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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment filed on April 21, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1 and 3-20 are currently pending. Applicant’s amended claims are addressed herein below.
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 and 3-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hamilton et al. (US 10,985,336) in view of Chen et al. (US 20200313089).
As to claim 1, Hamilton discloses a preparation method for QLED device, comprising the following steps:
providing a substrate (Fig. 1(102), col. 5, lines 48-61);
forming a first electrode layer (Fig. 1(104): anode) on the substrate (Fig. 1(102), col. 5, lines 48-61);
forming a quantum dot light-emitting layer (Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots) on the first electrode layer (Fig. 1(104): anode) in a reducing gas atmosphere (col. 5, lines 48-61, col. 3, lines 5-23: in an ambient environment by the oxygen scavengers reducing the amount of oxygen. Use of a suitable oxygen scavenger and blend composition; for example, the addition of Pt containing nanoparticles that will react with oxygen in place of emissive quantum dots);
forming an electronic functional layer (Fig. 1(110): electron transport layer) on the quantum dot light-emitting layer (Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots, col. 5, lines 48-61); and
forming a second electrode layer (Fig. 1(112): cathode) on the electronic functional layer (Fig. 1(110): electron transport layer, col. 5, lines 48-61).
Hamilton does not explicitly teach the reductive gas of the reducing gas atmosphere is selected from one or more of CO, NO, H2, H2S, ethylene, and acetylene.
Chen teaches the reductive gas of the reducing gas atmosphere is selected from one or more of CO, NO, H2, H2S, ethylene, and acetylene ([0046]: carbon dioxide (CO) or hydrogen (H2) as the reduced (reductive) gas. Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hamilton’s preparation method for QLED device by incorporating Chen’s idea of using carbon dioxide (CO) or hydrogen (H2) as the reduced (reductive) gas in order to improve carrier electron mobility (see Chen: [0046]).
As to claim 3, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the quantum dot light-emitting layer, a reductive gas catalyst is used to accelerate the step, wherein the reductive gas catalyst is selected from one or more of Cu, Pt, and Au (Hamilton: col. 3, lines 5-23: use of a suitable oxygen scavenger and blend composition; for example, the addition of Pt containing nanoparticles that will react with oxygen in place of emissive quantum dots. Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation).
As to claim 4, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming an electronic functional layer on a quantum dot light-emitting layer comprises: forming an electronic functional layer on the quantum dot light-emitting layer under an ultraviolet light irradiation (Hamilton: col. 10, lines 50-55: selectively photopattemed using ultraviolet light).
As to claim 5, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein before the step of forming a quantum dot light-emitting layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots) on the first electrode layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(104): anode) in a reducing gas atmosphere, the method further comprises: forming a hole functional layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(106): hole transport layer) on the first electrode layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(104): anode), and the hole functional layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(106): hole transport layer) is disposed between the first electrode layer and the quantum dot light-emitting layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots).
As to claim 6, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 5, wherein the step of forming a hole functional layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(106): hole transport layer) on the first electrode layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(104): anode) comprises: forming a hole injection layer or a hole transport layer on the first electrode layer (Hamilton: col. 3, lines 41-44: hole injection layer, col. 5, lines 48-61: hole transport layer).
As to claim 7, Hamilton teaches the method according to claim 5, wherein the step of forming a hole functional layer (Fig. 1(106): hole transport layer) on the first electrode layer (Fig. 1(104): anode) comprises: forming a hole injection layer or a hole transport layer on the first electrode layer (col. 3, lines 41-44: hole injection layer, col. 5, lines 48-61: hole transport layer).
Hamilton does not expressly teach forming a hole injection layer and a hole transport layer on the first electrode layer sequentially.
Chen teaches forming a hole injection layer and a hole transport layer on the first electrode layer sequentially (Fig. 4, [0072]: hole injection layer 20, hole transport layer 30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hamilton’s preparation method for QLED device by adapting Chen’s idea of forming a hole injection layer and a hole transport layer on the first electrode layer sequentially in order to improve device efficiency, lower operating voltages, and increase device lifetime (see Chen: [0091]).
As to claim 8, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 7, wherein a material of the hole injection layer comprises one or more of PEDOT:PSS, MCC, CuPc, F4-TCNQ, HATCN, a transition metal oxide, and a transition metal chalcogenide (Hamilton: col. 6, lines 54-60: PEDOT:PSS, Chen: [0074]: PEDOT:PSS).
As to claim 9, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 7, wherein a material of the hole transport layer comprises one or more of PVK, Poly-TPD, CBP, TCTA, and TFB (Hamilton: col. 6, lines 54-60: Poly-TPD. Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation. This claim is rejected based on Hamilton. However, Chen also teaches [0074]: Poly-TPD).
As to claim 10, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein a material of the first electrode layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(104): anode) is selected from one or more of indium tin oxide, fluorine doped tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, graphene, and carbon nanotubes (Hamilton: col. 6, lines 33-46: indium tin oxide, indium-doped zinc oxide (IZO), fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO), and the like. Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation).
