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 .
Detailed Action
Restriction/Election
Applicant’s election of Species I (Claims 1-9 and 18-20), without traverse, in the reply filed on 8/26/2026 is acknowledged.
Specification Objection
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
(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.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claims 1-6, 8 and 9 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jung (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0074939).
Regarding Claim 1
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses a light emitting element, comprising: a first electrode (EL1); a hole transport region (HTR) on the first electrode; an emission layer (EL) on the hole transport region; an electron transport region (ETR) on the emission layer; and a second electrode (EL2) on the electron transport region, wherein the electron transport region comprises a nanoparticle comprising a nanoparticle core, and a ligand, the nanoparticle core comprises a core compound represented by the following Formula 1 [0107], and the ligand is bonded to the surface of the nanoparticle core, and represented by the following Formula 2 or Formula 3: in Formula 1, A is Zn, or Sn, and “x”, and “y” are each independently an integer of 1 to 5, in Formula 2, M is one among Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Be, Ca, Sr, and Ba, R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom, a deuterium atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group of 6 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group of 2 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, “a” is an integer of 0 to 3, and “custom-character”, and are each a position connected with the nanoparticle core, and in Formula 3, R2 is a hydrogen atom, a deuterium atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group of 6 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group of 2 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, M is the same as defined with respect to Formula 2, “b” is an integer of 0 to 3, and “custom-character” is a position connected with the nanoparticle core [0010-0016].
Regarding Claim 2
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses the electron transport region comprises: an electron transport layer (ETL) on the emission layer; and an electron injection layer (EIL) on the electron transport layer, and the electron transport layer comprises the nanoparticle.
Regarding Claim 3
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses the nanoparticle core is doped with a metal element [0013].
Regarding Claim 4
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses the metal element is at least one among Zn, Mg, Li, Na, Ni, and Cu [0013].
Regarding Claim 5
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses the emission layer comprises a quantum dot [0017].
Regarding Claim 6
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses in Formula 1, “x” is 1, and “y” is 2 [0107].
Regarding Claim 8
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses if the ligand is represented by Formula 2, R.sub.1 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and if the ligand is represented by Formula 3, R.sub.2 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms [0013].
Regarding Claim 9
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses if the ligand is represented by Formula 2, R.sub.1 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms, and if the ligand is represented by Formula 3, R.sub.2 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms [0114].
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
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.
Claims 7 and 18-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung, in view of Choi (KR 20200059651, machine-translation provided).
Regarding Claim 7
Jung discloses Claim 1.
Jung is silent with respect to “in Formula 1, “A” is Sn, and in Formula 2 and Formula 3, M is Ca”.
FIG. 2 of Choi discloses a similar light element, wherein in Formula 1, “A” is Sn, and in Formula 2 and Formula 3, M is Ca [0101-0107].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jung, as taught by Choi. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Jung in the above manner for purpose of improving light extraction efficiency (text of Choi).
Regarding Claim 18
FIG. 16 of Jung discloses a display device comprising: a base layer (BS); and a display element layer on the base layer and comprising a light emitting element (FIG. 4), wherein: the light emitting element comprises: a first electrode (EL1); a hole transport region (HTR) on the first electrode; an emission layer (EL) on the hole transport region; an electron transport region (ETR) on the emission layer; and a second electrode (EL2) on the electron transport region, wherein the electron transport region comprises a nanoparticle comprising a nanoparticle core, and a ligand, the nanoparticle core comprises a core compound represented by the following Formula 1 [0107], and the ligand is bonded to the surface of the nanoparticle core, and represented by the following Formula 2 or Formula 3: in Formula 1, A is Zn, or Sn, and “x”, and “y” are each independently an integer of 1 to 5, in Formula 2, M is one among Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Be, Ca, Sr, and Ba, R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom, a deuterium atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group of 6 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group of 2 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, “a” is an integer of 0 to 3, and “custom-character”, and are each a position connected with the nanoparticle core, and in Formula 3, R2 is a hydrogen atom, a deuterium atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group of 6 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group of 2 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms, M is the same as defined with respect to Formula 2, “b” is an integer of 0 to 3, and “custom-character” is a position connected with the nanoparticle core [0010-0016].
Jung is silent with respect to “a circuit layer on the base layer”.
FIG. 1 of Choi discloses a similar display device comprising: a base layer (102); a circuit layer (104-160) on the base layer; and a display element layer (180) on the circuit layer and comprising a light emitting element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jung, as taught by Choi. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Jung in the above manner for purpose of proving a driving circuit (text of Choi).
Regarding Claim 19
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses the light emitting element further comprises: a hole transport region (HTR) on the first electrode; and an emission layer (EL) between the hole transport region and the electron transport region (ETR), and the emission layer comprises a quantum dot [0006].
Regarding Claim 20
FIG. 4 of Jung discloses the electron transport region comprises: an electron transport layer (ETL) on the emission layer; and an electron injection layer (EIL) on the electron transport layer, and the electron transport layer comprises the nanoparticle.
Pertinent Art
US 20180179441.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHENG-BAI ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-3904. The examiner can normally be reached on 11am – 7pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached on (571)270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHENG-BAI ZHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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