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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-11, 19 are pending in this application, which is an RCE of Serial Number 18/701169, previously allowed; which is a 371 of PCT/US2022/077912.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/13/2026 has been considered by the examiner.
In view of one of the references cited in said IDS, an art rejection is proffered below. The examiner regrets the inconvenience.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-11, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao et al. (WO 2021/050798) in view of O’Neill et al. (2003/0049460).
Xiao teaches a method for making a dense organosilicon film (title) with improved mechanical properties, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate within a reaction chamber; introducing into the reaction chamber a gaseous composition comprising a novel mono- or dialkoxysilane; and applying energy to the gaseous composition comprising the novel mono- or dialkoxysilane in the reaction chamber to induce reaction of the gaseous composition comprising the novel mono-or dialkoxysilane to deposit an organosilicon film on the substrate, wherein the organosilicon film has a dielectric constant of from about 2.8 to about 3.3, an elastic modulus of from about 7 to about 30 GPa, and an at. % carbon of from about 10 to about 30 as measured by XPS (abstract). However, the reference fails to teach the appropriate formula and elastic modulus.
O’Neill teaches a method of making a low dielectric constant material by CVD (title) in which an organosilica film is formed using an organosilane (claim 72) where the organosilane is a cyclic alkoxysilane such as 1,4-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene (0043). In addition, the modulus is between 9-11 GPa (0004). To utilize the alkoxysilane of O’Neill in the process of Xiao would have been obvious with the expectation of success because O’Neill teaches of using an alkoxysilane as a precursor.
Regarding claim 2, O’Neill teaches 1,4-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene (0043).
Regarding claim 3, Xiao teaches that dialkoxysilane can be used with hardening additives (0034), which also reads on not using with hardening additives.
Regarding claim 4, Xiao teaches chemical vapor deposition (0021).
Regarding claim 5, Xiao teaches plasma chemical vapor deposition (0023).
Regarding claim 6, Xiao teaches oxygen (0021).
Regarding claim 7, Xiao teaches no oxidant (claim 7).
Regarding claim 8, Xiao teaches an inert gas (0021-0022).
Regarding claim 9, Xiao teaches a refractive index (Rl) of from about 1.3 to about 1.6 at 632 nm and an at. % carbon as measured by XPS of from about 10 % to about 30% (claim 9).
Regarding claim 10, Xiao teaches a deposition rate from 30 to 200 nm/m (0040).
Regarding claim 11, Xiao teaches the appropriate density (Tables 1-2).
Regarding claim 19, Xiao teaches an oxidant (0021) and varying flow rates (0066, 0068).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRET CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1417. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-8:30 MT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached at (571) 272-5166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRET P CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718 04/21/2026
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