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 without traverse of Group I, Species 1b in the reply filed on August 24, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 2, and 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group and Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on August 24, 2026.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because it contains extensive minor informalities, such as:
In ¶ [0027], line 9: “transfered” should read --transferred--
In ¶ [0039], line 6: “transfered” should read --transferred--
In ¶ [0045], line 1: “Specifically, Using” should read --Specifically, using--
In ¶ [0045], line 8: “inproving” should read --improving--
In ¶ [0051], line 5: “hickness” should read --thickness--
In ¶ [0056], line 4: “the the hole transport layer” should read -- the hole transport layer--
In ¶ [0063], line 6: “a smart watche” should read --a smart watch--
In ¶ [0078], lines 9 and 12: “composit” should read --composite--
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 3: “greater than 0: 1 and less than or equal to 5: 1” should read --greater than 0:1 and less than or equal to 5:1--
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 8 is 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.
Regarding claim 8, the claim recites the limitation “a metal electrode, a silicon carbon electrode, a doped or non-doped metal oxide electrode, and a composite electrode” in lines 12-13. However, antecedent basis was already provided for these terms in claim 8, lines 2-3.
It is indefinite as to whether these electrodes are intended to be the same electrodes as recited in lines 2-3 or different electrodes. For the purposes of examination, the latter interpretation will be used.
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 3-5, and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoon et al. (US 20180138434 A1) herein after “Yoon”.
Regarding claim 1, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses a photoelectric device (Fig. 2, quantum dot light-emitting diode 200, ¶ [0083]) comprising an anode (Fig. 2, first electrode 210, ¶ [0083]), a light-emitting layer (Fig. 2, luminous material layer 250, ¶ [0083]), an electronic function layer (Fig. 2, interface control layer 240, ¶ [0083]), and a cathode (Fig. 2, second electrode 220, ¶ [0083]) disposed in stack;
wherein a material of the electronic function layer (240) comprises a two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet (“the interface control layer 240 may be formed of… a nanoclay-polymer composite”, ¶ [0097], “examples of the nanoclay may include… sodium montmorillonite”, ¶ [0071]).
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses the photoelectric device according to claim 1 as applied above, and Fig. 2 of Yoon further discloses wherein the two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet is selected from one or more of a calcium-based two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet, a sodium-based two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet, a sodium-calcium-based two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet, and a magnesium-based two- dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet (“examples of the nanoclay may include… sodium montmorillonite”, ¶ [0071]).
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses the photoelectric device according to claim 1 as applied above, and Fig. 2 of Yoon further discloses wherein the two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet is obtained by an inorganic modification or an organic modification (“the organic modifier of the nanoclay may include a cationic surfactant”, ¶ [0076]);
wherein the inorganic modification comprises using one or more of an inorganic acid and an inorganic salt to modify;
the organic modification comprises using one or more of an organic acid, a surfactant, a polymer monomer, and a coupling agent to modify.
Regarding claim 5, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses the photoelectric device according to claim 4 as applied above, and Fig. 2 of Yoon further discloses wherein the inorganic acid is selected from one or more of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and phosphoric acid;
the organic acid is selected from one or more of a carboxylic acid, a sulfonic acid, a sulfinic acid, and a thiocarboxylic acid;
the inorganic salt is selected from one or more of a halogen salt, a nitrate, a sulfate, a phosphate, a carboxylate, a sulfonate, a sulfinate, and a thiocarboxylate salt including aluminum, magnesium, zinc, copper, or sodium;
the surfactant is selected from one or more of a cationic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, and a nonionic surfactant (“the organic modifier of the nanoclay may include a cationic surfactant”, ¶ [0076]);
the polymer monomer is selected from one or more of methyl methacrylate, N- vinyl pyrrolidone, pyrrole, ethylene terephthalate, and ethylene naphthalate;
the coupling agent is selected from one or more of a silane coupling agent, a titanate coupling agent, and a polyurethane coupling agent.
