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
This office action is in response to the amendment received on 1 July 2026. Claims 1, 13-14, and 16-17 are amended, and claims 12 and 15 are cancelled. Claims 1-11, 13-14, and 16-20 are pending.
Response to Amendment
The rejection of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite as
set forth in the previous Office Action is overcome due to the Applicant’s amendment dated 1 July 2026. The rejection is withdrawn.
The rejection of claims 1-6, 12-14, and 18-19 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Genichi et al. (JP2022018524A, hereinafter "Genichi") as set forth in the previous Office Action is overcome due to the Applicant’s amendment dated 1 July 2026. The rejection is withdrawn.
The rejection of claims 7-9 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Genichi et al. (JP2022018524A, hereinafter "Genichi") in view of Fadhel et al. (US20160322568A1, hereinafter "Fadhel") as set forth in the previous Office Action is overcome due to the Applicant’s amendment dated 1 July 2026. The rejection is withdrawn.
The rejection of claims 10-11 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Genichi et al. (JP2022018524A, hereinafter "Genichi") in view of Chua et al. (US20070172978A1, hereinafter "Chua") as set forth in the previous Office Action is overcome due to the Applicant’s amendment dated 1 July 2026. The rejection is withdrawn.
The rejection of claims 15-17 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Genichi et al. (JP2022018524A, hereinafter "Genichi") in view of Chua et al. (US20070172978A1, hereinafter "Chua") and also in view of Funyuu et al. (US20160111647A1, hereinafter "Funyuu") as set forth in the previous Office Action is overcome due to the Applicant’s amendment dated 1 July 2026. The rejection is withdrawn.
The rejection of claims 20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Genichi et al. (JP2022018524A, hereinafter "Genichi") in view of Liao et al. (US20030170491A1, hereinafter "Liao") as set forth in the previous Office Action is overcome due to the Applicant’s amendment dated 1 July 2026. The rejection is withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s argument filed 1 July 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. With respect to the Fadhel reference, applicant points out that the combination of Genichi and Fadhel does not meet the limitations of claim 7 because neither teaches the explicit combination of the defined phosphine oxide or metal salt compounds together with the hole injection layer comprising Compound 401 and 402. New rejections based on Fadhel, Chua, and Funyuu rely on a different embodiment or a reinterpretation of the reference along with teachings from prior art based on Kim and not based on Genichi. As shown in the rejection below, Fadhel, Chua, and Funyuu still render obvious the claimed invention.
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.
Claims 1-9, 13-14, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2019/0326520 A1, hereinafter Kim) in view of Fadhel et al. (US 2016/0322568 A1, hereinafter Fadhel).
In the pertinent art of organic light-emitting devices, Kim teaches an organic light-emitting device including a first hole transport region including a polymer compound that includes a repeating unit (abstract) including the specific device Example 3-2 (¶ [389] – [393], Table 4) with the following features:
An ITO glass substrate;
PEDOT:PSS hole injection layer;
HTL-A2 which includes the polymer compound A6 (Table 1), shown below, forming a first hole transport region and HTL-B14 which includes the Compound B5 (Table 1), also shown below, to form a second hole transport region;
B EML-9 forming an emission layer;
Compound 101 forming an electron transport layer;
LiQ forming an electron injection layer;
Al forming the cathode.
Compound A6 of Kim
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Compound B5 of Kim
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The Compound B5 of Kim is a polymer compound wherein n is an integer of 10 to 100,000 (claim 12). This repeating unit integer range substantially overlaps the claimed range in the instant claim 1 of between 2 to 300. It has been held that obviousness exists where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art. See MPEP 2144.05 (I). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have selected from the overlapping portion of the range taught by Kim, because overlapping ranges have been held to establish prima facie obviousness.
Therefore, the first hole transport region containing HTL-A2 and polymer compound A6 reads on the instant hole transport layer comprising Compound 402; and the second hole transport region containing HTL-B14 and Compound B5 reads on the instant hole injection layer comprising Compound 401.
Kim does not necessarily limit the electron transport layer to Compound 101 and the electron injection layer to LiQ. Kim teaches the electron injection layer may include an alkali or alkaline metal such as Mg (¶ [0297]) as well as alkali metal oxides (¶ [0300]). Kim teaches the electron transport layer in the electron transport region may include a metal-free compound containing at least one pi electron-depleted nitrogen-containing ring defined as a C1-C60 heterocyclic group having at least one -N= moiety as a ring-forming moiety.
Kim teaches an anode, a cathode, and an electron injection layer and the compound LiQ is in the electron injection layer of the Example 3-2 as discussed above. It would have been obvious to use the oxide of alkaline metal Mg in the electron injection layer with the device structure of anode, electron injection layer, and cathode as Kim demonstrates this device structure was known prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention. The resulting Modified Device 3-2 with the electron injection layer including an oxide of Mg reads on the electron injection layer of instant claim 1.
