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.
Claims 1-24 and 38-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gamelin et al. (2021/0242357).
Regarding claim 1, Gamelin discloses a method of forming a lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material, comprising: combining a monovalent metal cation-halide compound (Gamelin, [0364], CsCl), a divalent metal cation- halide compound (Gamelin, [0364], PbCl2), and a lanthanide or transition metal halide compound (Gamelin, [0364], YbCl3) in a solvent (Gamelin, [0364], H2O); evaporating the solvent to form a powder (Gamelin, [0364], “The subsequent milling lasted for 1 hour giving a fine white powder”); and annealing the powder to form the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material (Gamelin, [0385]).
Regarding claim 2, Gamelin further discloses the monovalent metal cation-halide compound is cesium chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], CsCl)
Regarding claim 3, Gamelin further discloses the divalent metal cation-halide compound is lead chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], PbCl2)
Regarding claim 4, Gamelin further discloses the lanthanide or transition metal halide compound is lanthanide or transition metal chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], YbCl3)
Regarding claim 5, Gamelin further discloses the monovalent metal cation-halide compound is cesium chloride (Gamelin, [0364], CsCl); the divalent metal cation-halide compound is lead chloride (Gamelin, [0364], PbCl2); the lanthanide or transition metal halide compound is lanthanide or transition metal chloride (Gamelin, [0364], YbCl3); and wherein said lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride (Gamelin, [0364], “strong near infrared emission centered at 985 nm, corresponding to the […] emission of Yb3+. Weak emission centered at 425 nm corresponds to the CsPbCl3 exciton.”).
Regarding claim 6, Gamelin further discloses said annealing of the powder to form lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride includes: annealing to form said lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride with a dopant ion concentration below about 5 percent. (Gamelin, heading above [0364], “Mechanochemical Synthesis of ~3% Yb3+ - Doped CsPbCl3 Powder”)
Regarding claim 7, Gamelin further discloses the solvent is water. (Gamelin, [0364], H2O)
Regarding claim 8, Gamelin further discloses annealing the powder includes annealing at or below about 200 degrees C. (Gamelin, [0380], annealing at 100C, [0379], annealing at 170C)
Regarding claim 9, Gamelin further discloses using the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is to receive emission. (Gamelin, throughout and in particular [0144] et seq., the material is used in Gamelin in a downconversion layer, which necessarily both receives emissions and is subsequently itself emissive.)
Regarding claim 10, Gamelin further discloses using the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material as a material for a scintillator device, scintillator region, scintillator component, scintillator layer, or scintillator module. (Gamelin, [0211], [0212])
Regarding claim 11, Gamelin further discloses using said scintillator device, scintillator region, scintillator component, scintillator layer, or scintillator module for one of the following:a) one or more photovoltaic (PV) devices, and optionally, said one or more photovoltaic (PV) devices are solar cells; b) one or more photodetectors;c) one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs); d) one or laser Diodes (LDs); e) one or luminescent solar concentrators;f) one or more nuclear batteries; or g) a photomultiplier tube (PMT). (Gamelin, applications disclosed from [0175]-[0226], including at least PV devices, laser diodes, LEDs, photodetectors, this list not necessarily exhaustive)
Regarding claim 12, Gamelin discloses a photonic device, comprising: either: a) a semiconductor directly or indirectly coupled to a first electrode and a second electrode, or b) a photomultiplier tube (PMT); (Gamelin, [0220]-[0225])
and a lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material located adjacent to either:a) said semiconductor, said first electrode, and said second electrode in electromagnetic energy communication with said lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material, or b) said photomultiplier tube (PMT) in electromagnetic energy communication with said lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material; (Gamelin, [0220], downconversion layer 4)
and wherein the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is formed by a method including: combining a monovalent metal-halide compound, a divalent metal-halide compound, and a lanthanide or transition metal halide compound in a solvent;evaporating the solvent to form a powder; and annealing the powder to form a lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite. (Gamelin, [0364], see above with respect to claim 1)
Regarding claim 13, Gamelin further discloses the monovalent metal cation- halide compound is cesium chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], CsCl)
Regarding claim 14, Gamelin further discloses the divalent metal cation-halide compound is lead chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], PbCl2)
Regarding claim 15, Gamelin further discloses the lanthanide or transition metal halide compound is lanthanide or transition metal chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], YbCl3)
Regarding claim 16, Gamelin further discloses the monovalent metal cation-halide compound is cesium chloride; (Gamelin, [0364], CsCl) the divalent metal cation-halide compound is lead chloride (Gamelin, [0364], PbCl2); the lanthanide or transition metal halide compound is lanthanide or transition metal chloride (Gamelin, [0364], YbCl3); and wherein said lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride (Gamelin, [0364], “strong near infrared emission centered at 985 nm, corresponding to the […] emission of Yb3+. Weak emission centered at 425 nm corresponds to the CsPbCl3 exciton.”).
