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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 23 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 23 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Claim 23 recites stoichiometric however, see PG-PUB US 20220302324 A1 paragraph 0062 teaches solution processing “Many of the previously reported CeO.sub.2 quantum dot syntheses involve high temperature calcination (500° C.-600° C.), that resulted in non-stoichiometric CeO.sub.2 and were prone to morphological instability and uncontrolled agglomeration. Here, and in this example, a facile colloidal approach to obtain substantially stoichiometric non-agglomerated CeO.sub.2 quantum dot that are surface-passivated by ligands in the quantum confinement regime from 14 nm down to 5.3 nm, demonstrating bandgaps ranging from 3.66 eV to 3.77 eV, respectively”, see paragraph 0038 “By “substantially stoichiometric” it is meant that the non-insulating material oxide is entirely stoichiometric or within ±5% from entirely stoichiometric” and previous 112 second paragraph rejection asked the question, is 5% of what ? In response the Applicant removed “substantially stoichiometric” and Applicant filed new claim 23, however the specification does not provide enablement for stoichiometric, in fact paragraph PG-PUB US 20220302324 A1 paragraph 0062 admits that the formulation may NOT be stoichiometric at all. Thus there is no support that the non-insulating metal oxide of the claims have a higher level of stoichiometry than the standard non-insulating metal oxide as in the prior art.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5, 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto et al. (US 20160337607 A1) hereafter referred to as Okamoto in view of Qin et al. (US 20210020838 A1) hereafter referred to as Qin. Greenham et al. (US 20120068140 A1) hereafter referred to as Greenham is provided as evidence.
In regard to claim 1 Okamoto teaches a photomultiplier [see Fig. 20A, Fig. 25, see paragraph 0187 “In a photoelectric conversion element including a selenium-based material in a photoelectric conversion layer, a relatively high voltage (e.g., 10 V or more) is preferably applied to easily cause an avalanche phenomenon” which satisfies photomultiplier under broadest reasonable interpretation] comprising:
an electron-blocking layer [“Although the photoelectric conversion layer 561 is illustrated as a single layer, gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like as a hole-blocking layer may be provided on the light reception side of the selenium-based material, and nickel oxide, antimony sulfide, or the like as an electron-blocking layer may be provided on an electrode 566 side”] located on a first electrode;
an amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film [see paragraph 0190 “the photoelectric conversion element PD including a selenium-based material for a photoelectric conversion layer 561” “Amorphous selenium or crystalline selenium can be used as the selenium-based material”] located on the electron-blocking layer;
a hole-blocking layer [see above “gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like”] located on the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film,
wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises [see above “gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like”] a non-insulating metal oxide having a dielectric constant of greater than 10 [see Okamoto cerium oxide]; and
a second electrode [“light-transmitting conductive layer 562”] located on the hole-blocking layer,
but does not state and selected from metal oxide [see cerium oxide but not in the form of] quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter.
See Qin paragraphs 0259-0292 “The electron transport layer includes a sequentially stacked laminate of a 20 nm polar ZnO layer and a 20 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of OA and Cr” “A methoanol solution of ZnO and a heptane solution of ZnO with mixed ligands of OA and Cl.sup.− are sequentially coated over the quantum dot light-emitting layer, where the thickness of each layer is 20 nm” “A 100 nm Ag electrode is formed over the electron transport layer using a vapor deposition method” “In another embodiment, the device structure includes a glass substrate, an ITO anode, a hole injection layer, a 35 nm hole transport layer, a 20 nm quantum dot light-emitting layer, a 50 nm electron transport layer, and a 100 nm cathode layered from bottom to top. The electron transport layer includes a sequentially stacked laminate of a 10 nm polar ZnO layer, a 10 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of an octadecyl phosphate and a 10 nm polar ZnO layer, a 10 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of octadecyl phosphate and Cl.sup.−, and 10 nm polar ZnO layer”.
See that the terms “hole blocking” vs “electron transport” depends on the type of device i.e. enhancing electron movement is similar to inhibiting hole movement and vice versa.
See as evidence Greenham, see paragraph 0056 “The hole blocking layer may be formed by deposition of colloidal nanoparticles of a wide-bandgap semiconductor such as ZnO” “The layer of conducting material and the layer of hole blocking material may be deposited by a coating technique such as spin-coating, dip-coating, blade coating or spray coating. Alternatively, one or both of these layers may be printed by a technique such as inkjet printing, screen printing or roll printing”, “spin-coating of a further ZnO nanoparticle layer of 200 nm thickness. The device was then annealed at 200.degree. C. for 30 min under nitrogen”.
