Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/006,380

ORGANIC MOLECULES FOR OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jan 20, 2023
Examiner
ROBINSON, CHANCEITY N
Art Unit
1737
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
72%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 9m
To Grant
58%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 72% — above average
72%
Career Allow Rate
758 granted / 1052 resolved
+7.1% vs TC avg
Minimal -14% lift
Without
With
+-14.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
40 currently pending
Career history
1092
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
36.3%
-3.7% vs TC avg
§102
20.9%
-19.1% vs TC avg
§112
24.8%
-15.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1052 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Priority Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Specification Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details. The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided. The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract exceeds 150 words and the terms “ The invention pertains” should be deleted. The abstract should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 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) 16-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duan et al. (CN 110407859 A1). Regarding claims 16-32, Duan et al. teach an organic molecule ( abstract, claims and examples & paragraphs [0002-0050 & 0111-0178]) and its use, and an organic electroluminescent device (OLED) comprising the compound [0176] having a high color purity and high luminous efficiency while achieving emission of green and even yellow light under electroluminescent conditions specifically discloses compound C-189 in [0034] PNG media_image1.png 140 153 media_image1.png Greyscale or C-197 in [0035] PNG media_image2.png 132 119 media_image2.png Greyscale . Further regards to claims 16-23, Organic molecule such as C-189 of Duan et al. do not specifically disclose at least one pair of adjacent groups RI and RII, RII and RIII, RIII and RIV, RV and RVI, RVI and RVII, RVII and RVIII, RIX and RX, RX and RXI, RXI and RXII, RXII and RXIII, RXIV and RXV, RXV and RXVI, RXVI and RXVII and RXVII and RXVIII of claim 1 form an aromatic ring system fused to the benzene ring a, b, c or d and optionally substituted with one or more substituents R5, the adjacent groups at the corresponding positions as instantly claimed and which is optionally substituted with one or more substitutent R5 as instantly claimed. However, Duan et al. recognize in paragraphs [0006-0025] that R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26, R27, R28, R29 and R30 are each independently selected from hydrogen, deuterium or a substituted or unsubstituted one of the following groups: a C6-C48 monocyclic or fused ring aromatic hydrocarbon, a C3-C48 monocyclic or fused ring heteroaromatic hydrocarbon, a C6-C30 arylamino, a C3-C30 heteroarylamino, a C1-C36 alkyl, a C1-C6 alkoxy, and R21 to R30 are not simultaneously hydrogen, and two adjacent radicals of R21 to R30may be bonded to each other to form a substituted or unsubstituted one of the following groups: a C1-C10 cycloalkane, a C6-C30 arene, or a C5-C30 heteroarene; R40 is selected from one of a substituted C6-C48 monocyclic arene, a substituted C6-C48 fused ring arene, a substituted or unsubstituted C3-C48 nitrogen-containing monocyclic heteroarene, a substituted or unsubstituted C3 C48 nitrogen-containing fused ring heteroarene; X1 and X2 are each independently NR selected from substituted or unsubstituted one of the following groups: C1-C10 alkyl, C6-C30 monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; where substituents are present in the above groups, the substituent groups are independently selected from one of C1-C10 alkyl or cycloalkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, C1-C6 alkoxy or thioalkoxy groups, C6-C30 monocyclic or fused ring arene groups, C3-C30 monocyclic or fused ring heteroarene groups; See paragraphs [0020-0024]. In formulae (1) to (5) as described above, R40 is represented by the following formula (a): In formula (a): Y1 to Y5 are each independently selected from N, C, CH or CR ', and at least one of them is N; wherein R 'is selected from one of hydrogen, C1-C20 alkyl or alkoxy, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C6 C30 monocyclic or fused ring aromatic hydrocarbon group, C3-C30 monocyclic or fused ring heteroaromatic hydrocarbon group; R40 is selected from one of fluorobenzene, benzonitrile, diphenylketone, diphenylsulfone, substituted or unsubstituted pyridine, substituted or unsubstituted diazine, substituted or unsubstituted triazine. Namely, Duan et al. gives the technical implication of substituent selection, Duan et al. gives the technical insight that two adjacent groups in R21 to R30 can be bonded to each other to form a substituted or unsubstituted C6-C30 aromatic hydrocarbon, and R40 can be selected from the above groups, when the person of ordinary skilled in the art faces the technical problem of how to provide more organic luminescent compounds, it would be obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art and is motivated to adopt directly that the substituents of the Summary section of Duan et al. are applied to Duan et al., and the selection of substituent groups close to the nature of the art for modification or replacement, as well as the alteration of the site, on the basis of keeping the structure of the main ring affecting the activity of the compound unchanged, is within the knowledge of ordinary skill in the art. Further regard to claims 17-23, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art to be motivated to select compounds of the corresponding substituents and structures for the same reasons as stated above and the disclosure cited in Duan et al. Furthermore, it is within the knowledge of ordinary skill in the art to select the number and positions at which adjacent groups form aromatic rings.    Further regards to claims 24-29 and 31, Duan et al. teach an optoelectronic device comprising a composition comprising organic molecule as a luminescent emitter ( light emitting layer ; Example 1 and [0036). Duane et al. teach the host is a host material for a wide band gap of an organic light-emitting layer, C-67 is a dye and doping concentration is 3 wt.