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 1-26 are pending in this application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 10-26 in the reply filed on 02/24/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the specific contentions listed demonstrate reasons why the present claims are directed to a patentably indistinct inventive concept. This is not found persuasive because the search and prosecution of method and product claims presents a serious burden and because method and product claims presents different issues.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 1-9 are withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a nonelected invention.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
It is noted that the claimed invention is directed to a method. The examiner suggests amending the abstract to reflect same.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claims 10-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kan (9,358,737) in view of Wiechart et al. (WO 2009/122378).
Kan teaches a 3d manufacturing process of a 3d structure (title) in which a 3D mold is formed by sputtering a metal seed layer on a surface of a 3D polymer template (claim 12) followed by one or more metallic layers by electroplating a metallization layer (claim 13 and Figure 1) such as nickel (col.10 lines 62-65), which is a transition metal. However, the reference fails to teach a BCC structure.
Wiechart teaches a method of fabricating a metallization structure (title) in which tantalum is deposited on a TaN seed layer where the tantalum can have a bcc structure (100). It would have been obvious to use a metal film having a bcc structure in Kan with the expectation of success because Wiechart teaches of using a metal with a bcc structure.
Regarding claim 11, Kan teaches titanium (col.11 line 19).
Regarding claim 12, Wiechart teaches tantalum (100).
Regarding claim 13, Kan teaches room temperature (col.1 lines 62-67).
Regarding claim 14, the applicant requires a specific thickness. Kan teaches a thickness of 20 nm (col.11 line 19). To utilize the claimed thickness would have been obvious in the absence of a showing of criticality.
Regarding claim 15, Kan teaches a thickness of 100 nm (col.8 lines 35-36).
Regarding claim 16, Kan teaches removing the polymer template (claim 13).
Regarding claim 17, Kan teaches removing residue (claim 13).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-26 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art references fail to teach or suggest forming the polymer template as required in claim 18, from which claims 19-26 depend.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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 03/16/2026