DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-14 are pending as filed on 2/15/2024.
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.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahne et al (US 4965134).
As to claims 1-4 and 6-9, Ahne discloses a hydroxypolyamide that can be converted to a polybenzoxazole (PBO) by annealing (col 1, line 66 to col 2, line 5). The PBO is a highly heat resistant dielectric which is well suited for applications in microelectronics (title, and col 2, lines 6-22).
Ahne discloses a hydroxypolyamide having the following structure:
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Ahne teaches several suitable structures for R and R*, including:
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99
384
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(col 4), wherein “m” can be 0 or 1, and wherein X (which corresponds to instant “L”) can be O, SO2, CO, C(CF3)2, or (CF2)r (col 5, lines 10-38).
Ahne teaches that the hydroxypolyamide is a co-polycondensation product of aromatic diaminodihydroxy compounds and aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides (col 3, lines 57-62), and exemplifies a product wherein the diaminodihydroxy units are derived from 3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine (HAB) and 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane (6FAP) (see col 5, lines 46-49 and col 6, example 2).
Ahne teaches (col 4, lines 45-50) that R1 (i.e., the unit derived from the dicarboxylic acid chloride compound) can have a structure:
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62
191
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and teaches that X can be -(CF2)r-, wherein r = 2 to 18 (col 5, lines 30-39).
When preparing a hydroxypolyamide by reacting a diaminodihydroxy compound which is (or which comprises) 6FAP with an aromatic dicarboxylic acid chloride, as taught by Ahne, arriving at a hydroxypolyamide according to instant formula (1) (wherein A and B are each a benzene ring) and according to instant formula (1-1) from Ahne’s disclosure requires selection of
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from Ahne’s disclosed options for R1, and, requires selection of -(CF2)r- wherein “r” is 2 to 8 from Ahne’s disclosed options for “X.”
Case law has established that it is prima facie obvious to choose from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions with a reasonable expectation of success. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007). MPEP 2143, rationale (E). As taught by Ahne, PBO dielectrics are known for having improved electrical characteristics, moisture absorption, resistance against alkali and resistance against solvents (col 2, lines 22-35). One having ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the properties of a polymer depend on the structure thereof. One would have had a reasonable expectation of success in obtaining a PBO having properties suitable for microelectronics applications by selecting any of the structures from within the options disclosed by Ahne, and, one would have been motivated to select appropriate structures in order to tailor the properties of a PBO according to the requirements of a specific application. It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art, therefore, to have formed a hydroxypolyamide (and PBO) from 6FAP as diaminodihydroxy and from an aromatic diacid chloride, as taught by Ahne, by utilizing any aromatic diacid chloride structure taught by Ahne, including an aromatic diacid chloride which comprises a -(CF2)r- group wherein “r” is 2 to 8, thereby arriving at a hydroxypolyamide as recited in claims 1-4, and, upon annealing, arriving at a PBO according to instant formulas (2) and (2-1) as recited in claims 6-9.
As to claims 5 and 10, Ahne defines n1 and n2 in the hydroxypolyamide structure as having values within a range of 1 to 100 (col 4), which encompasses the presently claimed range of 2 to 100.
As to claims 11-14, Ahne teaches that the dielectrics have low electrical characteristics (col 2, lines 22-36). Therefore, the hydroxypolyamide and PBO suggested by Ahn must be considered “low dielectric” materials” as recited in claims 11 and 13. Additionally, Ahne discloses that the prepared organic dielectrics can be used as insulating layers as a part of multilayer circuits (col 6, lines 2-18), meeting instant claims 12 and 14.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahne et al (US 4965134) in view of Yakubovich et al (General Polycondensation method for linear perfluoroalkylene high polymers with aromatic and hetero-aromatic rings in the chain, Polymer Science USSR, Pergamon Press, 1970, Vol 12, No 11, pp 2854-2867).
As to claims 1-4 and 6-9, Ahne discloses a hydroxypolyamide that can be converted to a polybenzoxazole (PBO) by annealing (col 1, line 66 to col 2, line 5). The PBO is a highly heat resistant dielectric which is well suited for applications in microelectronics (title, and col 2, lines 6-22).
