Appeal No. 2005-2522 Page 10
Application No. 09/841,453
17, which depends on claim 20, via claims 8 and 7, adds to claim
20 the further proviso that the surface modification agent is not
only reactive with silanol, but was prepared via a monomer
reaction with water in a solvent and wherein additional monomer,
which itself is reactive with silanol, is added after the
reaction with water. As noted above, however, the claimed
subject matter is drawn to a product, not a process. Thus, claim
17 requires an oligomer or polymer that can be formed via
hydrolysis (reaction with water) and that includes at least some
excess silanol reactive monomer therewith.
As we noted above, Grainger discloses a silanol (SiOH)
reactive polymer that imparts hydrophobic properties to a
dielectric or other material. The polymer of Grainger (column 2,
lines 35-47 can include repeating units of the general formula -
Si-O-. Grainger (column 5, line 4) teaches that hydroxyl
functional groups can be employed in forming the polymer, such as
OC(O)CH . Thus, Grainger suggests using monomers including3
hydroxyl or silanol reactive functional groups in forming the
polymer. The examiner has found that Burns teaches that
organosilicon monomers are useful hydrophobic property
modification agents for silica. Based on the combined teachings
of the applied references, the examiner has determined that one
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