Regarding claim 8, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses the photoelectric device according to claim 1 as applied above, and Fig. 2 of Yoon further discloses wherein the anode (210) is selected from one or more of a metal electrode, a silicon carbon electrode, a doped or non-doped metal oxide electrode, and a composite electrode (“the first electrode 210 may be formed of a doped or undoped metal oxide such as ITO, IZO, ITZO, ICO, SnO.sub.2, In.sub.2O.sub.3, Cd:ZnO, F:SnO.sub.2, In:SnO.sub.2, Ga:SnO.sub.2 or AZO, or a metal material containing nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), silver (Ag), iridium (Ir), or carbon nanotubes”, ¶ [0084]);
wherein a material of the metal electrode is selected from one or more of Al, Ag, Cu, Mo, Au, Ba, and Ca;
a material of the silicon carbon electrode is selected from one or more of silicon, graphite, carbon nanotube, graphene and carbon fiber;
a material of the doped or non- doped metal oxide electrode is selected from one or more of AZO, GZO, IZO, and AMO;
a material of the composite electrode is selected from one or more of AZO/Ag/AZO, AZO/Al/AZO, ITO/Ag/ITO, ITO/Al/ITO, ZnO/Ag/ZnO, ZnO/Al/ZnO, TiO2/Ag/TiO2, TiO2/Al/TiO2, ZnS/Ag/ZnS, ZnS/Al/ZnS, TiO2/Ag/TiO2, and TiO2/AI/TiO2;
the cathode (220) is selected from one or more of a metal electrode, a silicon carbon electrode, a doped or non-doped metal oxide electrode, and a composite electrode (“the second electrode 220 may include Ca, Ba, Ca/Al, LiF/Ca, LiF/Al, BaF.sub.2/Al, CsF/Al, CaCO.sub.3/Al, BaF.sub.2/Ca/Al, Al, Mg, Au:Mg, or Ag:Mg”, ¶ [0085]);
wherein a material of the metal electrode is selected from one or more of Al, Ag, Cu, Mo, Au, Ba, and Ca;
a material of the silicon carbon electrode is selected from one or more of silicon, graphite, carbon nanotube, graphene and carbon fiber;
a material of the doped or non-doped metal oxide electrode is selected from one or more of ITO, FTO, ATO, AZO, GZO, IZO, MZO, and AMO;
a material of the composite electrode is selected from one or more of AZO/Ag/AZO, AZO/AI/AZO, ITO/Ag/ITO, ITO/Al/ITO, ZnO/Ag/ZnO, ZnO/AI/ZnO, TiO2/Ag/TiO2, TiO2/AI/TiO2, ZnS/Ag/ZnS, ZnS/AI/ZnS, TiO2/Ag/TiO2, and TiO2/AI/TiO2;
a material of the light-emitting layer (250) is selected from one or more of a quantum dot with single structure, a quantum dot with a core-shell structure, and a perovskite semiconductor material (“The luminous material layer 250 may be a layer filled, for example, with quantum dots 252”, ¶ [0090]);
the single structure quantum dot is selected from one or more of a group II-VI compound, a group IV-VI compound, a group III-V compound, a group I-III-VI compound (“The quantum dots 252 may have a single structure”, ¶ [0090]);
the group II-VI compound is selected from one or more of CdS, CdSe, CdTe, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, ZnO, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, CdSeS, CdSeTe, CdSTe, ZnSeS, ZnSeTe, ZnSTe, HgSeS, HgSeTe, HgSTe, CdZnS, CdZnSe, CdZnTe, CdHgS, CdHgSe, CdHgTe, HgZnS, HgZnSe, HgZnTe, CdZnSeS, CdZnSeTe, CdZnSTe, CdHgSeS, CdHgSeTe, CdHgSTe, HgZnSeS, HgZnSeTe, and HgZnSTe (“the quantum dots 252 may be alloy quantum dots (e.g., CdS.sub.xSe.sub.1-x, CdSe.sub.xTe.sub.1-x, or Zn.sub.xCd.sub.1-xSe)”, ¶ [0091]);
the group IV-VI compound is selected from one or more of SnS, SnSe, SnTe, PbS, PbSe, PbTe, SnSeS, SnSeTe, SnSTe, PbSeS, PbSeTe, PbSTe, SnPbS, SnPbSe, SnPbTe, SnPbSSe, SnPbSeTe, and SnPbSTe;
the group III-V compound is selected from one or more of GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, AIN, AlP, AIA s, AISb, InN, InP, InAs, InSb, GaNP, GaNAs, GaNSb, GaPAs, GaPSb, AINP, AINAs, AINSb, AIPAs, AIPSb, InNP, InNAs, InNSb, InPAs, InPSb, GaAINP, GaAINAs, GaAINSb, GaAIPAs, GaAIPSb, GaInNP, GaInNAs, GaInNSb, GaInPAs, GaInPSb, InAINP, InAINAs, InAINSb, InAIPAs, and InAIPSb;
the group I-III-VI compound is selected from oneor more of CuInS2, CuInSe2 , and AgInS2;
a core of the quantum dot with a core-shell structure is selected from any one of the single structure quantum dots;
a shell material of the quantum dot with a core-shell structure is selected from one or more of CdS, CdTe, CdSeTe, CdZnSe, CdZnS, CdSeS, ZnSe, ZnSeS, and ZnS;
the perovskite semiconductor material is selected from a doped or non-doped inorganic perovskite type semiconductor, an organic perovskite semiconductor or an organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite type semiconductor;
the inorganic perovskite type semiconductor has a general structural formula of AMX3, wherein A is Co2+ and M is a divalent metal cation which is selected from one or more of Pb2+, Sn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Cr2+,Mn2+, Co2+, Fe2+, Ge2+, Yb2+, and Eu2+, and X is a halogen anion which is selected from one or more of Cl~, Br~, and I~;
the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite type semiconductor has a general structural formula of CMX3, wherein C is a formamidyl, and M is a divalent metal cation which is selected from one or more of Pb2+, Sn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+,
Cd2+, Cr2+, Mn2+, Co2t+, Fe2+, Ge2+, Yb2+, and Eu2+, and X is a halogen anion which is selected from one or more of CI-, Br, and I-;
the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite type semiconductor has a general structural formula of BMX3, wherein B is an Organic amine cation which is selected from one or more of CH3(CH2)n-2NH3+or [NH3(CH2)n1NH3]2+, wherein n>2, and M is a divalent metal cation which is selected from one or more of Pb2+, Sn2+, Cu2+, Ni2t+, Cd2+, Cr2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Fe2+, Ge2+, Yb2+, and Eu2+, and X is a halogen anion which is selected from one or more of Cl, Br, and I.