Ahne discloses a hydroxypolyamide having the following structure:
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media_image1.png
197
495
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Ahne teaches several suitable structures for R and R*, including:
PNG
media_image2.png
99
384
media_image2.png
Greyscale
(col 4), wherein “m” can be 0 or 1, and wherein X (which corresponds to instant “L”) can be O, SO2, CO, C(CF3)2, or (CF2)r (col 5, lines 10-38).
Ahne teaches that the hydroxypolyamide is a co-polycondensation product of aromatic diaminodihydroxy compounds and aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides (col 3, lines 57-62), and exemplifies a product wherein the diaminodihydroxy units are derived from 3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine (HAB) and 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane (6FAP) (see col 5, lines 46-49 and col 6, example 2).
Ahne teaches (col 4, lines 45-50) that R1 (i.e., the unit derived from the dicarboxylic acid chloride compound) can have a structure:
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62
191
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and teaches that X can be -(CF2)r-, wherein r = 2 to 18 (col 5, lines 30-39).
Yakubovich is cited here to establish that it was known in the art to prepare hydroxypolyamide and PBO materials from diaminodihydroxy and aromatic diacid chloride monomers, as taught by Ahne, from dicarboxylic acid chloride compounds having a structure as taught by Ahne wherein X is -(CF2)r-. Yakubovich discloses a general polycondensation method for producing polymers with a large molecular weight from F-containing monomers with protected reactive functional groups of formula 8 (copied below). In Yakubovich’s disclosed F-containing monomers, the heat-resistant benzene rings are the “protecting” parts:
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601
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See p 2854. See also p 2855, showing hydroxypolyamide and PBO synthesis.
When preparing a hydroxypolyamide by reacting a diaminodihydroxy compound which is (or which comprises) 6FAP with an aromatic dicarboxylic acid chloride, as taught by Ahne, arriving at a hydroxypolyamide according to instant formula (1) (wherein A and B are each a benzene ring) and according to instant formula (1-1) from Ahne’s disclosure requires selection of
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62
191
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from Ahne’s disclosed options for R1, and, requires selection of -(CF2)r- wherein “r” is 2 to 8 from Ahne’s disclosed options for “X.”
Case law has established that it is prima facie obvious to choose from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions with a reasonable expectation of success. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007). MPEP 2143, rationale (E). As taught by Ahne, PBO dielectrics are known for having improved electrical characteristics, moisture absorption, resistance against alkali and resistance against solvents (col 2, lines 22-35). One having ordinary skill in the art would have also recognized that the properties of a polymer depend on the structure thereof. One would have had a reasonable expectation of success in obtaining a PBO having properties suitable for microelectronics applications by selecting any of the structures from within the options disclosed by Ahne, and, one would have been motivated to select appropriate structures in order to tailor the properties of a PBO according to the requirements of a specific application. It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art, therefore, to have formed a hydroxypolyamide (and PBO) from 6FAP as diaminodihydroxy and from an aromatic diacid chloride, as taught by Ahne, by utilizing any aromatic diacid chloride structure taught by Ahne, including an aromatic diacid chloride which comprises a -(CF2)r- group wherein “r” is 2 to 8, thereby arriving at a hydroxypolyamide as recited in claims 1-4, and, upon annealing, arriving at a PBO according to instant formulas (2) and (2-1) as recited in claims 6-9.
As to claims 5 and 10, Ahne defines n1 and n2 in the hydroxypolyamide structure as having values within a range of 1 to 100 (col 4), which encompasses the presently claimed range of 2 to 100.
As to claims 11-14, Ahne teaches that the dielectrics have low electrical characteristics (col 2, lines 22-36). Therefore, the hydroxypolyamide and PBO suggested by Ahn must be considered “low dielectric” materials” as recited in claims 11 and 13. Additionally, Ahne discloses that the prepared organic dielectrics can be used as insulating layers as a part of multilayer circuits (col 6, lines 2-18), meeting instant claims 12 and 14.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RACHEL KAHN whose telephone number is (571)270-7346. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8-5.
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/RACHEL KAHN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766
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