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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species A-1 drawn to Figs. 1-4 and Species B-1 drawn to the photovoltaic module depicted in Figs. 7 and 8 which includes claims 1, 2, 4-10, 16, and 19-20 in the reply filed on 12/27/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Species A-1 (Figs. 1-4), A-2 (Fig. 5), and A-5 (Fig. 15-16) have at least one edge electrode. This is not found persuasive because the solar cells in Species A-1 (see [0098]) and Species A-5 (see [0174]) are formed of different materials which would require different searches. In addition, Species A-1 and Species A-2 have a different electrode designs which would require different searches.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 3, 11-15, 17, and 18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Species A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-9, B-2, B-3, B-4, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/27/2025.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "1112" and "112" in Fig. 1 have both been used to designate the same busbar. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4-10, 16, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “each finger electrode of the finger electrodes extending in the first direction” in lines 4-5 and as noted above Applicant elected Species A-1 which is described in paragraph [0095] in the specification and drawn to Figures 1-4. The specification in paragraph [0095] states “The solar cell includes finger electrodes 110 arranged in the first direction Y and each finger electrode 110 extends in a second direction X, and the finger electrodes 110 penetrate the passivation layer 102 to be electrically connected to the substrate 100, the finger electrodes 110 including rows of first finger electrodes 111 and rows of second finger electrodes 112 alternatingly arranged in the first direction Y.” Therefore it is unclear how the finger electrodes extend in the first direction as recited in claim 1 since the instant specification [0095] and the drawings drawn to Species A-1, Figs. 1-4, disclose that the finger electrode extend in the second direction. Further clarification and appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 recites “the main busbars including m1 first main busbars and m2 second main busbars alternatingly arranged in the first direction, a respective first main busbar extending in the second direction” in lines 10-12 and “a respective second main busbar extending in the second direction” in lines 13-14 and as noted above Applicant elected Species A-1 which is described in paragraph [0095] in the specification and drawn to Figures 1-4. The specification in paragraph [0095] recites “The main busbars 120 include m1 first main busbars 121 and m2 second main busbars 122 arranged alternatingly along the second direction X” and Figs. 1-4 show the busbars (120) extend in the direction Y which is the first direction. Therefore it is unclear how the busbars are alternatingly arranged in the first direction and extend in the second direction as recited in claim 1, since the specification discloses that the busbars are alternatingly arranged in the second direction and extend in the first direction. Further clarification and appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 recites “at least one edge electrode extending in the first direction” in line 18 and as noted above Applicant elected Species A-1 which is described in paragraph [0095] in the specification and drawn to Figures 1-4. The specification in paragraph [0095] recites “Each edge electrode 113 extends in the second direction X.” Therefore it is unclear how the edge electrode extends in the first direction as recited in claim 1, since the specification discloses that that the edge electrode extends in the second direction. Further clarification and appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
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) 1, 4-6, 10, 16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 115377232 A, Machine Translation) in view of Wu (CN 218677162 U, Machine Translation).
Regarding claims 1, 5, and 10, Huang discloses a solar cell (See Fig. 9 and 10, pgs. 5-13), comprising:
a substrate (100, see Fig. 10, pg. 5, last para.-pg. 6) having two opposite first boundaries each extending in a first direction (see Fig. 9 direction Y);
a passivation layer (116, see Fig. 10, see pg. 10 last para.) formed over the substrate;
finger electrodes (121 and 122, pg. 7) formed over the substrate between the two opposite first boundaries (see Fig. 9 and Fig. 10), each finger electrode (121 and 122) of the finger electrodes extending in a second direction (direction X), wherein the finger electrodes include rows of first finger electrodes (122) and rows of second finger electrodes (121) alternatingly arranged in a second direction, and each row of first finger electrodes (122) is between two adjacent rows of second finger electrodes (121), and wherein the finger electrodes (121 and 122) penetrate the passivation layer (116) to be electrically connected with the substrate (see Fig. 10);
main busbars (151, 152, 153, 154, see Fig. 9) formed over the passivation layer (positioning is adjacent to finger electrodes, 121 and 122, see Fig. 9, and formed in the same manner (see pg. 7, paragraph 3 and pg. 12, paragraph 2) and therefore will also be over and embedded within passivation layer 116) , the main busbars including m1 first main busbars (starting from the leftmost bus bar and every other bus bar m1=3) and m2 second main busbars (second to leftmost bus bar and every other bus bar, m2=2) alternatingly arranged in the second direction (see Fig. 9), a respective first main busbar extending (starting from the leftmost bus bar and every other bus bar m1=3) in the first direction (See Fig. 9) and being electrically connected with a portion of each row of the rows of first finger electrodes(122), and a respective second main busbar (second to leftmost bus bar and every other bus bar, m2=2) extending in the first direction and being electrically connected with a portion of each row of the rows of second finger electrodes (121), and wherein the respective first main busbar (starting from the leftmost bus bar and every other bus bar m1=3) is one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and the respective second main busbar (second to leftmost bus bar and every other bus bar, m2=2) is the other of the positive electrode and the negative electrode (see last paragraph pg. 11-first paragraph pg. 12).
However, Huang does not disclose at least one edge electrode extending in the second direction, wherein a respective edge electrode of the at least one edge electrode is between each of the finger electrodes and a corresponding first boundary of the two opposite first boundaries, the respective edge electrode at least partially penetrating the passivation layer to be electrically connected with the substrate, and wherein the at least one edge electrode includes at least one of: a first edge electrode electrically connected with n1 first main busbars; and a second edge electrode electrically connected with n2 second main busbars; wherein 1 < n1 ≤ m1, 1 < n2 ≤ m2, n1, m1, n2, and m2 are natural numbers.
