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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-11 in the reply filed on 5/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/20/2026.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7-8, and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kugler (US 2009/0040587 A1; hereinafter Kugler) in view of Dryfe et al. (US 2019/0352190 A1; hereinafter Dryfe) in view of Goki et al. (Lithium intercalation-induced structural transition in MoS2; 2012).
Regarding Claim 1, Kugler (Fig.2) discloses a transistor comprising:
a source electrode (12, [0069]), a drain electrode (14, [0069]) and a gate electrode (20, [0069]);
a nanosheet (16; [0069], [0046]) forming a channel layer connecting the source and drain electrodes ([0069]), the nanosheet (16) having an edged circumference (Fig.1); and
a proton electrolyte ([0078]) in contact with the edged circumference for providing a reservoir of protons for proton intercalation and deintercalation of the nanosheet ([0026]), wherein the gate electrode (20) contacts the proton electrolyte without contacting the nanosheet (16; Fig.1) such that the proton electrolyte is controllable by a gate-source voltage applied between the gate electrode and the source electrode to intercalate or de-intercalate the nanosheet with protons for inducing a reversible phase transition over the nanosheet to thereby modify an electrical conductance of the channel layer or a spectral response of the channel layer to light ([0034]-[0038],[0072]).
Kugler does not particularly disclose wherein the material of the nanosheet is a 1T′-tungsten disulfide (1T′-WS2).
Dryfe ([0056]-[0059]) discloses phase change in WS2 from 2H to 1TWS2.
Therefore, it would have been obvious in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have any desired material like 1TWS2 since this is a metallic phase and would make a better connection between the source and drain.
Dryfe does not particularly disclose the 1T’WS2 phase of the material WS2.
Goki (page 7311-7312) discloses different phases of nanosheet and also discloses 1T’WS2.
Therefore, it would have been obvious in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have a 1T’ phase material for the nanosheet since 1T’WS2 phase—achieved through a symmetry-lowering lattice distortion (where W atoms form zigzag chains)—significantly increases thermodynamic and antioxidant stability and also 1T’ phase is semi metallic or narrow-bandgap, allowing for exceptional in-plane charge transfer and superior performance in electronics and energy devices.
Regarding Claim 2. The transistor of claim 1, Dryfe (abstract, [0017]) wherein the 1T′-WS2 nanosheet comprises at least two layers.
Regarding Claim 3. The transistor of claim 1, Goki (page 7311-7312 and figs. 1-2) wherein the 1T′-WS2 nanosheet is uniformly crystalline.
Regarding Claim 4. The transistor of claim 1, Kugler (abstract, [0024]-[0026], [0069]) discloses wherein the proton electrolyte is an aqueous proton electrolyte.
Regarding Claim 7. The transistor of claim 1, Kugler ([0080]) discloses wherein the proton electrolyte is an organic proton electrolyte.
Regarding Claim 8. The transistor of claim 7, Kugler ([0101]) discloses wherein the organic proton electrolyte is bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (TFSI) dissolved in poly(ethylene glycol).
Regarding Claim 10. The transistor of claim 1, Kugler ([0021]) discloses wherein each of the drain and source electrodes comprises gold, chromium, or a combination thereof.
Regarding Claim 11. The transistor of claim 1, Kugler ([0071]) discloses wherein the gate electrode comprises platinum.
Claim(s) 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kugler in view of Dryfe in view of Goki in view of Cavaliere et al. (US 2018/0159144 A1; hereinafter Cavaliere).
Regarding Claim 5. The transistor of claim 4, Kugler does not particularly disclose wherein the aqueous proton electrolyte is an inorganic acid.
Cavaliere ([0137]) discloses wherein the aqueous proton electrolyte is an inorganic acid.
Therefore, it would have been obvious in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have inorganic acid for electrolyte because of their exceptionally high ionic conductivity and hence improved device.
Regarding Claim 6. The transistor of claim 5, Cavaliere ([0137]) discloses wherein the inorganic acid comprises sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, or a combination thereof.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kugler in view of Dryfe in view of Goki in view of Read et al. (US 2023/0118610 A1; Read).
Regarding Claim 9. The transistor of claim 1, Kugler does not particularly disclose wherein the prior art discloses use of proton electrolyte being a proton-containing solid electrolyte.
Read ([0096]) discloses using a proton-containing solid electrolyte.
Therefore, it would have been obvious in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have being a proton-containing solid electrolyte since a proton-containing solid electrolyte enables highly efficient energy conversion and storage because it can provide ultrafast mobility and allow systems to operate at lower temperatures, resulting in exceptional efficiency, extended durability.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAJAR KOLAHDOUZAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5842.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached on (571)270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAJAR KOLAHDOUZAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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