obviousness. The basic premise of the rejection is that each of the references teaches boron-
carbon-silicon ceramic products produced from preceramic polymers, which products are
patentably indistinguishable from the claimed subject matter. See the examiner’s rejection of
March 12, 1996, page 3. We disagree.
We find that Riccitiello (’728) discloses an organic silicon-boron ceramic material prepared
by pyrolyzing polyorganoborosilanes at high temperatures. Ceramic materials are produced
which have SiC, SiB , SiB , and B C moieties which are the result of thermal degradation.4 6 4
See column 1, lines 15-20. See also column 4, lines 24-28. We further find that Riccitiello
(’728) discloses repeating units having B-Si bonds present. See column 3, lines 11-18. It
cannot be ascertained and the examiner has provided no evidence that B-Si bonds are present
in the ceramic of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, we determine that there is little
structural similarity between the ceramic prepolymer of Riccitiello (’728) prior to pyrolysis
and the ceramic prepolymer of the claimed subject matter. Accordingly, no conclusions can be
drawn as to the similarities of the final ceramic product obtained by patentee and that of the
claimed subject matter.
Similarly, we find that Riccitiello (’278) discloses an organic-inorganic polymer comprising
boron-carbon-silicon and the ceramic produced by pyrolysis of the polymer. See column 1,
lines 20-24, and 35-38. We further find that patentee states, “[t]he reaction of borane and
vinylsilane(s) gives various products depending on the starting material.” See column 3, lines
6
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