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 § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Byun et al. (# US 2011/0059234) in view of Bollen (# US 2021/0253887).
Byun et al. discloses:
1. A particle-free conductive ink composition (see Abstract; [0009]) comprising:
a gold metal ([0040]; [0075]; [0134], see claim 21);
an organophosphite ligand (a phosphite ligand, which means any a phosphite ligand; [0012]-[0013]; [0078]; see claim 4); and
a solvent ([0085]; [0115]; [0119]);
wherein the particle-free conductive ink composition forms a conductive metallic film by curing at no more than 400° C (100 to 400 °C; [0038]).
The Examiner draws particular attention to the Applicant that "Byun et al. does address metal particles, phosphite ligand and solvent, it teaches a laundry list of possible metal particles; at least one ligand, and solvent. The format in which Byun et al. presents its teaching does not change the fact that it teaches the claimed invention. It is not necessary for Byun et al. to present its teaching in an example format citing it in a list is sufficient.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, absent evidence to the contrary, to choose any of the metal particles, phosphite ligand and solvent from the list and any additives from the list, including those presently claimed, and thereby arrive at the claimed invention. However, "applicant must look to the whole reference for what it teaches. Applicant cannot merely rely on the examples and argue that the reference did not teach others." In re Courtright, 377
2. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 1, wherein the gold metal is a gold(I) metal ion ([0040]; [0075]; [0134], see claim 21).
3. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 1, wherein the organophosphite ligand is a trialkylphosphite ligand or a triarylphosphite ligand (a phosphite ligand, which means any a phosphite ligand; [0012]-[0013]; [0078]; see claim 4).
4. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 3, wherein the trialkylphosphite ligand is a trimethylphosphite or triethylphosphite ligand (a phosphite ligand, which means any a phosphite ligand; [0012]-[0013]; [0078]; see claim 4).
5. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises an aromatic solvent (an aromatic solvent such as benzene, toluene, or xylene, or the like; [0119]).
6. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 5, wherein the aromatic solvent is anisole, toluene, or xylene ([0119]).
7. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises a polar, aprotic solvent ((tetrahydrofuran; [0119]).
8. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 7, wherein the solvent comprises a cyclic ether solvent or an acyclic ether solvent (tetrahydrofuran; [0119]).
9. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 8, wherein the solvent comprises a cyclic ether solvent and an acyclic ether solvent (tetrahydrofuran; [0119]).
10. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 8, wherein the cyclic ether solvent is a furan (tetrahydrofuran; [0119]).
11. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 8, wherein the acyclic ether solvent is a glycol ether, a dialkyl ether, or an ester ([0119]).
Claim(s) 12-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Byun et al. (# US 2011/0059234) in view of Bollen (# US 2021/0253887).
Byun et al. discloses all the limitation of the conductive ink except:
12. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 11, wherein the glycol ether is ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, or an ethoxylated C.sub.12-15 alcohol.
13. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 12, wherein the glycol ether is dipropylene glycol methyl ether.
14. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 11, wherein the dialkyl ether is ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, or ethylene glycol dibutyl ether.
15. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 11, wherein the ester is ethylene glycol methyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, or propylene glycol methyl ether acetate.
16. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 1, further comprising a nitrile ligand.
17. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 16, wherein the nitrile ligand is an alkylnitrile ligand.
18. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 17, wherein the alkylnitrile ligand is acetonitrile, propionitrile, or butyronitrile.
19. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 16, wherein the particle-free conductive ink composition further comprises an oxidant.
20. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 19, wherein the oxidant is a nitrate, a hexafluorophosphate, a tetrafluoroborate, a trifluoroacetate, or a perchlorate.
21. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 20, wherein the nitrate is silver nitrate.
Bollen teaches that to have high quality conductive printing,
12. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 11, wherein the glycol ether ([0052]) is ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether ([0057]), or an ethoxylated C.sub.12-15 alcohol (see Table: 1).
13. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 12, wherein the glycol ether is dipropylene glycol methyl ether ([0057]).
14. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 11, wherein the dialkyl ether is ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, or ethylene glycol dibutyl ether (see Table: 1).
15. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 11, wherein the ester is ethylene glycol methyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, or propylene glycol methyl ether acetate ([0055]-[0058]; see Table: 1).
16. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 1, further comprising a nitrile ligand (acrylonitile, methacrylonitrile; [0085]).
17. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 16, wherein the nitrile ligand is an alkylnitrile ligand ([0085]).
18. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 17, wherein the alkylnitrile ligand is acetonitrile, propionitrile, or butyronitrile ([0085]).
19. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 16, wherein the particle-free conductive ink composition further comprises an oxidant ([0136]).
20. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 19, wherein the oxidant is a nitrate (silver nitrate; [0182]), a hexafluorophosphate, a tetrafluoroborate, a trifluoroacetate, or a perchlorate.
21. The particle-free conductive ink composition of claim 20, wherein the nitrate is silver nitrate ([0182]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the conductive ink of Byun et al. by the aforementioned teaching of Bollen in order to have the high quality conductive printed image.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
(1) Kabalnov (# US 2008/0087188) discloses an ink composition comprises (wt.%): solvent system (10-25) where solvent system includes betaine solvent (5-15) and 2-pyrrolidone and/or glycerol (5-15); surfactant(s) ( less than or equal to 10); polymeric binder(s) (2-6); pigment (0.1-5, preferably 0.1-0.9 ); and water (see Abstract).
(2) Walker et al. (# US 2025/0297120) discloses conductive ink compositions comprising gold complexes are provided. Also provided are methods of preparing the conductive ink compositions, methods of forming conductive structures from the conductive ink compositions, and structures formed from the conductive ink compositions. The conductive ink compositions preferably comprise a gold metal, an alkylamine ligand, and a solvent. The conductive ink compositions can be used to form conductive structures comprising gold, for example by inkjet or other printing methods, at temperatures of 300° C. or less. Such conductive structures can be formed on a variety of substrates (see Abstract).
(3) Chung et al. (# US 2008/0206488) discloses a variety of conductive ink compositions comprising a metal complex compound having a special structure and an additive and a method for preparing the same, more particularly to conductive ink compositions comprising a metal complex compound obtained by reacting a metal or metal compound with an ammonium carbamate- or ammonium carbonate-based compound and an additive and a method for preparing the same (see Abstract).
(4) Liu et al. (# US 2021/0301166) discloses a printable molecular ink that is can be treated (e.g. dried or curable) and sintered using broad spectrum ultraviolet light is provided to produce electrically conductive traces on a low temperature substrate, for example PET. The ink includes a silver or copper carboxylate, an organic amine compound, and may include a thermal protecting agent (see Abstract).
(5) Hu et al. (# US 2010/0233361) discloses a composition that may be as an electronic circuit element includes a metal nanoparticle, an adhesion promoter compound and a solvent. The adhesion promoter compound may be a hydrolytic silane with at least one organic functional moiety. A method of forming conductive features on a substrate includes depositing a composition containing metal nanoparticles, an adhesion promoter compound and a solvent onto a substrate, and heating the deposited composition to a temperature from about 100.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C (see Abstract).
(6) Petrak et al. (# US 2020/0369061) discloses an adhesive gold ink comprises a gold complex comprising a first ligand and a second ligand, where the first ligand is a thioether, a phosphine, or an amine which volatilizes upon heating at a temperature of 200° C or less, and a mixed solvent system comprising at least a diol and an amine. The ink is clear and substantially free of particles (see Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANISH S SHAH whose telephone number is (571)272-2152. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm.
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MANISH S. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/Manish S Shah/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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