Regarding claim 9, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses the photoelectric device according to claim 1 as applied above, and Fig. 2 of Yoon further discloses wherein the photoelectric device further comprises a hole transport layer (Fig. 2, hole transport layer (HTL) 234, ¶ [0086]) disposed between the anode (210) and the light-emitting layer (250);
the photoelectric device further comprises a hole injection layer (Fig. 2, hole injection layer (HIL) 232, ¶ [0086]) disposed on a surface of the anode (210) facing one side of the cathode (220);
the photoelectric device further comprises an electron transport layer (Fig. 2, electron transport layer (ETL) 264, ¶ [0093]) disposed between the light-emitting layer (250) and the cathode (220);
the photoelectric device further comprises an electron injection layer (Fig. 2, electron injection layer (EIL) 262, ¶ [0093]) disposed on a surface of the cathode (220) facing one side of the anode (210).
Regarding claim 10, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses the photoelectric device according to claim 1 as applied above, and Fig. 2 of Yoon further discloses wherein a thickness of the electronic functional layer (240) is 1 nm to 50 nm (“the interface control layer 240 may be stacked to a thickness of 1 to 30 nm”, ¶ [0098]).
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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon (US 20180138434 A1) in view of Al-Harthi et al. (US 20170206997 A1) herein after “Al-Harthi”.
Regarding claim 6, Fig. 2 of Yoon discloses the photoelectric device according to claim 1 as applied above, and Fig. 2 of Yoon further discloses wherein the material of the electronic function layer (240) comprises a composite of the two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet and a polymer (“the interface control layer 240 may be formed of… a nanoclay-polymer composite”, ¶ [0097]).
Yoon fails to explicitly disclose the polymer is selected from one or more of polymethyl methacrylate, polyimide, polyamide-imide, and polyethylene.
In the similar field of endeavor of nanocomposite films, Al-Harthi discloses the polymer is selected from one or more of polymethyl methacrylate, polyimide, polyamide-imide, and polyethylene (“Suitable polymers may be selected from the group including…, poly(methyl methacrylate)…, polyethylenes…, polyamide imides…, thermosetting polyimides, thermoplastic polyimides”, ¶ [0137]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filling date of the invention to modify the electronic function layer of Yoon with the polymers as disclosed by Al-Harthi, to obtain the desired film properties (see Al-Harthi, ¶ [0136-0137]) and/or because the use of conventional materials to perform their known function is prima-facie obvious (MPEP 2144.07).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon (US 20180138434 A1) and Al-Harthi (US 20170206997 A1) in further view of Lee et al. (“Efficient Photoluminescence and Electroluminescence from Environmentally Stable Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites”) herein after “Lee”.
Regarding claim 7, Yoon and Al-Harthi together disclose the photoelectric device of claim 6 as applied above, but the combination fails to explicitly disclose wherein, in the composite, a mass ratio of the polymer to the two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet is greater than 0:1 and less than or equal to 5:1.
In the similar field of endeavor of polymer/clay nanocomposite materials, Lee discloses that changing the mass ratio of polymer to clay material in a layer changes the electronic properties of the layer (Figs. 5-6 of Lee show the changes in current/voltage characteristics and quantum efficiency of devices that contact polymer/clay nanocomposite materials of ratios from 1:1 to 5:1).
In light of Lee’s teaching of the effect of the mass ratio on the electronic properties of the layer, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to ascertain and employ a desired/optimal mass ratio range via routine experimentation, such as that claimed, as it has been held that “where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” See MPEP 2144.05, citing In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Conclusion
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/C.A.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/YARA B GREEN/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