See that cerium oxide also is wide band gap like ZnO.
Thus, it 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 to modify Okamoto to include and selected from metal oxide quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter.
The motivation is that including solution processed metal oxide quantum dots is easy to do and is known to give good results to block holes and transport electrons.
In regard to claim 3 Okamoto and Qin as combined teaches [see electrode 566 in Fig. 20A] wherein the first electrode is located on a surface of a substrate.
In regard to claim 4 Okamoto and Qin as combined teaches [see electrode 566 in Fig. 20A, “Although the photoelectric conversion layer 561 is illustrated as a single layer, gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like as a hole-blocking layer may be provided on the light reception side of the selenium-based material, and nickel oxide, antimony sulfide, or the like as an electron-blocking layer may be provided on an electrode 566 side” see “light-transmitting conductive layer 562”] wherein the first electrode, the electron-blocking layer, the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film, the hole-blocking layer and the second electrode are vertically stacked one atop the other.
In regard to claim 5 Okamoto and Qin as combined teaches wherein the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film is entirely [see paragraph 0190 “the photoelectric conversion element PD including a selenium-based material for a photoelectric conversion layer 561” “Amorphous selenium or crystalline selenium can be used as the selenium-based material”] amorphous.
In regard to claim 21 Okamoto and Qin as combined does not specifically teach wherein the photomultiplier has a gain of 100 or greater.
However see Okamoto see Fig. 20A, Fig. 25, see paragraph 0187 “In a photoelectric conversion element including a selenium-based material in a photoelectric conversion layer, a relatively high voltage (e.g., 10 V or more) is preferably applied to easily cause an avalanche phenomenon”, thus the applied voltage is a result effective variable.
It 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 to use “wherein the photomultiplier has a gain of 100 or greater ”, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233
In regard to claim 22 Okamoto and Qin as combined does not specifically teach wherein the photomultiplier has a dark current density of 1000 pA/cm2 or less.
However the causes of dark current such as leakage current are known and are adjustable by device dimensions such as thicknesses, band gaps of the materials and reducing defects in the materials.
It 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 to use “wherein the photomultiplier has a dark current density of 1000 pA/cm2 or less”, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233
In regard to claim 23 Okamoto and Qin as combined [see 112 rejection, see that in the prior art, the compounds have a chemical formula and are stoichiometric. For example no person of ordinary skill in the art would question that water is not two parts Hydrogen and one part Oxygen, because that is the chemical formula. The chemical compounds cited by the references also are known compounds and have a chemical formula and are also stoichiometric and there is no reason to think otherwise.] wherein the non-insulating metal oxide is stoichiometric.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto et al. (US 20160337607 A1) hereafter referred to as Okamoto in view of Qin et al. (US 20210020838 A1) hereafter referred to as Qin. Greenham et al. (US 20120068140 A1) hereafter referred to as Greenham is provided as evidence.
In regard to claim 11 Okamoto teaches an apparatus [see Fig. 20A, Fig. 25] comprising:
at least one photomultiplier [see paragraph 0187 “In a photoelectric conversion element including a selenium-based material in a photoelectric conversion layer, a relatively high voltage (e.g., 10 V or more) is preferably applied to easily cause an avalanche phenomenon” which satisfies photomultiplier under broadest reasonable interpretation],
wherein the at least one photomultiplier comprises an electron-blocking layer [“Although the photoelectric conversion layer 561 is illustrated as a single layer, gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like as a hole-blocking layer may be provided on the light reception side of the selenium-based material, and nickel oxide, antimony sulfide, or the like as an electron-blocking layer may be provided on an electrode 566 side”] located on a first electrode,
an amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film [see paragraph 0190 “the photoelectric conversion element PD including a selenium-based material for a photoelectric conversion layer 561” “Amorphous selenium or crystalline selenium can be used as the selenium-based material”] located on the electron-blocking layer,
a hole-blocking layer [see above “gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like”] located on the amorphous selenium photoconductive film,
wherein the hole-blocking layer [see above “gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like”] comprises a non- insulating metal oxide having a dielectric constant of greaterthan 10 [see Okamoto cerium oxide], and
a second electrode [“light-transmitting conductive layer 562”] located on the hole-blocking layer
but does not state and selected from metal oxide [see cerium oxide but not in the form of] quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter.
