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 of group I, claims 1-5 drawn to a method for manufacturing an electrode, in the reply filed on 6/4/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 6-7 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, an electrode and a dye-sensitized solar cell, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/4/2026.
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.
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gaudiana et al. (US 2003/0188777) in view of Tang et al. (“Effect of polyethylenimine on the dispersion and electrophoretic deposition of nano-sized titania aqueous suspensions”).
Regarding claim 1, Gaudiana et al. discloses a method for manufacturing an electrode comprising:
(a) forming a precursor layer (see primer layer 1620, fig. 17, [0130]) on a conductive substrate (1610, fig. 17, [0130]) using a first suspension in which titanium (IV) isopropoxide is dispersed (see [0137]); and
(b) forming a metal oxide layer (1630, fig. 17) on the precursor layer (1620, see fig. 17).
Titanium (IV) isopropoxide is titanium tetra-isopropoxide.
Guandiana et al. teaches using vacuum coating, spin coating, blade coating, or other coating methods ([0130]) and uses spin coating in the example (see example 19). Guandiana et al. does not explicitly disclose using using electrophoretic deposition, wherein the (b) includes preparing a second suspension in which titanium dioxide (TiO2) is dispersed; and immersing a first electrode as the conductive substrate and a second electrode as a counter electrode to the first electrode into the second suspension, and applying power to the first and second electrodes, wherein the second suspension contains a polyethylenimine (PEI) solution to increase electrical conductivity via a mutual reaction between the titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the precursor layer.
Tang et al. discloses forming a metal oxide layer (or TiO2) using electrophoretic deposition including preparing a suspension with titanium dioxide is dispersed and immersing a first electrode as the conductive substrate (e.g. a palladium cathode sheet with a deposition area of 8cm2) and a second electrode (e.g. anode) as a counter electrode to the first electrode into the second suspension, and applying power to the first and the second electrodes, wherein the suspension contains polyethylenimine (PEI) (see “Experimental”). Tang et al. teaches adding PEI would increase electrical conductivity (see fig. 6) and resulting in flocculation (see page 1558).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Guandiana et al. by forming the metal oxide (or TiO2) by electrophoretic deposition with a second suspension including dispersed TiO2 and PEI as taught by Tang et al., because Tang et al. teaches electrophoretic deposition technique has advantages of simplicity, low cost equipment, easy control of the film thickness and feasible design of complex shapes (see “1. Introduction”). In such modification, the PEI will increase electrical conductivity via a mutual reaction between the titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the precursor layer, because Tang et al. teaches adding PEI would increase electrical conductivity and resulting in flocculation (or mutual reaction between TiO2)
Regarding claim 2, modified Guandiana et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Guandiana et al. teaches using spin coating to form the precursor layer ([0130] and [0137]), or the (a) include applying the first suspension on the conductive substrate in a spin coating scheme.
Regarding claim 3, modified Guandiana et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Guandiana et al. teaches the conductive substrate is a conductive plastic substrate ([0130]), wherein Guandiana et al. teaches the deposition is a low temperature process (see [0128]) and Tang et al. teaches the electrophoretic process is dried in air at room temperature (see “2. Experimental”). In other words, the combination of the (a) and the (b) is a non-sintering process in the method of modified Guandiana et al.
Regarding claim 4, modified Guandiana et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Guandiana et al. teaches the step (b) of forming metal oxide (TiO2) is repeated at least once by adjusting the deposition (see [0137]), and Tang et al. teaches the electrophoretic process based on the motion of charged particles in a suspension towards an electrode of opposite charge under an applied field, and one of the advantages of electrophoretic process is an easy control of the film thickness (see the introduction).
Modified Guandiana et al. does not explicitly disclose the (b) – or the electrophoretic deposition is repeated at least once, wherein a thickness of the metal oxide layer is adjusted according to an application voltage of the power and an application time of the power.
However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of modified Guandiana et al. by repeating step (b) at least once, and adjusting the thickness of the metal oxide layer according to an application voltage of the power and application time of the power, because Guandiana et al. teaches repeating deposition of TiO2 once and Tang et al. teaches the electrophoretic process involve application of electric field or power across the electrodes and has an advantage of easy control of film thickness.
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Gaudiana et al. (US 2003/0188777) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Plavisch et al. (US 2013/0263921).
Regarding claim 5, modified Guandiana et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Guandiana et al. teaches drying the film at 50oC (see [0137]) and subsequent heating titanium dioxide film to temperature in the range of about 70oC to about 140oC (see [0128]), or comprising (c) performing heat treating at a temperature of about 70oC to about 140oC.
Modified Guandiana et al. does not teach performing heat treatment for 30 minutes to 4 hours at a temperature of 100°C or lower.
Plavisch et al. teaches heat treating a titanium dioxide semiconductor film at 100oC for 30 minutes (see [0024] and [0026]). 100oC is right within the claimed range of 100oC or less, and 20 minutes is right within the claimed range of 30 minutes to 4 hours.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modified the method of modified Guandiana by preforming a heat treatment for 30 minutes at a temperature of 100oC as taught by Plavisch et al., because Guandiana teaches heating the titanium dioxide film to a temperature of about 70oC to about 140oC.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH-TRUC TRINH whose telephone number is (571)272-6594. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am - 6:00pm.
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THANH-TRUC TRINH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/THANH TRUC TRINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726
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