DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/14/2026 has been entered.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaiho (US 2021/0193975 A1) in view of Okamoto et al. (US 2015/0287949 A1; hereinafter “Okamoto”) and Hiroki et al. (US 2012/0252150 A1; hereinafter “Hiroki”).
Regarding claim 1, Kaiho teaches a method for fabricating a light-emitting device, comprising the steps of: forming a light-emitting layer (a light emitting layer 11) comprising a first organic compound (a phosphorescent organometallic complex such as iridium/platinum complexes) and a second organic compound (a polymeric material such as polyfluorene and derivatives thereof) over a substrate (a support substrate 3) provided with a first electrode (an anode layer 5) (Figs. 1-2 and paragraphs 20-30 and 43-53); holding the substrate under lighting of a light source whose shortest-wavelength emission edge among emission edges in an emission spectrum is positioned at a wavelength shorter than the wavelength of a longest-wavelength absorption edge among absorption edges in an absorption spectrum of the first organic compound and longer than the wavelength of a longest-wavelength absorption edge among absorption edges in an absorption spectrum of the second organic compound (a storing step in yellow light, which is approximately between 570 nm - 600 nm, that does not include light having a wavelength range of 500 nm or less. This is identical to the light source having lighting at the wavelength from the instant application described in paragraphs 92-94) (Fig. 2 and paragraphs 67-74); and forming a second electrode (a cathode layer 17) over the light-emitting layer (Figs. 1-2 and paragraphs 63-66).
Kaiho does not explicitly teach that 1) forming the light-emitting layer is by a gas phase method and 2) the light-emitting layer is formed by forming a sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer; and processing at least the light-emitting layer into an island shape by a photolithography method.
Regarding 1) forming the light-emitting layer is by a gas phase method, it is well known in the art to utilize readily available deposition processes, including the claimed gas phase method, to form the light-emitting layer for the light-emitting device. This is evidenced by Okamoto teaching a method for fabricating a light-emitting device (an organic EL element), comprising: forming a light-emitting layer by a gas phase method (forming a light-emitting layer by a vacuum vapor deposition method) (paragraphs 102-107). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Kaiho with that of Okamoto for forming the predictable light-emitting layer for the light-emitting device by the claimed gas phase method as one of readily available deposition processes known in the art.
Regarding 2) the light-emitting layer is formed by forming a sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer; and processing at least the light-emitting layer into an island shape by a photolithography method, Hiroki teaches a method for fabricating a light-emitting device, comprising: forming a light-emitting layer (13a before patterning) over a substrate (10); forming a sacrificial layer (20) over the light-emitting layer; and processing at least the light-emitting layer into an island shape (13a after patterning having an island shape) by a photolithography method (Figs. 1A-1B and 2A-2H and paragraphs 62-98). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Kaiho with that of Hiroki in order to form/pattern the light-emitting layer having the desired shape by the conventional photobiography method.
Regarding claim 2, Kaiho in view of Hiroki teaches wherein at least part of the sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer is removed (Hiroki, Figs. 2D-2H and paragraphs 81-98), and wherein the substrate is held under the lighting (Kaiho, Fig. 2 and paragraph 72).
Regarding claim 3, Kaiho teaches wherein the first organic compound emits phosphorescent light (paragraphs 44-48).
Regarding claim 4, Kaiho teaches wherein the first organic compound is a metal complex (paragraphs 47-48).
Regarding claim 5, Kaiho teaches wherein a lowest triplet excitation energy level of the first organic compound is lower than a lowest triplet excitation energy level of the second organic compound (the triple excitation energy of the phosphorescent organometallic complex is lower than that of the polymeric material) (paragraphs 43-53).
Regarding claim 6, Kaiho teaches wherein a HOMO level of the second organic compound is higher than or equal to −5.7 eV (for example, the polymeric material such as polyfluorene is has HOMO higher than or equal to −5.7 eV) (paragraphs 49-50).
Regarding claim 7, Kaiho teaches wherein the shortest-wavelength emission edge among the emission edges in the emission spectrum of the light source is positioned at 430 nm or longer (paragraphs 67-74, yellow light, which is approximately between 570 nm - 600 nm).
Regarding claim 8, Kaiho teaches wherein holding the substrate occurs in an atmosphere (paragraph 72, storing under a clean dry air atmosphere). While Kaiho does not explicitly teach that the atmosphere comprises oxygen, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to understand that oxygen would be included in clean dry air atmosphere taught from Kaiho as readily included gas in the atmosphere.
