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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US 2022/0220127 A1) in view of Osaka (US 2006/0273362 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lim teaches a photoelectric device, an image sensor including the photoelectric device, and an electronic device including the image sensor (Lim, page 1, paragraphs 0006-0008). Lim also teaches example embodiments wherein a composition for a photoelectric device includes a p-type semiconductor compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 and an n-type semiconductor compound (Lim, page 1, paragraph 0009). Lim further teaches a photoelectric device according to some example embodiments includes a first electrode and a second electrode facing the first electrode, and an active layer between the first electrode and the second electrode and including the composition for a photoelectric device including a p-type semiconductor compound represented by Chemical Formula 1, and an n-type semiconductor compound (Lim, page 10, paragraph 0164).
Per claim 1, Lim teaches a photoelectric device comprising a first electrode and a second electrode facing the first electrode, and an active layer between the first electrode and the second electrode (Lim, page 10, paragraph 0164).
Lim also teaches a plurality of specific p-type semiconductor compounds represented by Chemical Formula 1, such as the one shown below, hereinafter referred to as “Compound 1” (Lim, page 42).
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Compound 1 reads on instant Formula 1, wherein Compound 1, X11 is Se, L1 and L2 are each independently a single bond, a1 and a2 are not required, Ar1 is an unsubstituted C6 carbocyclic group, Ar2 is an unsubstituted C6 carbocyclic group, Ar3 is a substituted C4 heterocyclic group, Ar1 and Ar2 are linked to each other via *-C(T1)(T2)-*’ wherein T1 and T2 are each independently an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group, Ar2 and the Se-containing 5-membered ring are linked via *-C(T3)(T4)-*’ wherein T3 and T4 are each independently an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group, and R4 and R5 are each independently hydrogen.
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 select Compound 1 of Lim, because one would have been choosing from a list of suitable compounds represented by Chemical Formula 1 and taught by Lim, which would have been a choice from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions of a compound useful in a photoelectric device and possessing the benefits taught by Lim in order to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp with a reasonable expectation of success. See MPEP 2143.I.(E).
Lim does not limit the n-type compound that may be used in the active layer of the photoelectric device. However, Lim fails to specifically teach an n-type compound represented by instant Formula 2.
Osaka teaches a photoelectric conversion device comprising a photelectric conversion layer between a pair of electrodes (Osaka, page 2, paragraph 0020), wherein the photoelectric conversion layer comprises a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer, and at least one of the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor layer contains a compound represented by formula 1 (Osaka, page 2, paragraph 0013). Osaka also teaches that compounds represented by formula 1 may be used as n-type semiconductor compounds (Osaka, page 3, paragraph 0063).
Osaka also teaches the photoelectric conversion device, which comprises a compound of formula 1, has advantages such as a narrow half-value width of absorption, excellent color reproducibility, high photoelectric conversion efficiency, and high durability (Osaka, page 3, paragraph 0045).
Osaka further teaches compound 25, shown below, as a specific n-type compound represented by formula 1 (Osaka, page 10).
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Compound 25 reads on instant Formula 2, wherein X21 to X24 are each independently O, Z21 and Z22 are each independently N(R35), R35 is an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group, and R21 to R28 are each independently hydrogen.
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 use an n-type semiconductor compound of Osaka’s formula 1 in the active layer of the device of Lim, based on the teachings of Osaka. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a photoelectric device having advantages such as a narrow half-value width of absorption, excellent color reproducibility, high photoelectric conversion efficiency, and high durability, as taught by Osaka.
Particularly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select Compound 25 of Lim as the n-type semiconductor compound represented by Osaka’s formula 1, which would have been a choice from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions of a compound useful in the active layer of the photoelectric device of Lim and possessing the benefits taught by Osaka. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to produce additional devices comprising n-type semiconductor compounds represented by Osaka’s formula 1 having the benefits taught by Osaka in order to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp with a reasonable expectation of success. See MPEP 2143.I.(E).
Per claim 2, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 2, wherein the active layer of the modified device comprises Compound 1 as a first compound represented by instant Formula 1 and Compound 25 as a second compound represented by instant Formula 2.
