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 § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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, 11 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen (US 2023/0140861 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a quantum dot ligand (Formula VII), wherein a general formula of a structure of the quantum dot ligand is shown in a formula X-Y-Z; where X is a coordinating group configured to form a coordination bond with a quantum dot body; Y is a linking group, wherein the linking group is selected from a flexible chain that does not comprise a rigid group; and Z comprises at least two cross-linkable groups, wherein the cross-linkable groups have linking ends, the linking ends of the at least two cross-linkable groups are linked to the same carbon atom, and tail ends of the cross-linkable groups comprise carbon-carbon double bonds (as annotated below).
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Regarding claim 11, Chen discloses that the quantum dot-ligand material comprises a quantum dot body and the quantum dot ligand according to claim 1, wherein a coordination bond is formed between the quantum dot ligand and the quantum dot body (¶33).
Regarding claim 14, Chen discloses that a material of the quantum dot light-emitting layer comprises a first quantum dot body, a second quantum dot body, and the quantum dot ligand according to claim 1;the quantum dot ligand forms coordination bonds with the first quantum dot body and the second quantum dot body, respectively; and the first quantum dot body and the second quantum dot body are cross linked through the cross-linkable groups in the quantum dot ligand to form a network structure (¶56).
Regarding claim 15, Chen discloses a quantum dot light-emitting device comprising the quantum dot light- emitting layer according to claim 14 (¶84).
Regarding claim 16, Chen discloses a method for preparing a quantum dot light-emitting device, comprising: providing a first color mixed solution, wherein the first color mixed solution comprises a photoinitiator and a first color quantum dot-ligand material, the first color quantum dot-ligand material comprises a first color quantum dot body and the quantum dot ligand according to claim 1, and a coordination bond is formed between the first color quantum dot ligand and the first color quantum dot body; providing a second color mixed solution, wherein the second color mixed solution comprises a photoinitiator and a second color quantum dot-ligand material, the second color quantum dot-ligand material comprises a second color quantum dot body and the quantum dot ligand according to claim 1, and a coordination bond is formed between the second color quantum dot ligand and the second color quantum dot body; coating a substrate with the first color mixed solution, for exposure and development, to form a first color sub-pixel; and coating the substrate with the second color mixed solution, for exposure and development, to form a second color sub-pixel (¶54-¶64).
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses a display apparatus comprising the quantum dot light-emitting device according to claim 15 (¶84).
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) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Seo et al. (US 2020/0266382 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Chen discloses the quantum dot light-emitting device according to claim 15, further comprising a substrate, a first electrode, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer, and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode, the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, the quantum dot light-emitting layer, the electron transport layer, and the second electrode are sequentially stacked on a side of the substrate (¶82).
Chen does not disclose an electron injection layer being between the electron transport layer and the cathode.
Seo discloses a quantum dot light-emitting device (Fig 1) which includes an electron injection layer (EIL) between the electron transport layer (ETL) and the second electrode (EL2).
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An electron injection layer such as that disclosed by Seo modulate the energy of the electrons flowing from the cathode into the further layers to improve performance. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to form the electron injection layer as provided by Seo in the QDLED of Chen.
Regarding claim 19, Seo discloses that the second electrode is connected to an auxiliary electrode in order to reduce the resistance of the second electrode (¶69).
Regarding claim 20, Seo discloses that quantum dots of different sizes in the quantum dot light-emitting layer emit light of different colors and form sub-pixels of different colors (¶59).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-10, 12 and 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:
Prior art does not disclose or suggest the further subject matter of claims 1-10, 12 and 13, Chen being the closest prior art to those claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL P SHOOK whose telephone number is (571)270-7890. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri.
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/DANIEL P SHOOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896