Regarding claim 17, Gamelin further discloses said annealing of the powder to form said lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride includes:annealing to form said lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride with a dopant ion concentration below about 5 percent. (Gamelin, heading above [0364], “Mechanochemical Synthesis of ~3% Yb3+ - Doped CsPbCl3 Powder”)
Regarding claim 18, Gamelin further discloses the solvent is water. (Gamelin, [0364], H2O)
Regarding claim 19, Gamelin further discloses said annealing of the powder includes annealing at or below about 200 degrees C. (Gamelin, [0380], annealing at 100C, [0379], annealing at 170C)
Regarding claim 20, Gamelin further discloses the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is configured to receive emission. (Gamelin, throughout and in particular [0144] et seq., the material is used in Gamelin in a downconversion layer, which necessarily both receives emissions and is subsequently itself emissive.)
Regarding claim 21, Gamelin further discloses the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is used for a scintillator device, scintillator region, scintillator component, scintillator layer, or scintillator module. (Gamelin, [0211], [0212])
Regarding claim 22, Gamelin further discloses the scintillator device, scintillator region, scintillator component, scintillator layer, or scintillator module is configured to receive emission. (Gamelin, throughout and in particular [0144] et seq., the material is used in Gamelin in a downconversion layer, which necessarily both receives emissions and is subsequently itself emissive.)
Regarding claim 23, Gamelin further discloses said semiconductor, said first electrode, said second electrode, and said scintillator device, scintillator region, scintillator component, scintillator layer, or scintillator module are configured wherein the photonic device is one of the following:a) one or more photovoltaic (PV) devices, and optionally, said one or more photovoltaic (PV) devices are solar cells; b) one or more photodetectors;c) one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs); d) one or more laser Diodes (LDs); e) one or luminescent solar concentrators; or f) one or more nuclear batteries. (Gamelin, applications disclosed from [0175]-[0226], including at least PV devices, laser diodes, LEDs, photodetectors, this list not necessarily exhaustive)
Regarding claim 24, Gamelin further discloses said photodetector comprises: micro photomultiplier, photodiode, or silicon photomultiplier. (Gamelin, [0211]-[0213])
Regarding claim 38, Gamelin further discloses said lanthanide comprises: Ln2+, Ce2+,Pr2+, Nd2+, Pm2+, Sm2+, Eu2+Ho2+, Er2+, Tm2+, Yb2+,Lug2+,Ln3+, Ce3+,Pr3+, Nd3+, Pm3+, Sm3+,Eu3+Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+,Lu3+, Ln4*, Ce4+,Pr4*, Nd4+, Pm4+, Sm4+, Eu4+Ho4, Er4*, Tm4+, Yb4+,or Lu4+. (Gamelin, [0364], “strong near infrared emission centered at 985 nm, corresponding to the […] emission of Yb3+. Weak emission centered at 425 nm corresponds to the CsPbCl3 exciton.”).
Regarding claim 39, Gamelin further discloses said transition metal comprises all stable ions of: Copper, Iron, Cobalt, Manganese, Vanadium, Chromium, Titanium, Zinc, Molybdenum, Niobium, Zirconium, Tungsten, Technetium, Hafnium, Scandium, Nickel, Tantalum, Yttrium, Silver, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Palladium, Osmium, Platinum, Iridium, Seaborgium, Rhenium, Dubnium, Cadmium, Rutherfordium, Gold, Roentgenium, Mercury, Copernicium, Darmstadtium, Hassium, Meitnerium, or Bohrium. (Gamelin [0016])
Regarding claim 40, Gamelin further discloses said lanthanide comprises: Ln2+,Ce2+, Pr2+, Nd2+, Pm2+, Sm2+, Eu2+, Gd2+, Tb2+, Dy2+,Ho2+, Er2+, Tm2+, Yb2+,Lu2+,Ln3+,Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Pm3+, Sm3+,Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+,Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+,Lu3+, Ln4*,Ce4+, Pr4*, Nd4+, Pm4+, Sm4+,Eu4+, Gd4+, Tb4+, Dy4+,Ho4, Er4*, Tm4+, Yb4+,or Lu4+. (Gamelin, [0364], “strong near infrared emission centered at 985 nm, corresponding to the […] emission of Yb3+. Weak emission centered at 425 nm corresponds to the CsPbCl3 exciton.”).
Regarding claim 41, Gamelin further discloses said transition metal comprises all stable ions of: Copper, Iron, Cobalt, Manganese, Vanadium, Chromium, Titanium, Zinc, Molybdenum, Niobium, Zirconium, Tungsten, Technetium, Hafnium, Scandium, Nickel, Tantalum, Yttrium, Silver, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Palladium, Osmium, Platinum, Iridium, Seaborgium, Rhenium, Dubnium, Cadmium, Rutherfordium, Gold, Roentgenium, Mercury, Copernicium, Darmstadtium, Hassium, Meitnerium, or Bohrium. (Gamelin [0016])
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.
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.
Claim(s) 25-37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gamelin in view of Cao et al. (2023/0207149)(earliest priority date Jun. 9 2020).