%; (See paragraph [0036]) An organic electroluminescent device comprising a substrate, and an anode layer, a plurality of light-emitting functional layers, and a cathode layer sequentially formed on the substrate; wherein the light-emitting functional layer comprises a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, and an electron transport layer, the hole injection layer is formed on the anode layer, the hole transport layer is formed on the hole injection layer, the cathode layer is formed on the electron transport layer, with a light-emitting layer between the hole transport layer and the electron transport layer; among these, preferably, the light-emitting layer comprises the compound of the general formula according to the present invention according to any one of the above-mentioned formulae (1) to (4) as instantly claimed. Therefore, it can be seen that the compound of Duan et al. is used as light-emitting layer dopant meeting the limitation of instant claim 1. Further regards to claims 30 and 32, Duan et al. teach a method for producing an optoelectronic device, the method comprising deposition the organic molecule by a vacuum evaporation method from a solution [0124]. Claim(s) 16-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (WO 2020/022751 A1; cited as thereafter Kim et al. ). Regarding claims 16-32. Kim et al. teach ( see abstract, claims, examples 1-21, comparative examples , experimental examples 1, table 1 and [0015-0112, 0119 & 0524-0527] ) an organic electroluminescent element (OLED) capable of improving efficiency, color properties, lifetime of the element, specifically ([0119]).     The difference between the organic molecule of Kim et al. and the instant claims is RA in the respective radical species as instantly claimed. Nonetheless, Kim et al. teach ( see [0015-0112]) an electromechanical electroluminescent element, the light-emitting layer comprising a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1 PNG media_image3.png 252 312 media_image3.png Greyscale and a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 2: X1 and X2, equal to or different from each other, are each independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se and N (R4), R1 to R4 are the same or different from each other, each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, cyano, nitro, halo, hydroxy, substituted or unsubstituted alkylthio having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl having 2 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl having 2 to 24 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl having 7 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted aryl having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl having 5 to 60 nuclear atoms, substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylalkyl having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted arylamino having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted aralkylamino having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylamino having 2 to 24 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkylsilyl having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted arylsilyl having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and may be bonded to adjacent groups to each other to form a substituted or unsubstituted ring.   The compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 is a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula IV (4) as instantly claimed: X1 and X2 are the same or different from each other, each independently O or N (R4), r13 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, cyano, trifluoromethyl, nitro, halo, hydroxy, substituted or unsubstituted alkylthio having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group having 2 to 24 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group having 5 to 60 nuclear atoms, and a substituted or unsubstituted arylamino group having 6 to 30 nuclear atoms, m, r, and R2 to R4 are the same as defined in the Chemical Formula 1. Kim et al. (see [0032]) contains the compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 as a doping material; on this basis, the person skilled in the art has motivated to use corresponding structural compounds for use in optoelectronic devices in which the emitting emitters form corresponding structures. Kim et al. gives the technical implication of substituent selection, comparative Kim et al. gives the technical implication that R13 can be selected from the various substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl groups described above, Kim et al. gives the technical impression that R2, R3 and adjacent groups can be bonded to each other to form a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon ring, when the person skilled in the art faces the technical problem of how to provide more organic luminescent compounds, it is motivated to adopt directly that the substituents of the Summary section of Kim et al. applied in Kim et al., and the selection of substituent groups close to the nature of the art for modification or replacement, as well as alteration of the site, on the basis of keeping the structure of the main ring affecting the activity of the compound unchanged, is within the knowledge of ordinary skill in the art.   Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art at the time of the invention to obtained in combination with knowledge of ordinary skill in the art to modify compound I as taught by Kim et al. to gives the technical impression that R2, R3 and adjacent groups can be bonded to each other to form a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon ring in view routine experimentation. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHANCEITY N ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3786. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (8:00 am-6:00 pm; IFP; PHP). Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Huff can be reached at 571-272-1385. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /CHANCEITY N ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737
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Prosecution Timeline

Jan 20, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 09, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Apr 16, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Apr 16, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
72%
Grant Probability
58%
With Interview (-14.0%)
2y 9m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1052 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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