DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Status of Claims
Claim 1 is amended.
Claims 4-7, 9-13 are cancelled.
Claims 1-3, 8 are pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/29/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendments filed on 12/29/2025 have been entered.
The 103 rejections on Claims 1-13 have been withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment to Claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masaya et al (JP2013062242A; machine translation) as evidenced by PubChem compound summary (National Center for Biotechnology Information (2026). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 16702007, Aluminum acetylacetonate. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Aluminum-acetylacetonate).
Regarding Claim 1,
Masaya teaches a solid electrolyte layer comprising sulfide based solid electrolytes such as Li2S-P2S5 (paragraph 0050), and an organoaluminum compound such as aluminum pentanedionate and aluminum acetylacetonate (Paragraph 0080). The sulfide based solid electrolyte has at least one phosphorus atom and one sulfur atom. Per PubChem compound summary page, aluminum acetylacetonate is a synonym for aluminum pentanedionate (as claimed). The invention of Masaya has advantages related to forming thin film solid state secondary battery using a low cost, simple coating method. Hence, Masaya teaches the claimed solid electrolyte and the acidic component of aluminum pentanedionate.
Masaya teaches the electrolyte composition of instant invention Claim 1 but do not expressly teach that the acidic component comprises a hydrophobic property presenting with a hydrophobic structure suppressing a formation of hydrogen sulfide for the sulfide based solid electrolyte. Per MPEP 2112.01 II., products of identical composition cannot have mutually exclusive properties. it is reasonable to presume that the hydrophobic property of the acidic component is inherent to Masaya.
Masaya does not expressly teach that the acidic component carries a positive charge, and that the positive charge attaches to the phosphorus sulfur structure of the solid electrolyte. It is evident that the acidic component in the prior art is the same as instant specification (i.e. aluminum pentanedionate). Hence, it is expected to have the same properties as the claimed invention. See MPEP 2112.01 II. Masaya combines the solid electrolyte and acidic component such that the acidic component attaches to the sulfide phosphorus sulfur structure of the electrolyte.
Regarding Claim 2,
Masaya teaches that the solid electrolyte has a phosphorus sulfur structure such as Li2S-P2S5 (Paragraph 0050). This structure includes -PS, -P2S64-.
Regarding Claim 3,
Masaya teaches the electrolyte composition of instant invention Claim 1 but does not expressly teach that the acidic component dissociates and generates an acidic radical, ion or group with positive charge, a base radical with a negative charge, and that the positive radical attaches to the sulfur atom of the sulfide-solid electrolyte. Per MPEP 2112.01 II., products of identical composition cannot have mutually exclusive properties. it is reasonable to presume that the interaction between radicals of the electrolyte composition is inherent to Masaya. Support for said presumption is found in that the instant specification cites that the method of producing the electrolyte is simply mixing the phosphorus sulfur structure with a solution of the acidic component (instant specification, Paragraph 0029). Masaya also teaches using mixing, heating and stirring to combine the electrolyte ingredients (Paragraph 0200). Since the electrolyte composition are identical and the method of preparation is the same, the electrolyte of Masaya is expected to exhibit the same properties as the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masaya et al (JP2013062242A; machine translation) as evidenced by PubChem compound summary (National Center for Biotechnology Information (2026). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 16702007, Aluminum acetylacetonate. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Aluminum-acetylacetonate) and Deiseroth et al (US 20200290969 A1).
Regarding Claim 8,
Masaya teaches that the solid electrolyte comprises sulifde based solid electrolytes such as Li2S-P2S5 (Paragraph 0050). Masaya does not limit the electrolytes to the list of chemicals provided. Masaya also lists LiI-Li2S-P2S5 as an electrolyte. This consists of iodide element which is a halide similar to the claimed chloride element. Furthermore, as evidenced by Deiseroth that Li6PS5Cl is prepared with the starting materials of Li2S, P2S5, LiCl (Paragraph 0036). Deiseroth shows that lithium argyrodites used as solid electrolytes are compounds with formula Li6PS5Z where Z is selected from the group consisting of halides (Paragraph 0014). Hence, the use of Li6PS5Cl as a solid electrolyte is evident based on Masaya and Deiseroth.
References of Interest
Examiner notes the following references of interest pertinent to this area
Kim et al (US 20220093922 A1)
Sakamoto et al (US 20210242501 A1)
Hotta et al (US 4501686)
Choi et al (US 20200052330 A1)
Liu et al (US 20190027788 A1)
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 the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant argues that previously cited art does not show the mechanism (acidic component with hydrophobic structure suppressing H2S) and the specific additive set. With respect to previously cited art failing to recognize or suggest any of the advantageous properties exhibited by the claimed invention, showing the advantageous properties exhibited by the claimed invention is not the standard for a 103 rejection, nor is it a showing of unexpected results.
Conclusion
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/SUHANI JITENDRA PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 1783
/MARIA V EWALD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1783