See Qin paragraphs 0259-0292 “The electron transport layer includes a sequentially stacked laminate of a 20 nm polar ZnO layer and a 20 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of OA and Cr” “A methoanol solution of ZnO and a heptane solution of ZnO with mixed ligands of OA and Cl.sup.− are sequentially coated over the quantum dot light-emitting layer, where the thickness of each layer is 20 nm” “A 100 nm Ag electrode is formed over the electron transport layer using a vapor deposition method” “In another embodiment, the device structure includes a glass substrate, an ITO anode, a hole injection layer, a 35 nm hole transport layer, a 20 nm quantum dot light-emitting layer, a 50 nm electron transport layer, and a 100 nm cathode layered from bottom to top. The electron transport layer includes a sequentially stacked laminate of a 10 nm polar ZnO layer, a 10 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of an octadecyl phosphate and a 10 nm polar ZnO layer, a 10 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of octadecyl phosphate and Cl.sup.−, and 10 nm polar ZnO layer”.
See that the terms “hole blocking” vs “electron transport” depends on the type of device i.e. enhancing electron movement is similar to inhibiting hole movement and vice versa.
See as evidence Greenham, see paragraph 0056 “The hole blocking layer may be formed by deposition of colloidal nanoparticles of a wide-bandgap semiconductor such as ZnO” “The layer of conducting material and the layer of hole blocking material may be deposited by a coating technique such as spin-coating, dip-coating, blade coating or spray coating. Alternatively, one or both of these layers may be printed by a technique such as inkjet printing, screen printing or roll printing”, “spin-coating of a further ZnO nanoparticle layer of 200 nm thickness. The device was then annealed at 200.degree. C. for 30 min under nitrogen”.
See that cerium oxide also is wide band gap like ZnO.
Thus, it 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 to modify Okamoto to include and selected from metal oxide quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter.
The motivation is that including solution processed metal oxide quantum dots is easy to do and is known to give good results to block holes and transport electrons.
Claim(s) 2, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto and Qin as combined and further in view of Imai (US 20080283947 A1)
In regard to claim 2 Okamoto and Qin as combined does not specifically teach further comprising a passivation buffer layer sandwiched between the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film and the hole-blocking layer.
However this is common in the art, see Imai Abstract, paragraph 0048 “a recording photoconductive layer, which contains a-Se as a principal constituent, and a crystallization preventing layer, which is constituted of an a-Se layer containing at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of As, Sb, and Bi” “the hole blocking layer 8 is located between the crystallization preventing layer 4' and the bias electrode 7”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Okamoto to include further comprising a passivation buffer layer sandwiched between the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film and the hole-blocking layer.
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is crystallization preventing.
In regard to claim 12 Okamoto and Qin as combined does not specifically teach further comprising a passivation buffer layer sandwiched between the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film and the hole-blocking layer.
However this is common in the art, see Imai Abstract, paragraph 0048 “a recording photoconductive layer, which contains a-Se as a principal constituent, and a crystallization preventing layer, which is constituted of an a-Se layer containing at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of As, Sb, and Bi” “the hole blocking layer 8 is located between the crystallization preventing layer 4' and the bias electrode 7”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Okamoto to include further comprising a passivation buffer layer sandwiched between the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film and the hole-blocking layer.
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is crystallization preventing.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto and Qin as combined and further in view of Forrest et al. (US 20110012091 A1) hereafter referred to as Forrest
In regard to claim 9 Okamoto and Qin as combined does not specifically teach wherein the non-insulating metal oxide has a dielectric constant of greater than 10 and is a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter, wherein the perovskite comprises strontium titanate or barium titanate.
However this is a commonly used material in the art, see Forrest see paragraph 0038 “The hole blocking layer may also comprise inorganic materials, non-limiting examples of which include TiO.sub.2, GaN, ZnS, ZnO, ZnSe, SrTiO.sub.3, KaTiO.sub.3, BaTiO.sub.3, MnTiO.sub.3, PbO, WO.sub.3, SnO.sub.2”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Okamoto to include wherein the non-insulating metal oxide has a dielectric constant of greater than 10 and is a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter, wherein the perovskite comprises strontium titanate or barium titanate.
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is that strontium titanate and barium titanate are well known to give good results as hole blocking layer.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto and Qin as combined and further in view of Forrest et al. (US 20110012091 A1) hereafter referred to as Forrest
In regard to claim 16 Okamoto and Qin as combined does not specifically teach wherein the non-insulating metal oxide has a dielectric constant of greater than 10 and is a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter wherein the perovskite comprises strontium titanate or barium titanate.
