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 invention I and the species directed to the embodiment of fig. 1 in the reply filed on 03/27/26 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yang, US 2024/0107791.
Yang shows the invention as claimed including an electronic apparatus comprising:
A substrate (see fig. 3);
A first electrode member (see cathode in fig. 1) disposed on the substrate; and
An electron transport film disposed on the first electrode member (see electron transport layer in fig. 1 or electron functional layer in fig. 3), wherein the electron transport film comprises nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are provided with a first ligand having an electronegative property (see, for example, paragraphs 0024-0042)
Concerning dependent claim 2, note that in Yang the nanoparticles comprise zinc oxide and the first ligand can comprise a group containing either a carboxylate or ammonium ion (see paragraph 0036, for example).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang, US 2024/0107791 in view of Gao et al., US 2023/0345765.
Yang shows the invention substantially as claimed including an electronic apparatus comprising:
A substrate (see fig. 3);
A first electrode member (see cathode in fig. 1 or fig. 3) disposed on the substrate;
A quantum dot film (see abstract) disposed on the first electrode member; and an electron transport film (see electron transport layer in fig. 1 or electron functional layer in fig. 3) disposed on the quantum dot film, wherein the electron transport film comprises nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are provided with a first ligand having an electropositive or electronegative property (see, for example, paragraphs 0024-0042).
Yang does not expressly disclose a pixel definition layer disposed on the substrate and provided with a pixel opening with the device layers formed therein. Gao et al. discloses pixel definition layer 3 disposed on a substrate 1 and provided with pixel openings 30 with device layers formed therein (see, for example, figs. 1-2 and paragraph 0052). In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the primary reference of Yang so as to form the QLED within the pixel openings of Gao et al. because in such a way adjacent QLED devices can be effectively isolated.
With respect to dependent claim 9, note that Yang discloses wherein the nanoparticles comprise zinc oxide and the first ligand can comprise a group containing either a carboxylate ion or an ammonium ion.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang, US 2024/0107791 in view of Gao et al., US 2023/0345765 as applied to claims 8-9 above, and further in view of Zhou et al., US Patent 9,520,573.
Yang and Gao et al. are applied as above but do not expressly disclose where the first electrode member is a metal. Zhou et al. discloses a QLED where the first electrode member or cathode can include a metal material (see, for example, abstract and col. 5-lines 51-55). In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the device of Yang modified by Gao et la. so as to form the first electrode of metal because Zhou et al. shows metal to be a suitable material for electrodes in QLEDs.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang, US 2024/0107791 in view of Li, U.S. Patent 12,628,553.
Yang is applied as above but does not expressly disclose wherein the quantum dot film comprises quantum dots, and the quantum dots are provided with a second ligand having an electropositive or electronegative property. However, Li discloses wherein a quantum dot film comprises quantum dots, and the quantum dots are provided with a second ligand having an electropositive or electronegative property (see col. 7-line 42 to col. 8-line 28). In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device of Yang modified by Gao et al. because Gao et al. shows such a quantum dot film to be suitable in the manufacture of QLED displays.
As to dependent claim 7, note that in the device of Yang modified by Li, the electrical properties of the ligands in the electron transport layers and quantum dot layers are different since the materials are different (see, for example, col. 8-line 30 to col. 20-line 20 of Li).
Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang, US 2024/0107791 in view of Gao et al., US 2023/0345765 as applied to claims 8-9 above, and further in view of Li, U.S. Patent 12,628,553.
Yang and Gao et al. are applied as above but do not expressly disclose wherein the quantum dot film comprises quantum dots, and the quantum dots are provided with a second ligand having an electropositive or electronegative property. However, Li discloses wherein a quantum dot film comprises quantum dots, and the quantum dots are provided with a second ligand having an electropositive or electronegative property (see col. 7-line 42 to col. 8-line 28). In view of this disclosure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device of Yang modified by Gao et al. because Gao et al. shows such a quantum dot film to be suitable in the manufacture of QLED displays.
As to dependent claim 15, note that in the device of Yang modified by Gao et al. and Li, the electrical properties of the ligands in the electron transport layers and quantum dot layers are different since the materials are different (see, for example, col. 8-line 30 to col. 20-line 20 of Li).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 and 10-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art, either singly or in combination, particularly Yang, US 20204/0107791 and Gao et al., US 2023/0345765, fail to anticipate or render obvious, the following limitations in combination with the claimed limitations: wherein the second metal layer comprises a second electrode member, an orthographic projection of the second electrode member on the substrate is disposed between orthographic projections of adjacent first electrode members on the substrate, and the second electrode member is configured to form an electric field with the adjacent first electrode members, as required by dependent claims 4, 10, and 13. Additionally, the prior art, particularly the aforementioned prior art, fails to anticipate or render obvious, the limitations of: wherein the first metal layer further comprises a second electrode member disposed between adjacent pixel openings, and configured to form an electric field with the first electrode member, as required by dependent claim 5, and wherein the first metal layer comprises the first electrode member and a second electrode member, an orthographic projection of the second electrode member on the substrate is disposed between orthographic projections of adjacent first electrode members on the substrate, and the second electrode member is configured to form an electric field with the adjacent first electrode members, as required by dependent claim 12.
Additional Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2022/0310952 discloses a QLED structure whereby a drain electrode 2072 is formed between orthographic projections of first electrode members 401, for example (see fig. 1). However, they are not configured to form an electric field with each other. Additionally, Sakakibara et al., US 2023/0403930 discloses an electron transport layer including a nanoparticle with a thiol group ligand (see abstract).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD A BOOTH whose telephone number is (571)272-1668. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:00.
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/RICHARD A BOOTH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
May 16, 2026
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