Kim teaches the Modified Device 3-2 as described above; however, Kim is silent on the electron transport layer comprising a phosphine oxide compound.
In the relevant art of organic light-emitting devices, Fadhel teaches an organic light-emitting stack comprising of a light emitting layer, a separate electron transport layer (ETL), and other layers can be inserted between, followed by the electrode. (¶ [0051] – [0053]). Fadhel teaches the ETL can be mixed with an electrical n-dopant that lowers its resistivity and improves its ability to inject electrons into an adjacent layer and avoids power loss (¶ [0072]). Fadhel teaches that the invention provides devices with better characteristics especially with low voltage and high efficiency (¶ [0024]). Fadhel teaches the electron transport matrix comprises of at least one phosphine oxide group preferably of Formula 1 of Fadhel and at least one metal salt additive preferably of Formula 2 of Fadhel, shown below (¶ [0026] – [0040]).
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Fadhel teaches specific embodiments of the phosphine oxide compound suitable for use in the device of Fadhel, including compound E9 as a compound of the general Formula 1, shown below (pg 9).
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The compound E9 of Fadhel is a compound of Kim’s electron transport layer in the electron transport region because compound E9 is a metal-free compound containing at least one pi electron-depleted nitrogen-containing ring defined as a C1-C60 heterocyclic group having at least one -N= moiety as a ring-forming moiety.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further include the compound E9 of Fadhel in the Modified Device 3-2 of Kim, based on the teachings of Fadhel. The motivation for doing so would have been to obtain a device with low voltage and high efficiency, as taught by Fadhel (¶ [0024]). The resulting Modified Device II 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel including the compound E9 in the electron transport layer reads on the instant electron transport layer comprising a phosphine oxide compound.
Therefore, the Modified Device II 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel reads on claim 1.
Regarding claims 2-3, the Modified Device II 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel contains a first electrode of indium tin oxide (ITO) which comprises a combination of indium (In).
Regarding claims 4-6, the Modified Device II 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel the layers in the following order: emission layer; electron transport layer; electron injection layer; and Al forming the cathode which reads on the instant (1) electron injection layer in contact with the electron transport layer; (2) electron injection layer in contact with the electrode; and (3) the electron transport layer in contact with the emission layer.
Regarding claim 7, Fadhel teaches other specific compounds of Fadhel’s Formula 1 including the compound SPPO13, shown below (pg 7).
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Kim and Fadhel teach an anode, a cathode, and an electron transport layer and the compound E9 is in the organic layer as discussed above in the Modified Device II 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel. It would have been obvious to use the compound SPPO13 in the organic layer with the device structure of anode, electron transport layer, and cathode as Fadhel demonstrates this device structure was known prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention. The resulting Modified Device III 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel with the compound SPPO13 in the electron transport layer reads on instant claim 7.
Regarding claims 8-9, the Modified Device III 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel contains the metal-containing material LiQ in the electron injection layer. Kim teaches that the electron transport region such as the electron transport layer may contains metal-containing material that may include an Li complex such as LiQ (¶ [289] – [292]). Kim and Fadhel teaches an anode, a cathode, and an electron transport layer and the compound 101 is in the organic layer as discussed above. It would have been obvious to use the compound LiQ in the electron transport layer with the device structure of anode, electron transport layer, and cathode as Kim demonstrates this device structure was known prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention. The resulting Modified Device IV 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel containing LiQ in the electron transport layer reads on instant claims 8-9 wherein compound LiQ is the same as instant compound 201.
Regarding claim 13, Kim teaches the hole transport region may further include a charge-generation material that may be a p-dopant wherein the p-dopant may include at least one selected from a metal oxide such as tungsten oxide or molybdenum oxide (¶ [0152] – [0156]).
Regarding claim 14, the Modified Device IV 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel contains HTL-A2 which includes the polymer compound A6 (Table 1) that contains the instant Moiety 2.
Regarding claims 19-20, Kim teaches a flat display apparatus including a transistor including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and the first electrode of the organic light-emitting device may be electrically connected with at least one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the transistor (¶ [0314]).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2019/0326520 A1, hereinafter Kim) and Fadhel et al. (US 2016/0322568 A1, hereinafter Fadhel) as applied to claims 1-9, 13-14, and 19-20 described above in view of Chua et al. (US20070172978A1, hereinafter "Chua").
Kim and Fadhel teach the Modified Device IV 3-2 as described above that reads on claims 1-9, 13-14, and 19-20; however, Kim and Fadhel are silent on the electron transport layer and/or the emission layer is formed by curing a composition comprising a compound of instant Formula 1.