Regarding claim 9, Kaiho teaches a method for fabricating a light-emitting device, comprising the steps of: forming a light-emitting layer (a light emitting layer 11) comprising a first organic compound (a phosphorescent organometallic complex such as iridium/platinum complexes) and a second organic compound (a polymeric material such as polyfluorene and derivatives thereof) over a substrate (a support substrate 3) provided with a first electrode (an anode layer 5) (Figs. 1-2 and paragraphs 20-30 and 43-53); holding the substrate under lighting of a light source whose shortest-wavelength emission edge among emission edges in an emission spectrum is positioned at a wavelength shorter than the wavelength of a longest-wavelength absorption edge among absorption edges in an absorption spectrum of the first organic compound and longer than the wavelength of a longest-wavelength absorption edge among absorption edges in an absorption spectrum of the second organic compound (a storing step in yellow light, which is approximately between 570 nm - 600 nm, that does not include light having a wavelength range of 500 nm or less. This is identical to the light source having lighting at the wavelength from the instant application described in paragraphs 92-94) (Fig. 2 and paragraphs 67-74); and forming a second electrode (a cathode layer 17) over the light-emitting layer after holding the substrate (Figs. 1-2 and paragraphs 63-66).
Kaiho does not explicitly teach that 1) forming the light-emitting layer is by a gas phase method and 2) the light-emitting layer is formed by forming a sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer; processing at least the light-emitting layer into an island shape by a photolithography method; and removing at least part of the sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer.
Regarding 1) forming the light-emitting layer is by a gas phase method, it is well known in the art to utilize readily available deposition processes, including the claimed gas phase method, to form the light-emitting layer for the light-emitting device. This is evidenced by Okamoto teaching a method for fabricating a light-emitting device (an organic EL element), comprising: forming a light-emitting layer by a gas phase method (forming a light-emitting layer by a vacuum vapor deposition method) (paragraphs 102-107). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Kaiho with that of Okamoto for forming the predictable light-emitting layer for the light-emitting device by the claimed gas phase method as one of readily available deposition processes known in the art.
2) the light-emitting layer is formed by forming a sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer; processing at least the light-emitting layer into an island shape by a photolithography method; and removing at least part of the sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer, Hiroki teaches a method for fabricating a light-emitting device, comprising: forming a light-emitting layer (13a before patterning) over a substrate (10); forming a sacrificial layer (20) over the light-emitting layer; processing at least the light-emitting layer into an island shape (13a after patterning having an island shape) by a photolithography method; and removing at least part of the sacrificial layer over the light-emitting layer (Figs. 1A-1B and 2A-2H and paragraphs 62-98). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Kaiho with that of Hiroki in order to form/pattern the light-emitting layer having the desired shape by the conventional photobiography method.
Regarding claim 10, Kaiho teaches wherein the first organic compound emits phosphorescent light (paragraphs 44-48).
Regarding claim 11, Kaiho teaches wherein the first organic compound is a metal complex (paragraphs 47-48).
Regarding claim 12, Kaiho teaches wherein a lowest triplet excitation energy level of the first organic compound is lower than a lowest triplet excitation energy level of the second organic compound (the triple excitation energy of the phosphorescent organometallic complex is lower than that of the polymeric material) (paragraphs 43-53).
Regarding claim 13, Kaiho teaches wherein a HOMO level of the second organic compound is higher than or equal to −5.7 eV (for example, the polymeric material such as polyfluorene is has HOMO higher than or equal to −5.7 eV) (paragraphs 49-50).
Regarding claim 14, Kaiho teaches wherein the shortest-wavelength emission edge among the emission edges in the emission spectrum of the light source is positioned at 430 nm or longer (paragraphs 67-74, yellow light, which is approximately between 570 nm - 600 nm).
Regarding claim 15, Kaiho teaches wherein holding the substrate occurs in an atmosphere (paragraph 72, storing under a clean dry air atmosphere). While Kaiho does not explicitly teach that the atmosphere comprises oxygen, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to understand that oxygen would be included in clean dry air atmosphere taught from Kaiho as readily included gas in the atmosphere.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claims have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejections as set forth above in this Office Action.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL B WHALEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3418. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8AM-5PM.
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/DANIEL WHALEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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