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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on December 29th, 2025 is acknowledged. By virtue of this communication, claims 1-8, 11, and 17-19 are currently presented in the instant application. Claims 9, 10, 12-16, and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species. It is noted that claims 9, 10, 12-16, and 20 are directed to unelected species V.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 11, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wijdekop et al. (US 2015/0325719 A1; hereinafter Wijdekop).
With respect to claim 1, Wijdekop teaches a solar cell 1 in Fig. 1 comprising
a transparent conductor sheet 11 comprising a polymeric substrate 13 with an embedded metal grid 12, disposed within microchannels extending partially through a thickness of polymeric substrate 13 from a first surface (bottom of 13) of the polymeric substrate 13 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 25, 86, 94); and
a photoactive layer 8 disposed adjacent to the first surface (bottom of 13) of the polymeric substrate 13 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 22, 35, 39, 77, 86);
wherein the transparent conductor sheet 11 has a sheet resistance less than 1 Ω/□ and an average solar direct transmittance over the visible and infrared portion of the spectrum of at least about 75% (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 25, 46, 86, 94; note PET for material of polymeric substrate; where a prior art apparatus is identical or substantially identical in structure, claimed properties or functional characteristics are presumed to be inherent, and a prima facie case of either anticipation or obviousness has been established (see MPEP 2112.01)).
With respect to claim 2, Wijdekop teaches the solar cell of claim 1, further comprises one of an electron transport layer or a hole transport layer 9 disposed between the transparent conductor sheet 11 and the photoactive layer 8 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 39, 57, 81, 86).
With respect to claim 4, Wijdekop teaches the solar cell of claim 2, wherein the electron transport layer or the hole transport layer 9 is electrical contact with the embedded metal grid 12 of the transparent conductor 11 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 39, 57, 86).
With respect to claim 11, Wijdekop teaches the solar cell of claim 1, wherein the photoactive layer is a perovskite layer, a dye-sensitized assembly comprising a photoactive dye layer and an electrolyte layer, and an organic photovoltaic assembly comprising a buffer layer, an acceptor layer and a donor layer (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 22, 35, 39, 77, 86).
With respect to claim 17, Wijdekop teaches a method of making a flexible solar cell 1, comprising:
providing a transparent conductor sheet 11, wherein the transparent conductor sheet 11 comprises a polymeric substrate 13 with an embedded metal grid 12, disposed within grooves (locations of 12 within 13) extending partially through a thickness of polymeric substrate 13 from a first surface (bottom of 13) of the polymeric substrate 13 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 25, 86, 94);
optionally, applying an electron/hole transport layer 9 on the first surface (bottom of 13) of the transparent conductor sheet 11 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 39, 57, 86); and
applying a photoactive layer 8 on one of the first surface (bottom of 13) of the transparent conductor sheet 11 and the electron/hole transport layer 9 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 22, 35, 39, 57, 77, 81, 86).
With respect to claim 18, Wijdekop teaches the method of claim 17, further comprising forming an electrode (working electrode) on the photoactive layer 8 (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 16, 41, 86-88).
With respect to claim 19, Wijdekop teaches the method of claim 17, wherein the photoactive layer is a perovskite layer, a dye-sensitized assembly comprising a photoactive dye layer and an electrolyte layer, or an organic photovoltaic assembly comprising a buffer layer, an acceptor layer and a donor layer (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 22, 35, 39, 77, 86).
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wijdekop et al. (US 2015/0325719 A1; hereinafter Wijdekop) in view of Guha et al. (US 2016/0087233 A1; hereinafter Guha).
With respect to claim 3, Wijdekop discloses the solar cell of claim 2.
Wijdekop does not explicitly disclose wherein the electron transport layer or the hole transport layer comprises one of indium tin oxide (ITO) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).
Guha discloses a solar cell disclosing wherein an electron transport layer or a hole transport layer 112 comprises one of indium tin oxide (ITO) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) (see Fig. 1 and paragraph 34, 49).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the electron transport layer or the hole transport layer would comprise one of indium tin oxide (ITO) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) because PEDOT is a well-known hole transport layer material and it has been held by the courts that selection of a prior art material on the basis of its suitability for its intended purpose is within the level of ordinary skill (see MPEP 2144.07).
Claims 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wijdekop et al. (US 2015/0325719 A1; hereinafter Wijdekop) in view of Frolov et al. (US 2009/0218651 A1; hereinafter Frolov).
With respect to claim 5, Wijdekop disclose the solar cell of claim 4.
Wijdekop does not explicitly disclose wherein the embedded metal grid consists essentially of copper, nickel, or silver.
Frolov disclose a solar cell in Figs. 7 and 8 wherein an embedded metal grid (wire grid) consists essentially of copper, nickel, or silver (see Figs. 7 and 8 and paragraphs 56).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the embedded metal grid of Wijdekop would consist essentially of copper, nickel, or silver as taught by Frolov because copper is a well-known material for such embedded metal grids and it has been held by the courts that selection of a prior art material on the basis of its suitability for its intended purpose is within the level of ordinary skill (see MPEP 2144.07).
With respect to claim 6, Wijdekop discloses the solar cell of claim 1, wherein the embedded metal grip comprises a plurality of intersecting conductive elements (see Fig. 1 and paragraphs 25, 86, 94).
Wijdekop does not explicitly disclose wherein the embedded metal grid of intersecting conductive elements having an aspect ratio greater than 0.5, wherein the aspect ratio is defined as element height divided by element width.
Frolov discloses a solar cell in Figs. 7 and 8 wherein an embedded metal grid (wire grid) comprises a plurality of intersecting conductive elements having an aspect ratio greater than 0.5, wherein the aspect ratio is defined as element height divided by element width (see Figs. 7 and 8 and paragraphs 54, 56, 57; note height of 50 µm and width of 20 µm, 50/20=2.5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the embedded metal grid of Wijdekop would comprise a plurality of intersecting conductive elements having an aspect ratio greater than 0.5, wherein the aspect ratio is defined as element height divided by element width as taught by Frolov so as to improve the sheet resistance. Significant improvements in the performance of these devices may be achieved by improving the optical and electrical characteristics of such transparent conducting layers (see Frolov: paragraphs 3, 56).
With respect to claim 7, the combination of Wijdekop and Frolov discloses the solar cell of claim 6, wherein the conductive elements are disposed at a pitch between about 100 microns and about 5000 microns (see Wijdekop: Fig. 1 and paragraph 94).
With respect to claim 8, the combination of Wijdekop and Frolov discloses the solar cell of claim 6, wherein the transparent conductor sheet 11 comprises open area (space between elements 12) between the plurality of intersecting conductive elements 12, wherein the open area is greater than about 80% of the first surface (bottom of 13) of the transparent conductor sheet 11 (see Wijdekop: Fig. 1 and paragraph 94; note grid width and pitch).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because each reference discloses a similar solar cell structure: US 20090221111 A1 and US 20190148574 A1.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JORDAN M KLEIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7544. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/J.M.K/Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/SUE A PURVIS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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