list “tetrazole and tetrazole derivatives” twice. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 recite the broad recitation of the concentration ranges of various components including polyurethane beads, pH, weight percentage ratio of abrasive to polyurethane beads, abrasive ranges, polyurethane beads size, silicone-containing dispersing agent ranges, corrosion inhibitor ranges, surfactant ranges, additive ranges, chelating agent ranges, biocide ranges, oxidizing ranges, and these claims also recite smaller ranges of these concentrations, which are the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claims 5, 10, 13-19 are rejected for depending on rejected claims above and not further provide clarification for the ranges.
Claim 1 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With respect to claim 1, it is not clear what ingredients are optional. it is not clear if only “a surfactant to enhance film surface wetting” is optional or other ingredients such as additive, chelating agent, a biocide, pH adjuster, oxidizer are also optional. Clarification is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-19 are allowed over the prior art because the prior art doesn’t teach a CMP composition, a system of CMP comprising the composition, and method of using the composition wherein the composition comprises a weight percentage ratio of abrasive to polyurethane beads is between about 1 to 1 and about 100 to 1 in combination with other limitations of claim 1. The prior art of Borucki et al. (US 2011/0312182) teaches polyurethane beads for CMP composition; however, Borucki doesn’t teach nor suggest that a weight percentage ratio of abrasive to polyurethane beads is between about 1 to 1 and about 100 to 1.
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/DUY VU N DEO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713 10/30/2025