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 § 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, 6 9-10, 11-17 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.
a. As to claim 1 recitation of base structure of a tandem solar cell is vague and indefinite though applicant later claims first solar cell. The base could be anything from cardboard, glass, a semiconductor substrate. Further recitation Low damage sputter deposition is unclear since there is no definition of how much damage is considered low.
b. As to claim 6 it is unclear what else is required from the method steps. While the claim is drawn to a tandem cell claim 6 only indicates a first cell and there is no requirement or recitation of forming a second cell.
b. As to claim 9 there is no recitation of the finishing of the tandem solar cell so it is unclear what beyond the base structure is a tandem solar cell.
As to claim 11, it is unclear what a base of a solar cell is to include or exclude. Further the steps of completing fabrication are unclear as to what is included and excluded since one would not know what constitutes a finished solar cell.
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee 20230092881 in view of Dietrich 20120067717 both cited on ids.
As to claims 1 and 2, Lee teaches A method, comprising: obtaining a base structure of a tandem solar cell device (item 120 figures more specifically items 124-126 figure 9c or figure 9e items 114-126) ; and forming a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) (item 110a figure 9d or figure 9f item 420) layer on the base structure via sputtering (paragraphs 54 and paragraph 147 and 152).
Lee does not teach using a low damage sputter deposition (LDSD) process, wherein the LDSD process comprises a rotatable facing target sputtering (RFTS) process the examiner is interpreting . a rotatable fa facing target sputtering as inherently a low damage sputter deposition process.
Lee also teaches specific transparent conductive oxides for 420 including ITO IWO and ICO. Further ITO ICO IZO and AZO were was a conventionally known TCO
Dietrich teaches a method of sputtering comprising a rotatable sputtering process with such a process providing improvement on grading an improved overall composition of double component materials paragraph 2 and 3 and 5.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing form 110a and 420 as ITO ICO IZO, AZO sputtering with RFTS method of Dietrich to improve overall composition variation of the double TCO components as suggested by Dietrich.
b. As to claim 3, Lee teaches wherein the base structure comprises a stack of layers of a solar cell comprising an electron transport layer (item 116 paragraph 58) is disposed on an active layer (it is disposed on the bottom surface of the active layer).
c. As to claim 4, Lee teaches wherein the active layer comprises a perovskite layer and the solar cell is a perovskite solar cell (paragraph 55).
d. As to claim 5, Lee teaches wherein the base structure comprises a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell (paragraph 86).
e. As to claim 6, Recitation of recombination layer is an intended use of the structure applicant does not set for what is to be recombined. Thus, Lee teaches wherein the base structure comprises a first solar cell, and wherein the TCO layer is a recombination layer formed on the first solar cell (item 110a).
f. As to claim 7, Lee teaches further comprising forming a second solar cell on the recombination layer (item 110), wherein the first solar cell is a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell (item 120 paragraph 86), and wherein the second solar cell is a perovskite solar cell (item 110 paragraph 55).
g. As to claim 8, Lee teaches forming a hole transport layer as molybdenum oxide as the hole transport (item 114 paragraph 58)
Lee does not explicitly state how it is to be formed Dietrich teaches the method is beneficial to transparent oxide (paragraph 5).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to use the RFTS to form molybdenum oxide using a RFTS sputter to simplify the number of apparatuses used in manufacture allow the sputtering device to be use three of the layers of the solar and to use conventional method to provide expected outcomes.
h. As to claim 9 and 10, there is no finished tandem solar cell recited in the process Lee teaches forming electrodes on the TCO (items 422 and on 420).
As to the encapsulation it was known at the time of filing to form low temperature thin films at or below 100C over organic devices to prevent degradation of perovskite active layers.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have formed a thin film encapsulation at or below 100 C to protect the perovskite solar cell from moisture.
Claim(s) 11-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Dietrich as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hartig (20060157347).
a. As to claim 11 12 13 Lee suggests receiving a base structure of a solar cell device and completing fabrication of the solar cell device figure 9; forming a layer on the base structure using a sputter deposition process. A TCO of ITO IZO ICO or AZO.
and Dietrich suggests wherein forming the layer on the base structure using the sputter deposition process comprises directing first sputter material (items 7 figures 1 and 2) from a first rotary target with a facing magnet yoke (item 5) position towards first direction (figures 1 and 2) and directing second sputter material (item 8) from the second rotary target with a facing magnet yoke (item 6) position towards a second direction; and
Dietrich does not explicitly teach the first direction is towards second rotary target and the second direction is toward the first rotary target.
Hartig suggest directing both yokes towards each other abstract and figure 2 paragraphs 20-23. Hartig further teaches this reduces maintenance on the sputter device paragraph 23.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to position the yokes/bars towards each other to reduce the maintenance on the sputter apparatus.
b. As to claim 14, Lee teaches the base includes an active layer items 122 and or item 112.
c. As to claim 15, Lee teaches wherein the active layer comprises a perovskite layer and the solar cell is a perovskite solar cell item 112 (paragraph 42).
d. As to claim 16, Lee teaches wherein the base structure comprises a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell (paragraph 86).
e. As to claim 17 recitation of recombination layer is intended use Lee teaches wherein the base structure comprises a first solar cell (item 110), and wherein the layer can be used as a recombination layer formed on the first solar cell (item 110).
d. As to claim 18, Lee teaches wherein completing fabrication of the solar cell device further comprises forming a second solar cell on the recombination layer (item 110).
e. As to claim 19 Lee teaches wherein the first solar cell is a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell (paragraph 86), and wherein the second solar cell is a perovskite solar cell (paragraph 42).
f. As to claim 20 Dietrich teaches AC or DC sputtering (paragraph 28).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW L REAMES whose telephone number is (571)272-2408. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6:00 am-4:00 pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William F. Kraig can be reached at 571-272-8660. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MATTHEW L. REAMES/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2896
/MATTHEW L REAMES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
Prosecution Insights