However this is a commonly used material in the art, see Forrest see paragraph 0038 “The hole blocking layer may also comprise inorganic materials, non-limiting examples of which include TiO.sub.2, GaN, ZnS, ZnO, ZnSe, SrTiO.sub.3, KaTiO.sub.3, BaTiO.sub.3, MnTiO.sub.3, PbO, WO.sub.3, SnO.sub.2”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Okamoto to include wherein the non-insulating metal oxide has a dielectric constant of greater than 10 and is a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter wherein the perovskite comprises strontium titanate or barium titanate.
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is that strontium titanate and barium titanate are well known to give good results as hole blocking layer.
Claim(s) 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto et al. (US 20160337607 A1) hereafter referred to as Okamoto in view of Qin et al. (US 20210020838 A1) hereafter referred to as Qin. Greenham et al. (US 20120068140 A1) hereafter referred to as Greenham is provided as evidence.
In regard to claim 17 Okamoto teaches a method of forming a photomultiplier [see Fig. 20A, Fig. 25, see paragraph 0187 “In a photoelectric conversion element including a selenium-based material in a photoelectric conversion layer, a relatively high voltage (e.g., 10 V or more) is preferably applied to easily cause an avalanche phenomenon” which satisfies photomultiplier under broadest reasonable interpretation], the method comprising:
forming an electron-blocking layer [“Although the photoelectric conversion layer 561 is illustrated as a single layer, gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like as a hole-blocking layer may be provided on the light reception side of the selenium-based material, and nickel oxide, antimony sulfide, or the like as an electron-blocking layer may be provided on an electrode 566 side”] located on a first electrode;
forming an amorphous selenium [see paragraph 0190 “the photoelectric conversion element PD including a selenium-based material for a photoelectric conversion layer 561” “Amorphous selenium or crystalline selenium can be used as the selenium-based material”] solid-state photoconductive film on the electron- blocking layer;
forming a hole-blocking layer [see above “gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like”] on the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film,
wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises [see above “gallium oxide, cerium oxide, or the like”] a non-insulating metal oxide having a dielectric constant of greater than 10 [see Okamoto cerium oxide]; and
forming a second electrode [“light-transmitting conductive layer 562”] on the hole-blocking layer
but does not state and selected from metal oxide [see cerium oxide but not in the form of] quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B representcations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter
See Qin paragraphs 0259-0292 “The electron transport layer includes a sequentially stacked laminate of a 20 nm polar ZnO layer and a 20 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of OA and Cr” “A methoanol solution of ZnO and a heptane solution of ZnO with mixed ligands of OA and Cl.sup.− are sequentially coated over the quantum dot light-emitting layer, where the thickness of each layer is 20 nm” “A 100 nm Ag electrode is formed over the electron transport layer using a vapor deposition method” “In another embodiment, the device structure includes a glass substrate, an ITO anode, a hole injection layer, a 35 nm hole transport layer, a 20 nm quantum dot light-emitting layer, a 50 nm electron transport layer, and a 100 nm cathode layered from bottom to top. The electron transport layer includes a sequentially stacked laminate of a 10 nm polar ZnO layer, a 10 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of an octadecyl phosphate and a 10 nm polar ZnO layer, a 10 nm ZnO quantum dot layer with surface ligands of octadecyl phosphate and Cl.sup.−, and 10 nm polar ZnO layer”.
See that the terms “hole blocking” vs “electron transport” depends on the type of device i.e. enhancing electron movement is similar to inhibiting hole movement and vice versa.
See as evidence Greenham, see paragraph 0056 “The hole blocking layer may be formed by deposition of colloidal nanoparticles of a wide-bandgap semiconductor such as ZnO” “The layer of conducting material and the layer of hole blocking material may be deposited by a coating technique such as spin-coating, dip-coating, blade coating or spray coating. Alternatively, one or both of these layers may be printed by a technique such as inkjet printing, screen printing or roll printing”, “spin-coating of a further ZnO nanoparticle layer of 200 nm thickness. The device was then annealed at 200.degree. C. for 30 min under nitrogen”.
See that cerium oxide also is wide band gap like ZnO.
Thus, it 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 to modify Okamoto to include and selected from metal oxide quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B representcations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter.
The motivation is that including solution processed metal oxide quantum dots is easy to do and is known to give good results to block holes and transport electrons.
