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 Group II and Specie IV in the reply filed on 11/17/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Ye fails to disclose TPE interfacial layers. This is not found persuasive because Ye discloses that active layer consists of a mixed system comprising donor, acceptor and thermoplastic elastomer materials (see [0074]) at high concentration of the thermoplastic material ([0011] and claim 1) similar to instant application (see instant claim 7), and thus the thermoplastic elastomers are spontaneously enriched at upper and lower interfaces of the active layer to form the enrichment layer, as in the case of the instant application.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 1-5 and 12-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention and/or specie, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 11/17/2025.
Instant claims 8, 10, 18 and 20 require thermoplastic elastomers between electron/hole transport layer and metal electrode, which is not shown in the embodiment of figure 3 (elected specie). Thus, claims 8, 10, 18 and 20 are also withdrawn as being part of non-elected species.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 6, 7, 9, 11, 16, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated Ye et al. (CN 113644203 A) (refer to translation as provided).
Regarding claim 6, Ye discloses a preparation method of an organic cell (solar cell shown in fig. 1, see claim 1, claim 4, [0008], [0014-0016], [0057], and [0073-0075]) comprising a conductive substrate ([0057]), a hole transport layer ([0057]), an active layer ([0057]), an electron transport layer (interface layer which is made of electron transporting material PFN-Br, [0057] and [0075], which is same as instant application – see [0084] of published application), and a metal electrode (see [0057] and [0075]),
Ye discloses that active layer consists of a mixed system comprising donor, acceptor and thermoplastic elastomer materials (see [0074]) at high concentration of the thermoplastic material ([0011] and claim 1) similar to instant application (see [0048] of published application), and thus the thermoplastic elastomers are spontaneously enriched at upper and lower interfaces of the active layer to form the enrichment layer, as in the case of the instant application.
Regarding claim 7, Ye discloses that active layer consists of a mixed system comprising donor, acceptor and thermoplastic elastomer materials (see [0074]) at high concentration of the thermoplastic material ([0011] and claim 1) similar to instant application, and thus the thermoplastic elastomers are spontaneously enriched at upper and lower interfaces of the active layer to form the enrichment layer, as in the case of the instant application.
Other limitation(s) is/are optional to the instant claim.
Regarding claim 9, Ye further discloses providing the conductive substrate ([0057] and fig. 1); forming the hole transport layer on the conductive substrate ([0057] and fig. 1); forming the active layer on the hole transport layer ([0057] and fig. 1); forming the elastomer interface layer between the hole transport layer and the active layer (mixed system allows to form the interface layer on top and bottom surfaces of the active layer); forming the electron transport layer (interface layer made of PFN-Br, [0057] and fig. 1) on the elastomer interface layer; and forming the metal electrode on the electron transport layer (interface layer) ([0057] and fig. 1).
Other limitation(s) is/are optional to the instant claim.
Regarding claim 11, Ye further discloses preparing the hole transport layer (PEDOT:PSS layer) by spin coating ([0075]).
Other limitation(s) is/are optional to the instant claim.
Regarding claim 16, Ye further discloses a thickness of the active layer is 20-1000 nm ([0018]).
Other limitation(s) is/are optional to the instant claim.
Regarding claim 17, Ye further discloses upper and lower interfaces of the active layer have the enrichment layer formed by the enrichment of the thermoplastic elastomers (mixed system as disclosed in [0074] allows for formation of elastomer layer on top and bottom surfaces of the active layer, similar to instant claim); when the organic solar cell is in an orthostatic structure, the organic solar cell comprises the conductive substrate (ITO glass sheet, [0057] and [0075]), the hole transport layer (PEDOT:PSS, [0075]), a first elastomer interface layer formed by the thermoplastic elastomers (thermoplastic layer formed on top surface of the active layer by the mixed system, [0073-0075]), the active layer, a second elastomer interface layer formed by the thermoplastic elastomers (thermoplastic layer formed on bottom surface of the active layer by the mixed system, [0073-0075]), the electron transport layer (PFN-Br, [0075]), and the metal electrode (Ag, [0075]), wherein the conductive substrate, the hole transport layer, the first elastomer interface layer formed by the thermoplastic elastomers, the active layer, the second elastomer interface layer formed by the thermoplastic elastomers, the electron transport layer, and the metal electrode are successively laminated (see fig. 1. [0057] and [0073-0075]).
Other limitation(s) is/are optional to the instant claim.
Regarding claim 19, Ye further discloses a material of the metal electrode comprises silver ([0075]) and a thickness of the metal electrode is 50-1000 nm (100 nm, [0075]).
Other limitation(s) is/are optional to the instant claim.
Conclusion
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/GOLAM MOWLA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721