In the relevant art of polymer light-emitting devices (PLED), Chua teaches that the PLED may be fabricated with a crosslinked polymer layer for the hole-transport layer, the light-emitting layer, and/or the electron transport layer (¶ [0155]). Chua teaches that the polymer layer fabrication could be approached by employing low molecular mass radiation-sensitive crosslinkers in the polymer-solvent formulation (¶ [0027]). Chua teaches that the crosslinking moiety “ethylene diol bis(p-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoate)” or compound XVI can be used with Polymer XI, both shown below, to form a polymer layer with high fluorescence efficiency at low weight % crosslinker (¶ [0117], Fig. 11). The Polymer XI is similar to the Compound B5 of Kim in that both polymers consists of repeating units of a fluorenyl subunit linked to a triarylamine subunit.
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Chua teaches that the invention provides a new method for polymer device manufacture that is compatible with high performance that does not degrade the performance of the polymer (¶ [0037] – [0038]). Polymer XI is similar to instant Compound 401 in claim 15 in that the polymer consists of alternating units of substituted fluorene and substituted triphenylamine.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the light-emitting layer in the Modified Device IV 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel with a crosslinker XVI of Chua. The motivation for doing so would have been to create a polymer device that does not degrade the light-emitting performance of the polymer as taught by Chua. The resulting Modified Device V 3-2 of Kim, Fadhel and Chua reads on claims 10 and 11 because the compound XVI of Chua is the same as instant Compound 301.
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2019/0326520 A1, hereinafter Kim) and Fadhel et al. (US 2016/0322568 A1, hereinafter Fadhel) as applied to claims 1-9, 13-14, and 19-20 described above in view of Funyuu et al. (US20160111647A1, hereinafter "Funyuu").
Kim and Fadhel teach the Modified Device IV 3-2 as described above that reads on claims 1-9, 13-14, and 19-20; however, Kim and Fadhel are silent on the hole injection layer comprising at least one of instant Compounds 501 to 506. In the relevant art of organic electronic elements of displays, Funyuu teaches a polymer having a repeating unit with hole transport properties (abstract). Funyuu teaches Example 2 for use in an organic EL device wherein the layer was spin-coated with a mixture comprising of polymer 2, shown below (¶ [0176]).
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The polymer 2 of Funyuu is the same as the Compound 3-5 of Kim in that both contain repeating units of fluorenyl subunit and a triarylamine subunit. Funyuu teaches that the hole injection material composition contains a polymer and an initiator (¶ [0103]), wherein the initiator contains a cation and tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate as seen in Initiators 1, 5, 7, and 8 shown below.
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Funyuu does not teach a specific embodiment of an initiator where the cation is a Group 1 element such as Li of instant claim 16 and 17. However, Funyuu does teach that cations are not limited and conventional cations can be used (¶ [0090]). Funyuu teaches that the choice of cation can change the solubility of the composition to enable multilayering (¶ [0091]).
Given the general formula and teachings of Funyuu, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the cation variant of a Group 1 element, such as Li+, of the tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate anion of Funyuu. One of ordinary skill in the pertinent art would have been motivated to produce additional compounds represented by a Group 1 element for the cation variants of the tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate initiator of Funyuu in order to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp and would expect the isomeric compounds to be useful as the initiator in the polymer hole injection layer in the light-emitting device of Genichi, Chua, and Funyuu and possess the properties taught by Funyuu. A prima facie case of obviousness exists when chemical compounds have very close structural similarity and similar utilities. See MPEP 2144.09 I.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the initiator of the polymer hole injection layer of the with a modified lithium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate salt as the initiator in the polymer hole injection layer of the Modified Device IV 3-2 of Kim and Fadhel. The motivation for doing so would have been to optimize the solubility of the layer to enable a multilayer structure as taught by Funyuu (¶ [0091]). The resulting modified device reads on instant claims 16-17 wherein the lithium borate salt is the same as the instant compound 501.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2019/0326520 A1, hereinafter Kim) and Fadhel et al. (US 2016/0322568 A1, hereinafter Fadhel) as applied to claims 1-9, 13-14, and 19-20 described above in view of Gao et al. (Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 2020, 31, 2551-2556, hereinafter "Gao").
Kim and Fadhel teach the Modified Device IV 3-2 as described above that reads on claims 1-9, 13-14, and 19-20; however, Kim and Fadhel are silent on the emission layer comprising a quantum dot.
In the relevant art of organic light-emitting devices, Gao teaches the copolymer PF-TPA is an appropriate and known hole-transporting layer for QLEDs featuring quantum-dot emitters with devices displaying low voltage and long device lifetime (abstract).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further include the quantum dot of Gao in the light-emitting device of Kim and Fadhel, based on the teachings of Gao. The motivation for doing so would have been to obtain a device with low voltage and long device lifetime, as taught by Gao (abstract). The resulting modified device reads on instant claim 18.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/JENNIFER A BOYD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1786
/L.Q.N./Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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