DETAILED ACTION
Email Communication
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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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/11/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment of 02/11/2026 does not place the Application in condition for allowance.
Claims 1-3, 6, 8-15, 19-20, and 22-27 are currently pending. In response to Office Action mailed on 12/30/2025, Applicant has amended claims 1, 3, 8, 22 and 23, cancelled claims 4, 5, 7 and 21, and added new claims 24-27.
Status of the Rejections
Due to Applicant’s amendment to claims 1 and 23, all rejections from the office Action dated 12/30/2025 are withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is presented below for new claims 24-27.
Election/Restrictions
Claim 1 is allowable. The restriction requirement among species, as set forth in the Office action mailed on 06/17/2025, has been reconsidered in view of the allowability of claims to the elected invention pursuant to MPEP § 821.04(a). The restriction requirement is hereby withdrawn as to any claim that requires all the limitations of an allowable claim. Specifically, the restriction requirement of among species is withdrawn. Claims 12-15 and 19-20, directed to non-elected species are no longer withdrawn from consideration because the claim(s) requires all the limitations of an allowable claim.
In view of the above noted withdrawal of the restriction requirement, applicant is advised that if any claim presented in a divisional application is anticipated by, or includes all the limitations of, a claim that is allowable in the present application, such claim may be subject to provisional statutory and/or nonstatutory double patenting rejections over the claims of the instant application.
Once a restriction requirement is withdrawn, the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 121 are no longer applicable. See In re Ziegler, 443 F.2d 1211, 1215, 170 USPQ 129, 131-32 (CCPA 1971). See also MPEP § 804.01.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 24-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (WO 2021/031500 A1) (refer to English translation as provided).
Regarding claim 24, Wang discloses a solar cell (fig. 1), comprising:
a substrate (4, fig. 1), a doped conductive layer (emitter junction area 9, fig. 1), a first passivation film layer (silicon oxynitride film 12 and vertical portion of the aluminum oxide film 2, see annotated fig), a first dielectric layer (top horizontal portion of silicon nitride film 1, see annotated fig.), and a passivated contact layer (formed by bottom horizontal portion of silicon oxide film 3, or tunnel oxide layer as shown in annotated fig., and the BSF area 8);
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wherein the doped conductive layer (9) is arranged on a first surface (top surface) of the substrate (4);
wherein the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12) and the first dielectric layer (1top horizontal portion) are sequentially stacked on a side (top side) of the doped conductive layer (9) facing away from the substrate (4) (see annotated fig.);
wherein the doped conductive layer (9), the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12), and the first dielectric layer (1top horizontal portion) all cover the first surface (top surface) of the substrate (4);
wherein the substrate (4) further includes a plurality of first side surfaces (left and right side surfaces) adjacent to the first surface (top surface), and the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12) further covers at least part of surfaces of the plurality of first side surfaces (see annotated fig);
wherein the substrate (4) further includes a second surface (bottom surface) adjacent to the plurality of first side surfaces (left and right side surfaces) and opposite to the first surface (top surface), the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) is arranged on the second surface (bottom surface) of the substrate (4), the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) includes a tunnel oxide layer (3bottom horizontal portion) and a polysilicon doped conductive layer (8) sequentially stacked on the second surface (bottom surface) of the substrate (4) (see annotated figure);
the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12) on the first side surface (left or right side surface) further covers at least an edge of the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) on a same side as the first side surface (left or right side surface) (see annotated figure).
Regarding claim 25, Wang further discloses that an edge of the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12) along a thickness direction of the substrate (4) is flush with an outer surface of the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) along the thickness direction of the substrate (4) (see annotated fig. below).
