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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tasaki et al (WO 2021/049653) in view of Yabunouchi et al (WO 2010/114017)
Tasaki discloses an organic EL element comprising, in the following order: an anode; a second hole transport layer (electron barrier layer) (EBL) comprising a compound HT2, etc.; a first light-emitting layer comprising a first host material and a compound exhibiting fluorescence emission having a main peak wavelength of 500 nm or shorter; a second light-emitting layer comprising a second host material different from the first host material, and a compound exhibiting fluorescence emission having a main peak wavelength of 500 nm or shorter; and a cathode, wherein a triplet energy T1 (H1) of the first host material and a triplet energy T1 (H2) of the second host material satisfy the relationship given by mathematical expression (1)” (see claims 1, 4-5, 16, paragraphs [0002], [0913]). Tasaki further discloses the “anode”, the “compound HT2”, the “second hole transport layer (electron barrier layer) (EBL)”, the “first host material”, the “compound exhibiting fluorescence emission having a main peak wavelength of 500 nm or shorter”, the “first light-emitting layer”, the “second host material”, the “compound exhibiting fluorescence emission having a main peak wavelength of 500 nm or shorter”, the “second light-emitting layer”, the “cathode” and the “organic EL element” of the cited invention correspond to the “anode”, the “hole transport band material”, the “first organic layer”, the “first host material”, the “first luminescent compound”, the “first light-emitting layer”, the “second host material”, the “second luminescent compound”, the “second light-emitting layer”, the “cathode” and the “organic electroluminescent element” of the present invention 1.
A person skilled in the art could easily conceive of satisfying the relationship of claim 4 in order to smooth the transport of holes from the “second hole transport layer (electron barrier layer) (EBL)” to the “first host material” in the cited invention.
Tasaki discloses examples in which HT4-2, HT4, HT6, HT7, HT8, HT9 or HT11 are used in addition to compound HT2 in the second hole transport layer (electron barrier layer) (EBL). A person skilled in the art could easily conceive of incorporating further compounds, from among the above compounds, etc., into the “second hole transport layer (electron barrier layer) (EBL)” of the cited invention.
Using a compound having delayed fluorescence in a light-emitting layer is a well-known feature in the technical field of organic EL elements (e.g., see paragraphs [0094], [0120]-[0122] of document 4). A person skilled in the art could therefore easily conceive of using a well-known compound having delayed fluorescence in the light-emitting layers of green pixels and red pixels in the cited invention.
Using organic materials having different affinities in a light-emitting layer is a well-known feature in the technical field of organic EL elements. A person skilled in the art could therefore easily conceive of incorporating an organic material having an affinity value lower than that of a compound having delayed fluorescence, and that is used in green pixels and red pixels, in the cited invention.
However, Tasaki does not disclose an affinity value Af (cHT) of the hole transport band material is lower than 1.47 eV, and the affinity value Af (cHT) of the hole transport band material is a value measured by differential pulse voltammetry, whereas the cited invention specifies no such feature. Regarding this difference, the applicant is directed to the reference of Yabunouchi.
Yabunouchi discloses setting the affinity value of an electron barrier layer lower than that of a light-emitting layer to impart electron blocking properties, and to confine, in the light-emitting layer, electrons coming from the cathode side and increase luminous efficiency (e.g., see paragraphs [0020], [0038], [0040], [0043]). For the purpose of increasing luminous efficiency, a person skilled in the art could therefore easily conceive of using a hole transport band material having a low affinity value Af (cHT) in the “second hole transport layer (electron barrier layer) (EBL)” of the cited invention.
Conclusion
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JAMES D. SELLS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1745
/JAMES D SELLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1745
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