Regarding claim 25, Gamelin discloses; a power source device, comprising: a photonic device in emission communication with said emission source, wherein the photonic device comprises either: a) a semiconductor directly or indirectly coupled between a first electrode and a second electrode, or b) a photomultiplier tube (PMT); and a lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material located adjacent to either: a) said semiconductor, said first electrode, and said second electrode in electromagnetic energy communication with said lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material, or b) said photomultiplier tube (PMT) in electro in electromagnetic energy communication with said lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material; andwherein the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is formed by a method including:combining a monovalent metal-halide compound, a divalent metal-halide compound, and a lanthanide or transition metal halide compound in a solvent; evaporating the solvent to form a powder; and annealing the powder to form lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material. (See above with respect to claim 12)
Gamelin lacks explicit teaching of an emission source. (Gamelin teaches the photovoltaic used to capture solar energy)
Cao teaches an emission source in radiative contact with a perovskite + photovoltaic cell combination to form a radiation battery. (Cao, [0040])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to add a radioactive emitter as taught by Cao into the photovoltaic power source of Gamelin in order to render that power source operable operable without sunlight. See Cao at [0003].
Likewise, it would have been obvious to use the synthesis methods of Gamelin to make a lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite radiation absorption layer for use in the power source of Cao in order to realize the benefits of such materials. See Gamelin at [0005]-[0006] for a general list of desirable qualities thereof.
Regarding claim 26, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches the monovalent metal cation-halide compound is cesium chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], CsCl)
Regarding claim 27, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches the divalent metal cation- halide compound is lead chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], PbCl2)
Regarding claim 28, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches the lanthanide or transition metal halide compound is lanthanide or transition metal chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], YbCl3)
Regarding claim 29, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches the monovalent metal cation-halide compound is cesium chloride; the divalent metal cation-halide compound is lead chloride; the lanthanide or transition metal halide compound is lanthanide or transition metal chloride; and wherein said lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride. (Gamelin, [0364], “strong near infrared emission centered at 985 nm, corresponding to the […] emission of Yb3+. Weak emission centered at 425 nm corresponds to the CsPbCl3 exciton.”).
Regarding claim 30, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said annealing of the powder to form said lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride includes: annealing to form said lanthanide or transition metal doped cesium lead chloride with a dopant ion concentration below about 5 percent. (Gamelin, heading above [0364], “Mechanochemical Synthesis of ~3% Yb3+ - Doped CsPbCl3 Powder”)
Regarding claim 31, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches the solvent is water. (Gamelin, [0364], H2O)
Regarding claim 32, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said annealing of the powder includes annealing at or below about 200 degrees C. (Gamelin, [0380], annealing at 100C, [0379], annealing at 170C)
Regarding claim 33, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said emission source comprises: alpha emission, beta emission, gamma radiation, or x-ray radiation. (Cao, [0115])
Regarding claim 34, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches the lanthanide or transition metal doped metal halide perovskite material is used for a scintillator device, scintillator region, scintillator component, scintillator layer, or scintillator module. (Gamelin, [0211], [0212]; Cao [0115]))
Regarding claim 35, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said semiconductor, said first electrode, said second electrode, and said scintillator device, scintillator region, scintillator component, scintillator layer, or scintillator module are configured wherein the photonic device is one of the following: a) one or more photovoltaic (PV) devices, and optionally, said one or more photovoltaic (PV) devices are solar cells;b) one or more photodetectors; c) one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs); d) one or laser Diodes (LDs); e) one or luminescent solar concentrators; or f) one or more nuclear batteries. (Cao, throughout, see in particular [0115])
Regarding claim 36, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said photodetector comprises: micro photomultiplier, photodiode, or silicon photomultiplier. (Gamelin, [0211]-[0213])
Regarding claim 37, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said emission source comprises: alpha emission, beta emission, gamma radiation, or x-ray radiation. (Cao, [0115])
Regarding claim 42, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said lanthanide comprises:Ln2+, Ce2+, Pr2+, Nd2+, Pm2+, Sm2+, Eu2+, Gd2+, Tb2+, Dy2+,Ho2+, Er2+, Tm2+, Yb2+,Lu2+,Ln3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Pm3+, Sm3+,Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+,Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+,Lu3+,Ho4, Er4*, Tm4+, Yb4+,orLu4+. (Gamelin, [0364], “strong near infrared emission centered at 985 nm, corresponding to the […] emission of Yb3+. Weak emission centered at 425 nm corresponds to the CsPbCl3 exciton.”).
Regarding claim 43, the combination of Gamelin and Cao further teaches said transition metal comprises all stable ions of: Copper, Iron, Cobalt, Manganese, Vanadium, Chromium, Titanium, Zinc, Molybdenum, Niobium, Zirconium, Tungsten, Technetium, Hafnium, Scandium, Nickel, Tantalum, Yttrium, Silver, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Palladium, Osmium, Platinum, Iridium, Seaborgium, Rhenium, Dubnium, Cadmium, Rutherfordium, Gold,Roentgenium, Mercury, Copernicium, Darmstadtium, Hassium, Meitnerium, or Bohrium. (Gamelin [0016])
Conclusion
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/EDWIN C GUNBERG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884