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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Supplemental Final Rejection
This office action is a Supplemental Final Rejection to replace the prior office action mailed on 11/20/2025, since the previous office action improperly refers to the prior art structures.
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.
Claim(s) 1- 4 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forrest et al. (U.S. 2010/0084011 A1, hereinafter refer to Forrest) in view of Higashikawa et al. (U.S. 2012/0138134 A1, hereinafter refer to Higashikawa).
Regarding Claim 1: Forrest discloses a photodetector for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a spectrally selective manner, having a first optoelectronic component (Tandem) for detecting a first wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation (see Forrest, Figs.17A- 17D and 16 as shown below and ¶ [0003]), comprising:
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a first optical cavity (note: optical cavity is formed between bottom MoO3 and top Ag layers) formed by two mutually spaced parallel mirror layers (note: a materials of Ag and MoO3 known as a reflective mirror materials), wherein the length of the first optical cavity is such that for the first wavelength (the wavelength of the incident light absorbed in the first optical cavity were known as a first wavelength and has a resonant wave within the cavity) an ith-order resonant wave associated therewith is formed in the first optical cavity (see Forrest, Fig.17A as shown above), and
at least one detection cell (front and back cells) arranged in the first optical cavity, each detection cell (front and back cells) containing a photoactive layer (C60), the photoactive layer (C60) being arranged in each case within the first optical cavity in such a way that exactly one oscillation maximum of the resonant wave lies within the photoactive layer (C60) (see Forrest, Fig.17A as shown above),
wherein the order of the resonant wave (note: the incident light which enters to the front photoactive layer (C60) travels/reflects back and forth between reflective mirror layer prior to absorption process at different or similar wave form and depends on the source of incident light and has resonant wave greater than 1) of the first optoelectronic component (Tandem) is greater than 1 (see Forrest, Figs.17A and 16 as shown above),
wherein in said first optical cavity (note: optical cavity is formed between bottom MoO3 and top Ag layers), at least one optically absorbing intermediate layer ((Ag)/MoO3 layers) is respectively arranged such that an oscillation node of said resonant wave is located in said absorbing intermediate layer ((Ag)/MoO3 layers), said absorbing intermediate layer ((Ag)/MoO3 layers) being adapted to absorb as much energy of a specific electromagnetic wave within said first optical cavity as to cancel it, said specific electromagnetic wave having a wavelength different from the resonant wavelength associated with said first wavelength (note: the incident light which is not absorbed by the front photoactive layer (C60) and not reflected back to the front photoactive layer (C60) by reflective Ag)/MoO3 layers will make to the back photoactive layer (C60)) (see Forrest, Figs.17A and 16 as shown above),
wherein (i) said optically absorbing intermediate layer (Ag/MoO3 layers) is made of a metal or a metal mixture, the optically absorbing intermediate layer (Ag/MoO3 layers) having a thickness in the range of 5 nm to 40 nm (0.8 + 2.5 = 3.3 nm), or (ii) said optically absorbing intermediate layer (Ag/MoO3 layers) is made of a conductive oxide (MoO3), the optically absorbing intermediate layer (Ag/MoO3 layers) having a thickness in the range of 20 nm to 100 nm (2.5 nm), or (iii) said optically absorbing intermediate layer (Ag/MoO3 layers) is made of a layer of organic small molecules, an organic mixed layer or a polymer being a doped hole- conducting material, such as a hole-conducting material comprising MeO- TPD:F6TCNNQ or PEDOT:PSS with quantum dots (QD) (see Forrest, Fig.17A as shown above), and/or
at least one optically transparent contact layer (ITO) is arranged in the first optical cavity, which contact layer (ITO) is directly adjacent to one of the at least one detection cell, consists of an electrically conductive material and is suitable for being connected in an electrically conductive manner to an evaluation unit which is suitable for evaluating the electrical signals generated by the at least one detection cell of the first optoelectronic component (see Forrest, Figs.17A and 16 as shown above).
Forrest is silent upon explicitly disclosing the thickness of the optically absorbing intermediate layer.
Before effective filing date of the claimed invention the disclosed thickness of the optically absorbing intermediate layer were known in order to improve photoelectric conversion efficiency of stack-type photovoltaic element and in order to adjust the characteristics of the conductivity and the sheet resistance of intermediate layer as well as light transmission characteristics of intermediate layer to desired range.
For support see Higashikawa, which teaches wherein the thickness of the optically absorbing intermediate layer (7) (thickness not smaller than 20 nm and not greater than 200 nm) (see Higashikawa, Figs.1-2 as shown below, ¶ [0007], ¶ [0022], ¶ [0086]- ¶ [0087]).
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Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Forrest and Higashikawa to enable the known thickness ranges for Forrest’s ontically absorbing intermediate layer as taught by Higashikawa in order to improve photoelectric conversion efficiency of stack-type photovoltaic element and in order to adjust the characteristics of the conductivity and the sheet resistance of intermediate layer as well as light transmission characteristics of intermediate layer to desired range.
Note: the combination of Forrest and Higashikawa and the claimed invention products are identical or substantially identical in structure or composition; hence, the discovery of a previously unappreciated property of the combination of Forrest and Higashikawa prior art composition, or of a scientific explanation for the combination of Forrest and Higashikawa prior art’s functioning, does not render the old composition patentably new to the discoverer.
Regarding Claim 2: Forrest as modified teaches a photodetector for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a spectrally selective manner as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Forrest and Higashikawa further teaches wherein at least one detection cell arranged in the first optical cavity further contains a first charge transport layer (SubPc/PTCBI/CuPc/BCP) and a second charge transport layer (SubPc/PTCBI/CuPc/BCP) between which the photoactive layer (C60) is arranged, wherein the first charge transport layer (SubPc/PTCBI/CuPc/BCP), the photoactive layer (C60), and the second charge transport layer (SubPc/PTCBI/CuPc/BCP) are arranged one on top of the other along the length of the first optical cavity (see Forrest, Figs.17A and 16 as shown above, ¶ [0021], and ¶ [0061]- ¶ [0067]).
Regarding Claim 3: Forrest as modified teaches a photodetector for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a spectrally selective manner as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Forrest and Higashikawa further teaches wherein the number of detection cells arranged in the first optical cavity corresponds to the order of the resonance wave (see Forrest, Figs.17A and 16 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 4: Forrest as modified teaches a photodetector for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a spectrally selective manner as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Forrest and Higashikawa further teaches wherein at least one optically absorbing intermediate layer ((Ag)/MoO3 layers) is arranged in the first optical cavity and at least one of the at least one optically absorbing intermediate layer is directly adjacent to one of the at least one detection cell, consists of an electrically conductive material and is suitable to be connected in an electrically conductive manner to an evaluation unit suitable to evaluate the electrical signals generated by the at least one detection cell of the first optoelectronic component (see Forrest, Figs.17A and 16 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 17: Forrest as modified teaches a photodetector for detecting electromagnetic radiation in a spectrally selective manner as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Forrest and Higashikawa further teaches wherein the number of detection cells arranged in the first optical cavity corresponds to the order of the resonance wave (see Forrest, Figs.17A and 16 as shown above).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BITEW A DINKE whose telephone number is (571)272-0534. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 a.m. - 5 p.m..
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/BITEW A DINKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812