In regard to claim 18 Okamoto and Qin as combined teaches [see combination see “quantum dots”, see Qin teaches solution processing, see paragraph 0014-0250 , see temperatures paragraph 0047-0049, see paragraphs 0189-0190 “In the material of the first electron transport layer, the particle has the following mixed ligands on the surface thereof” “the electron transport layer further includes at least one second electron transport layer that includes a water-soluble electron transport material” “since the water-soluble electron transport material does not have an organic ligand on the surface, alternately stacking the water-soluble layer and the oil-soluble layer being in a same functional layer can further reduce the electron transport distance and improve the efficiency of the electron transport”, see solution based deposition is not high temperature] wherein the forming the hole-blocking layer comprises: preparing a solution processed material comprised of the metal oxide quantum dots or the perovskite; and depositing, at a temperature less than a crystallization on-set temperature for selenium, the solution processed material on a surface of the amorphous selenium solid-state photoconductive film.
In regard to claim 19 Okamoto and Qin as combined teaches wherein the solution processed material comprises a colloidal dispersion [see combination Qin colloidal processing] of cerium oxide nanocrystals, and the depositing of the colloidal dispersion of cerium oxide [see cerium oxide of Okamoto is wide band gap] nanocrystals provides a layer of cerium oxide quantum dots, and wherein the layer of cerium oxide quantum dots is further subjected to a ligand exchange [see for example Qin paragraphs 0232-0251 the ligands are changed during processing] process to form the hole- blocking layer.
In regard to claim 20 Okamoto and Qin as combined wherein the temperature of the deposition [see Qin solution deposition is at room temperature] is performed at nominal room temperature.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 8, 9 the Applicant argues, “The selection of the claimed hole-blocking layer comprising a non-insulating metal oxide having a dielectric constant of greater than 10 and selected from metal oxide quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABX3 wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter, unexpectedly provides a photomultiplier exhibiting a gain of 100 or greater, while maintaining a dark current density of 1000 pA/cm2 or less. See, for example, Examples I and II of the present application. Such results represent a significant improvement over conventional photomultiplier in which other types of hole-blocking materials are employed. The applied prior art makes no recognition that a specific type of hole blocking layer, let alone those recited in the amended claims, provides such unexpected results. Applicant observes that the present application is directed to an amorphous selenium (a- Se) photomultiplier including a hole-blocking layer that provides high gain (e.g., a gain of 100or greater) and maintains low dark current density (e.g., a dark current density O000 pA/cm2or less, as measured at the on-set of avalanche). In the claims of the present application, the hole-blocking layer is a non-insulating metal oxide that has a dielectric constant of greater than 10 and selected from metal oxide quantum dots or a perovskite having a chemical formula ABXs wherein A and B represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both cations, wherein the perovskite is nanocrystalline having a particle size of less than 100 nm in diameter. T he metal oxide quantum dots of the present application exhibit quantum confinement effects and a size tunable bandgap, which is effective in maximizing gain and maintaining low dark.
The present application states that the avalanche gain of a-Se has been severely limited as a detector due to (A) insulating hole-blocking layer (HBLs), (B) non-insulating HBLs which are nonstoichiometric, or (C) non-insulating HBLs which are stoichiometric but have a dielectric constant of 10 or less. Item A is inadequate because insulators cause trapped space-charge effect and polarization. Item B does not work efficiently because defect states in the HBL substantially enhance charge injection. Item C also limits the attainment of very high-gain because of the presence of field hot-spots close to electrode edges and corners. See, paragraph 0036 of the originally filed application.
Example I of the present application demonstrates that avalanche gain is severely limited due to the presence of field hot-spots. However, high-gain of 106 was achieved using the SrTiO3 hole-blocking layer. Example II of the present invention demonstrates that with cerium oxide quantum dots, the inventive p-i-n devices showed the lowest reported dark current density at avalanche electric fields with over 300% improvement than best-in-class solid state vertical devices and nearly 200 % improvement over even the vacuum devices. These two examples illustrate unexpected results that can be obtained using the claimed hole blocking layers”.
The Examiner responds that the structural limitations of the claims were shown to be obvious by the prior art combination. The Examiner responds that as noted in the rejection, the compounds in the prior art have a chemical formula and are stoichiometric. For example no person of ordinary skill in the art would question that water is not two parts Hydrogen and one part Oxygen, because that is the chemical formula. The chemical compounds cited by the prior art also are known compounds and have a chemical formula and are also stoichiometric and there is no reason to think otherwise. The Examiner responds that the Applicant’s argument that superior results were obtained by following the known chemical Formula of a chemical compound of the prior art does not mean it is allowable, because in summary the Applicant is using the known chemical formula of the same chemicals used by the prior art combination, which is the same that any person of ordinary skill in the art is expected to do, and the results are expected because the chemical properties are known.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SITARAMARAO S YECHURI whose telephone number is (571)272-8764. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:30 PM.
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/SITARAMARAO S YECHURI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893