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Regarding claim 26, Wang further discloses a second passivation film layer (bottom horizontal portion of aluminum oxide film 2), wherein the second passivation film layer (2bottom horizontal portion) is stacked on a surface (bottom surface) of the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) facing away from the substrate (4), and the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) and the second passivation film layer (2bottom horizontal portion) both cover the second surface (bottom surface) of the substrate (4); wherein an edge of the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12) along a thickness direction of the substrate (4) is flush with an outer surface of the second passivation film layer (2bottom horizontal portion) along the thickness direction of the substrate (4) (see annotated fig. below).
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Regarding claim 27, Wang further discloses a second passivation film layer (bottom horizontal portion of aluminum oxide film 2), wherein the second passivation film layer (2bottom horizontal portion) is stacked on a surface (bottom surface) of the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) facing away from the substrate (4), and the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) and the second passivation film layer (2bottom horizontal portion) both cover the second surface (bottom surface) of the substrate (4);
an edge of the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12) along a thickness direction of the substrate (4) is flush with an outer surface of the passivated contact layer (3bottom horizontal portion + 8) along the thickness direction of the substrate (4) (see annotated fig. below);
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wherein the second passivation film layer (2bottom horizontal portion) covers the edge of the first passivation film layer (2vertical portions + 12) along the thickness direction of the substrate (4) (the bottom part of 2vertical portion being covered by 2bottom horizontal portion).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 6, 8-15, 19-20 and 22-23 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Ha et al. (EP 3 026 713 A1) discloses a solar cell (see fig. 13J), comprising:
a substrate (110), a doped conductive layer (120), a first passivation film layer (190B), a first dielectric layer (130), and a passivated contact layer (160 and 170) (fig. 13J);
wherein the doped conductive layer (120) is arranged on a first surface (top surface) of the substrate (110);
wherein the first passivation film layer (190B) and the first dielectric layer (130) are sequentially stacked on a side (top side) of the doped conductive layer (120) facing away from the substrate (110);
wherein the doped conductive layer (120), the first passivation film layer (190B), and the first dielectric layer (130) all cover the first surface (top surface) of the substrate (110);
wherein the substrate (110) further includes a plurality of first side surfaces (left and right-side surfaces) adjacent to the first surface (top surface), and the first passivation film layer (190B) further covers at least part of surfaces of the plurality of first side surfaces (side surfaces, see fig. 13J); and
wherein the substrate (110) further includes a second surface (bottom surface) adjacent to the plurality of first side surfaces (left and right-side surfaces) and opposite to the first surface (top surface), the passivated contact layer (160 and 170) is arranged on the second surface (bottom surface) of the substrate (110), the passivated contact layer (160 and 170) includes a tunnel oxide layer (160) and a polysilicon doped conductive layer (170) sequentially stacked on the second surface (bottom surface) of the substrate (110).
Ha further discloses that a second passivation film layer (190A) and a second electrode (150) (fig. 13J);
wherein the second passivation film layer (190A) is stacked on a surface of the passivated contact layer (160 and 170) facing away from the substrate (110);
wherein the second electrode (150) is arranged on the second passivation film layer (190A), passing through the second passivation film layer (190A), and being in ohmic contact with the passivated contact layer (160 and 170) (see fig. 13J);
wherein the first passivation film layer (190B) is spaced from the second electrode by the second passivation film layer (190A), the first passivation film layer (190B) and the second passivation film layer (190A) being made of different materials ([0098]).
With respect to claim 1, Ha does not disclose wherein the first passivation film layer (190B) further covers an edge region of the passivated contact layer (160 and 170), and the part of the first passivation film layer (190B) covering the edge region is located between the second passivation film layer (190A) and the passivated contact layer (160 and 170).
With respect to claim 23, Ha does not disclose wherein the second electrode (150) sequentially passing through the second passivation film layer (190A) and the first passivation film layer (190B). It only passes through the second passivation film layer (190A).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to previously presented claims are moot in view of the withdrawal of the rejections.
Correspondence/Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GOLAM MOWLA whose telephone number is (571)270-5268. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th, 7am - 4pm.
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/GOLAM MOWLA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721