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 .
Attorney Docket Number: 211850-US1
Filling Date: 03/13/24
Inventor: Yuen et al
Examiner: Bilkis Jahan
DETAILED ACTION
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, claims 1-11 in the reply filed on 7/15/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, claims 1-11 are generic over Species 1 and 2.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chang et al (US 2023/0170425 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chang discloses a photosynapse device (Figs. 1A, 2) comprising: an insulating layer 10 (Para. 39); a semiconductor layer 42 (Para. 40) on the insulating layer 10; a photoactive layer 44 (Para. 40) on the semiconductor layer 42, wherein the semiconductor layer 42 is between the insulating layer 10 and the photoactive layer 44; and a pair of spaced apart electrodes 20, 50 (Paras. 38, 72) electrically (through 80) coupled with the semiconductor layer 42.
Regarding claim 2, Chang further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer 42 has an atomic scale thickness (Para. 40).
Regarding claim 3, Chang further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer 42 has a thickness less than about 5 nanometers (Para. 40).
Regarding claim 4, Chang further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer 42 comprises a 2-dimensional electronic semiconductor layer (Para. 40, metal oxide, same material as instant application).
Regarding claim 5, Chang further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer 42 comprises at least one of graphene, a chalcogenide, a group IV semiconductor material, a metal oxide (Para. 40), a metal boride, a pnictide material, a perovskite material, a nitride material, silicon, phosphorous, a metalloid, boron, germanium, antimony, and/or bismuth.
Regarding claim 6, Chang further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 1, wherein the insulating layer 10 comprises a silicon-based insulating layer (Para. 39).
Regarding claim 7, Chang further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 6, wherein the silicon-based insulating layer 10 comprises at least one of silicon carbide, quartz (Para. 39), silicon dioxide, and/or silicon nitride.
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) 8-10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang et al (US 2023/0170425 A1) in view of Irwin et al (US 2018/0301288 A1).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Chang does not explicitly disclose the photosynapse device of Claim 1, wherein the photoactive layer comprises an organic photoactive layer; the photosynapse device of Claim 8, wherein the organic photoactive layer comprises at least one of an organic photoactive dye, and/or an azo-dye.
However, Irwin discloses the photoactive layer comprises an organic photoactive layer; the photosynapse device of Claim 8, wherein the organic photoactive layer comprises at least one of an organic photoactive dye (Paras. 47-48, 132), and/or an azo-dye. Irwin teaches the above modification is used to obtain stable and reliable system (Para. 1). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill of the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to substitute Chang photoactive material with Irwin photovoltaic material as suggested above to obtain stable and reliable system (Para. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Irwin further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 8, wherein the organic photoactive layer comprises at least one of Congo red, azo-dye Congo Red, Brilliant yellow, Methyl Orange, perylene (Para. 132), tera-isopropyl-perylene, HAT5, an intrinsic polymer, a modified polymer, a mesoporous system, a microporous system, a metal-organic framework (MOF), a zeolite, a biomaterial, and/or a hydrogel.
Regarding claim 11, Chang further discloses the photosynapse device of Claim 1, wherein each of the electrodes 20, 50 comprises at least one of gold, aluminum (Paras. 45, 39, Al is a common metal material, obvious), nickel, silver, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate PEDOT:PSS, and/or chromium.
Conclusion
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BILKIS . JAHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2817
/BILKIS JAHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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