Wu discloses an interdigitated back contact solar cell and further discloses a finger electrode (5 and 4) and busbar (3 and 2) design substantially similar to Huang (See Abstract and Background first paragraph, pgs. 4-5). In addition, Wu discloses at least one edge electrode (see 6, Fig. 2) extending in the second direction, wherein a respective edge electrode (6 or 7) of the at least one edge electrode is between each of the finger electrodes and a corresponding first boundary of the two opposite first boundaries and interconnects busbar electrodes of the same polarity type (see pg. 5, fifth and sixth paragraph) and further discloses that having these edge electrodes results in a common connection point.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the electrode assembly of Huang by further including one or more edge electrodes interconnecting busbars of the same polarity as disclosed by Wu because it will ease further interconnection since there is a common connection points for the busbars of the same polarity.
Since the edge electrode of modified Huang will be formed in the same manner as the other electrodes it will also partially penetrate the passivation layer to be electrically connected with the substrate.
Modified Huang also discloses that the first edge electrode is electrically connected with all of the first main busbars and/or a second edge electrode is electrically connected with all of the second main busbars. Therefore Huang also discloses 1<n1≤ m1, 1< n2 ≤ m2, n1, m1, n2, and m2 are natural numbers.
Regarding claim 4, modified Huang discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
In addition, Huang discloses wherein a respective row of first finger electrodes includes first sub-electrodes spaced by first spacer regions in the first direction such that each pair of adjacent first sub-electrodes in the respective row of first finger electrodes are separated by a corresponding first spacer region of the first spacer regions, a respective second main busbar is disposed on a corresponding first spacer region (interdigitated fingers, second bus bar in spacer region, see Fig. 10), and a respective first main busbar is electrically connected with a corresponding first sub-electrode of each row of first finger electrodes;
and a respective row of second finger electrodes includes second sub-electrodes spaced by second spacer regions in the first direction such that each pair of adjacent second sub-electrodes in the respective row of second finger electrodes are separated by a corresponding second spacer region of the second spacer regions, a respective first main busbar (interdigitated fingers, first bus bar in spacer region, see Fig. 10) is disposed on a corresponding second spacer region, and a respective second main busbar is electrically connected with a corresponding second sub-electrode of each row of second finger electrodes.
Regarding claim 6, modified Huang discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
In addition, Wu discloses that the edge electrode can range from 10 μm to 100 μm (pg. 6, para. 2-3), however, does not explicitly disclose wherein the respective edge electrode has a width in the second direction ranging from 10μm to 55μm.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to have selected the overlapping portion of the ranges disclosed by the reference because selection of overlapping portion of ranges has been held to be a prima facie case of obviousness. In re Malagari, 182 USPQ 549.
Regarding claims 16 and 20, modified Huang discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
Huang discloses electrically interconnected solar cells at least one encapsulation adhesive film (211/212, see Fig. 11) each configured to cover a surface of a respective cell string; and at least one cover plate (221/222) each configured to cover a surface of a respective encapsulation adhesive film facing away from the at least one cell string (see last para pg. 12 to first para pg. 13).
Wu discloses a plurality of connecting members (see Fig. 1, 9), wherein each connecting member is configured to electrically connect the first main busbar (2,3) of one solar cell of two adjacent solar cells with the second main busbar of another solar cell of the two adjacent solar cells (see pg. 4, last two para- pg. 5 first three para.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the interconnecting member of Huang so that it attaches to main busbars as disclosed by Wu because it is a known method to electrically interconnect solar cells to from a solar string.
Claim(s) 2, 7-9, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN 115377232 A, Machine Translation) in view of Wu (CN 218677162 U, Machine Translation) as applied to claims 1, 4-6, 10, 16, and 20 above and in further view of Lin (CN 104282774 A, Machine Translation).
Regarding claims 7, 8, and 9, modified Huang discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
However, Huang does not disclose:
wherein the respective edge electrode is spaced from an adjacent finger electrode by a first pitch, and the first pitch is less than or equal to a distance between a respective first finger electrode and an adjacent second finger electrode and wherein the first pitch ranges from 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm
wherein the respective edge electrode is spaced from an adjacent finger electrode by a first pitch, and the first pitch is less than or equal to a distance between a respective first finger electrode and an adjacent second finger electrode and wherein the distance between the respective first finger electrode and the adjacent second finger electrode ranges from 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm
Lin discloses that the spacing between finger electrodes and bus electrodes (includes edge electrode, 21a, 31a) effects both ohmic power loss and production costs ([0054][0051]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the distances between the edge electrode and adjacent finger electrodes as well as the distance between the first finger electrode and an adjacent second finger electrode of modified Huang to be within the ranges claimed because as disclosed by Lin this will allow for the optimization of reducing ohmic power loss and production costs.
Regarding claims 2 and 19, modified Huang discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
However, modified Huang does not disclose that the respective edge electrode has a polarity same as a polarity of an adjacent finger electrode, wherein there is no other finger electrode between the respective edge electrode and the adjacent finger electrode.
Lin discloses edge electrode has a polarity same as a polarity of an adjacent finger electrode, wherein there is no other finger electrode between the respective edge electrode and the adjacent finger electrode (see Fig. 2, [0051]) and that have this type of finger and edge electrode pattern reduces the chances of an opposite polarity bus contacting the finger electrode.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the finger electrode pattern by having the claimed pattern in modified Huang because as disclosed by Lin this reduces the chances of an opposite polarity bus contacting the finger electrode.
Conclusion
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DEVINA PILLAY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/DEVINA PILLAY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726