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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 8/14/2026 has been entered.
Claims 2, 5, 14, 15, 22-24, and 28 are pending.
The previous rejection of claims 2, 5, 14-27 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al (US2017/0288154) is maintained in view of applicant’s amendment.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 2, 5, 14, 15, 22-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al (US2017/0288154).
Regarding claims 2 and 5, Seo discloses a light-emitting device comprising an EL layer between a pair of electrodes, wherein the EL layer comprises a hole-injection layer, a hole-transport layer, and a light-emitting layer ((Fig. 1A and 1B, para 0096 and 0136), wherein the hole-injection layer comprises a first organic compound and a second organic compound (para 0140), wherein the first organic compound comprises a halogen group or a cyano group (para 0145), wherein the second organic compound has a HOMO level greater than or equal to -5.7 eV and less than or equal to -5.4 eV (4,4′,4″-tris(carbazol-9-yl)triphenylamine (abbreviation: TCTA, para 0141), wherein the hole-transport layer comprises an aromatic amine compound or a carbazole derivative (para 0141-0142), wherein the light-emitting layer comprises a third organic compound, a fourth organic compound, and an organometallic complex represented by General Formula (G2) (the light-emitting layer 113 may contain, in addition to the light-emitting substance, two kinds of organic compounds that can form an excited complex (also called an exciplex) at the time of recombination of carriers (electrons and holes) in the light-emitting layer 113 (the two kinds of organic compounds may be any of the host materials described above, para 0146). Seo discloses an organometallic complex of chemical formula G2, exemplified by formula 300 and formula 118 below. The formulas as in claims 2 and 5 differ from the formulas described in Seo in that the ligand including pyridine coordinate to iridium instead of quinoline. However, Seo discloses that the first heteroaromatic ring included in the first ligand over which the HOMO is likely to be distributed includes a pyridine ring, a quinoline ring, an isoquinoline ring, an imidazole ring, a benzimidazole ring, and the like (para 0100 and 102). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the invention to coordinate various known ligands for the purpose of obtaining a light emitting element having improved carrier-injection and carrier-transport properties with respect to both electrons and holes (para 0114). A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to replace the pyridine ring with a quinoline ring in the formula (118) of Seo with a reasonable expectation of obtaining an organometallic complex that can be used in an EL layer of a light-emitting element to decrease drive voltage and increase efficiency (para 0469).
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Regarding claims 14 and 15, Seo does not disclose a half width and a peak wavelength of an emission spectrum of the organometallic complex. However, the organometallic complex of prior art is structurally similar that set forth by applicant. Therefore, the organometallic complex of prior art would possess the same properties as claimed. A person having an ordinary skill in the art would reasonably expect the organometallic complex of Seo to have the claimed half width and peak wavelength of an emission spectrum.
Regarding claim 22, Seo discloses a light-emitting apparatus comprising: the light-emitting device according to claim 2; and at least one of a transistor and a substrate (Figs. 3A to 3C, and para 00187-0203).
Regarding claim 23, Seo discloses an electronic device comprising: the light-emitting apparatus according to claim 22; and at least one of a microphone, a camera, a button for operation, an external connection portion, and a speaker (Figs. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5D′-1, and 5D′-2 and FIGS. 6A to 6C, para 0217).
Regarding claim 24, Seo discloses lighting device comprising the light-emitting device according to claim 16, and a housing (para 0218).
Regarding claim 26, Seo discloses an electronic device comprising: the light-emitting apparatus according to claim 25; and at least one of a microphone, a camera, a button for operation, an external connection portion, and a speaker (Figs. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5D′-1, and 5D′-2 and FIGS. 6A to 6C, para 0217).
Regarding claim 27, Seo discloses a lighting device comprising the light-emitting device according to claim 19, and a housing (para 0218).
Claim 28 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al (US2017/0288154) as applied above, further in view of Yamaguchi et al (WO2019097361). The machine translation of WO2019097361 is relied for rejection purposes.
Regarding claim 28, Seo discloses the light emitting device as described above and is incorporated herein by reference. Seo does not disclose the first organic compound is a [3]radialene derivative (para 0145). Yamaguchi discloses [3]radialene derivatives are used the hole injection layers (para 0123). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the invention to use [3]radialene derivatives as acceptor materials in the hole injection layers of Seo with a reasonable expectation of forming hole injection layers that can be used in an EL layer of a light-emitting element to decrease drive voltage and increase efficiency.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/14/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant disagrees with the examiner’s rejection because Seo has not been shown to teach or suggest the recited combination or appreciate synergistic advantages thereof; in particular that claim 2 requires a combination of a light-emitting layer using an exciplex host system of third and fourth organic compounds, paired with a composite hole-injection layer having a second organic compound having a specific deep HOMO level greater than or equal to -5.7 eV and less than or equal to -5.4 eV, and a specific organometallic complex.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with applicant’s remarks/arguments. The combination of a light-emitting layer using an exciplex host system of third and fourth organic compounds, paired with a composite hole-injection layer having a second organic compound having a specific deep HOMO level greater than or equal to -5.7 eV and less than or equal to -5.4 eV, and a specific organometallic complex are disclosed by Seo as described above. Seo also discloses that the light-emitting layer 113 may contain, in addition to the light-emitting substance, two kinds of organic compounds that can form an excited complex (also called an exciplex) at the time of recombination of carriers (electrons and holes) in the light-emitting layer 113 (the two kinds of organic compounds may be any of the host materials described above). In order to form an exciplex efficiently, it is particularly preferable to combine a compound which easily accepts electrons (a material having an electron-transport property) and a compound which easily accepts holes (a material having a hole-transport property). In the case where the combination of a material having an electron-transport property and a material having a hole-transport property which form an exciplex is used as a host material as described above, the carrier balance between holes and electrons in the light-emitting layer can be easily optimized by adjustment of the mixture ratio of the material having an electron-transport property and the material having a hole-transport property. The optimization of the carrier balance between holes and electrons in the light-emitting layer can prevent a region in which electrons and holes are recombined from existing on one side in the light-emitting layer. By preventing the region in which electrons and holes are recombined from existing on one side, the reliability of the light-emitting element can be improved. See paragraph 146. Each and every claim limitation have been taught or suggested by Seo as well as the advantage of using an exciplex host system of third and fourth organic compounds in the light-emitting layer.
Conclusion
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/HAIDUNG D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761
9/22/2026
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