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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the composition claims (1-10, 12-15 and 20-21), and the withdrawal of the method claims (16-19), in the reply filed on August 10, 2026 are acknowledged.
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 1-2, 5, 8-10, 12-15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsai et al. (US20160053381).
Regarding claim 1, Tsai discloses a polishing liquid (paragraph 0017) comprising: abrasive grains containing cerium oxide (ceria, paragraph 0027); at least one aromatic carboxylic acid comprising an aromatic carboxylic acid (benzoic acid, paragraph 0029); and a halide ion (chloride, paragraph 0022).
Regarding claim 2, Tsai discloses wherein the halide ion includes chloride ion (paragraph 0022).
Regarding claim 5, Tsai discloses wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid compound includes benzoic acid (paragraph 0029).
Regarding claim 8, Tsai discloses the polishing liquid further comprising an alkali metal ion (potassium reads on an alkali metal, paragraph 0018).
Regarding claim 9, Tsai discloses the polishing liquid further comprising a nitrogen-containing cation (poly(diallyldimethylammonium)chloride , paragraph 0021).
Regarding claim 10, Tsai discloses wherein the nitrogen-containing cation includes a quaternary ammonium cation (poly(diallyldimethylammonium)chloride , paragraph 0021).
Regarding claim 12, Tsai discloses wherein a zeta potential of the abrasive grains is positive (paragraphs 0022 and 0027).
Regarding claim 13, Tsai discloses a cationic polymer (paragraph 0021).
Regarding claim 14, Tsai discloses wherein the cationic polymer includes a reaction product of a raw material containing at least dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin (poly(dimethylamine-co-epichlorohydrin-co-ethylenediamine), paragraph 0021).
Regarding claim 15, Tsai discloses wherein a pH is 2.00 to 5.00 (paragraph 0028).
Regarding claim 20, Tsai discloses wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid compound includes benzoic acid (paragraph 0029).
Claims 1-3, 5-10 and 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hwang et al. (KR20200123648, a machine-translated English version is used).
Regarding claim 1, Hwang discloses a polishing liquid (paragraph 0013) comprising: abrasive grains containing cerium oxide (ceria, paragraph 0021); at least one aromatic carboxylic acid comprising an aromatic carboxylic acid (benzoic acid, paragraph 0016); and a halide ion (paragraph 0014).
Regarding claims 2-3, Hwang discloses wherein the halide ion includes iodide ion (paragraph 0014).
Regarding claim 5, Hwang discloses wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid compound includes benzoic acid (paragraph 0016).
Regarding claim 6, Hwang discloses wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid compound includes mandelic acid (paragraph 0016).
Regarding claim 7, Hwang discloses wherein a content of the aromatic carboxylic acid compound is 0.05 to 1% by mass (paragraph 0017).
Regarding claim 8, Hwang discloses the polishing liquid further comprising an alkali metal ion (sodium reads on an alkali metal, paragraph 0024).
Regarding claim 9, Hwang discloses the polishing liquid further comprising a nitrogen-containing cation (ammonium persulfate, paragraph 0024).
Regarding claim 10, Hwang discloses wherein the nitrogen-containing cation includes an ammonium ion (ammonium persulfate, paragraph 0024).
Regarding claim 20, Hwang discloses wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid compound includes hydroxyphenylacetic acid (mandelic acid, paragraph 0016).
Regarding claim 21, Hwang discloses wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid compound includes benzoic acid (paragraph 0016), and the halide ion includes at least one selected from the group consisting of fluoride ion, bromide ion, and iodide ion (paragraph 0014).
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 of this title, 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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Tsai et al. (US20160053381) as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 4, Tsai discloses wherein a content of the halide ion is between about 0.0001 to about 0.4 mM (the concentration of the halide polymer is between about 10ppm to about 2000ppm, the molecular weight of the polymer is between about 5 kDa to about 100 kDa, paragraphs 0022-0024), which overlaps with the range recited in the instant claim. In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990). MPEP 2144.05(I).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIONG-PING LU whose telephone number is (571) 270-1135. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9:00am – 5:00pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua L Allen, can be reached at telephone number (571)270-3176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIONG-PING LU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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