Per claim 3, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 3, wherein the active layer of the device does not comprise a fullerene-based compound and a subphthalocyanine-based compound.
Per claim 4-8, Lim teaches that the active layer may be a single layer or a multilayer comprising a combination of layers. More specifically Lim teaches that the active layer may be a multilayer combination of a p-type layer/ I layer/ n-type layer, wherein the I layer (intrinsic layer) may include the compound of Chemical Formula 1 and the n-type semiconductor compound, the p-type layer may include the semiconductor compound of Chemical formula 1, and the n-type layer may include the n-type semiconductor compound (Lim, page 50, paragraphs 0611-0613).
Per claim 9, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 9, wherein Compound 1 (Lim, page 42), which is represented by instant Formula 1, L1 and L2 are each independently a single bond.
Per claim 10, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 10, wherein Compound 1 (Lim, page 42), which is represented by instant Formula 1, Ar1 an Ar2 are each independently an unsubstituted C6 carbocyclic group.
Per claim 11, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 11, wherein Compound 1 (Lim, page 42), which is represented by instant Formula 1, Ar1 an Ar2 are linked to each other via *-C(T1)(T2)-*’ wherein T1 and T2 are each independently an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group.
Per claim 12, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 12, wherein in Compound 1 (Lim, page 42), which is represented by instant Formula 1, T1 to T4 are each independently an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group.
Per claim 13, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 13, wherein in Compound 1 (Lim, page 42), which is represented by instant Formula 1, a moiety represented by
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is a moiety represented by Formula 1E, wherein Formula 1E X11 is Se, L1 is a single bond, a1 is not required, T1 to T4 are each independently an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group, R1 to R4 are each independently hydrogen, b1 is 4, b2 is 3, and * indicates a binding site to (L2)a2 in Formula 1.
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Per claim 14, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 14, wherein in Compound 1 (Lim, page 42), which is represented by instant Formula 1, Ar3 is a group represented by Formula 1-1, wherein Formula 1-1 X12 to X14 are each independently O, R6 and R7 are each independently an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group, and *’ indicates a binding site to a neighboring atom.
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Per claim 15, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 15, wherein in Compound 25 (Osaka page 10), which is represented by instant Formula 2, Z21 and Z22 are each independently N(R35), and R35 is an unsubstituted C1 alkyl group.
Per claim 16, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 16, wherein in Compound 25 (Osaka page 10), which is represented by instant Formula 2, R35 is neither an octyl group nor a tridecyl group.
Per claim 17, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 17, wherein in Compound 1 (Lim, page 42, which is represented by instant Formula 1, is instant Compound A91.
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Per claim 18, the modified device of Lim in view of Osaka, as described above regarding claim 1, reads on instant claim 18, wherein in Compound 25 (Osaka page 10), which is represented by instant Formula 2, is instant Compound B1.
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Per claim 19, although the instant claim is drawn to an apparatus, the only positive limitation of the claimed apparatus is optoelectronic device of claim 1. Claim 19 does not add any further structural or functional limitations to the optoelectronic device. Lim in view of Osaka teaches the optoelectronic device of claim 1, as described above, and does not include any components that would make it unfit for use as an apparatus. Therefore, the photoelectric device of Lim in view of Osaka may be considered an apparatus.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US 2022/0220127 A1) in view of Osaka (US 2006/0273362 A1) and further in view of Galan (US 2020/0317704 A1).
Per claim 20, Lim in view of Osaka fails to teach an electronic equipment comprising the modified optoelectronic device of Lim in view of Osaka.
Galan teaches that an organic electronic device, which can be an organic optoelectronic device, is suitable for use in a display (Galan, page 8, paragraph 0182).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use the device of the prior art combination in a display as claimed. The selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960), Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945), and MPEP § 2144.07.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEILI DIAZ whose telephone number is (571)270-1667. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7:30AM-4:30PM, Fr:7:30am-10:30am.
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/K.D./Examiner, Art Unit 1786
/JENNIFER A BOYD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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