As to claim 11, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein a material of the second electrode layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(112): cathode) is selected from one or more of Al and Ag (Hamilton: col. 6, lines 33-46: aluminum (Al), silver (Ag). Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation).
As to claim 12, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is an anode layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(104): anode), and the second electrode layer is a cathode layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(112): cathode, col. 5, lines 48-61).
As to claim 13, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic functional layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(110): electron transport layer) comprises an electron transport layer, and a material of the electron transport layer comprises metal oxide (Hamilton: col. 7, lines 14-24).
As to claim 14, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 13, wherein the metal oxide is selected from one or more of ZnO, SnO2, ITO, Fe2O3, Cr03, TiO2, W03, CdO, CuO, and MoO2 (Hamilton: col. 7, lines 14-24: ZnO and the like. Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation).
As to claim 15, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein a material of the quantum dot light-emitting layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots) is selected from one or more of CdS, CdSe, CdTe, CdZnS, CdZnSe, CdSeS, ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, ZnCdSe, GaAs, GaP, GaSb, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, InAs, InP, InSb, AlAs, AlP, CuInS, and CuInSe (Hamilton: col. 7, lines 31-51: one or more of: InP, CdSe, CdS, CdTe, ZnSe, ZnS, ZnTe, InAs, ZnO, MgO, HgS and the like. Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation).
As to claim 16, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein from the step of forming the quantum dot light-emitting layer (Hamilton: Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots) to the step of forming the second electrode layer, the whole process is in a reducing gas atmosphere (Hamilton: col. 5, lines 48-61, col. 3, lines 5-23: in an ambient environment by the oxygen scavengers reducing the amount of oxygen).
As to claim 17, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of forming a second electrode layer on the electronic functional layer, the method further includes: encapsulating (Hamilton: col. 2, lines 33-36, col. 7, lines 44-53: quantum dots may each include a core, a shell around the core).
As to claim 18, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach the method according to claim 1, wherein from the step of forming the quantum dot light-emitting layer to the step of encapsulating, the whole process is in a reducing gas atmosphere (Hamilton: col. 12, lines 52-62).
As to claim 19, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach a display substrate (Fig. 1(102)), comprising a QLED device prepared by the preparation method for QLED device according to claim 1 (Hamilton: Fig. 1, col. 2, lines 59-62: high resolution display applications; Note: it is well known that any display apparatus includes a display substrate).
As to claim 20, Hamilton (as modified by Chen) teach a display apparatus comprising a display substrate according to claim 19 (Hamilton: Fig. 1, col. 2, lines 59-62: high resolution display applications; Note: it is well known that any display apparatus includes a display substrate).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 21, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In the remarks, Applicant asserts that the sited references do not teach “forming a quantum dot light-emitting layer on the first electrode layer in a reducing gas atmosphere, and the reductive gas of the reducing gas atmosphere is selected from one or more of CO, NO, H2, H2S, ethylene, and acetylene” (claim 1). The Examiner respectfully disagrees to this assertion.
Hamilton teaches forming a quantum dot light-emitting layer (Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots) on the first electrode layer (Fig. 1(104): anode) in a reducing gas atmosphere (col. 5, lines 48-61, col. 3, lines 5-23: in an ambient environment by the oxygen scavengers reducing the amount of oxygen. Use of a suitable oxygen scavenger and blend composition; for example, the addition of Pt containing nanoparticles that will react with oxygen in place of emissive quantum dots), and
Chen teaches the reductive gas of the reducing gas atmosphere is selected from one or more of CO, NO, H2, H2S, ethylene, and acetylene ([0046]: carbon dioxide (CO) or hydrogen (H2) as the reduced (reductive) gas. Note: since there is “one or more of”, the Examiner can pick one item from the list to reject the entire limitation).
Therefore, Hamilton in combination with Chen clearly teach the above limitations. Since both references are in the same art invention, these two references can be combined. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Regards to Applicant’s argument combining references, Hamilton relates to forming a quantum dot light-emitting layer (see Fig. 1(108): emissive layer contains emissive quantum dots, col. 5, lines 48-61). Chen also relates to quantum dot light-emitting layer (see [0075]). Since both references are in the same art invention, these two references can be combined. It is not necessary that the references actually suggest, expressly or in so many words, the changes or improvements that applicant has made. The test for combining references is what the references as a whole would have suggested to one of ordinary skill in the art. In re Sheckler, 168 USPQ 716 (CCPA 1971); In re McLaughlin 170 USPQ 209 (CCPA 1971); In re Young 159 USPQ 725 (CCPA 1968).
On the 5th page of remarks, Applicant also argues that a reducing gas during the formation of a quantum dot light-emitting layer to actively consume ambient oxygen. However, claim 1 does not require a reducing gas during the formation of a quantum dot light-emitting layer to actively consume ambient oxygen.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AFROZA Y CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-1543. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/AFROZA CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628
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