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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
Applicant’s IDS submitted on 9/27/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has/have been considered by the examiner and made of record.
Claim Status
Claims 1-15 and 17-20 are active in this case. Claim 16 was canceled in the amendment filed 9/27/24.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Du et al., CN 110120461 A, hereafter Du.
Regarding independent claim 1, Du discloses the following limitations:
A light-emitting device (Du, Example 1, discloses a QLED device), comprising
an anode (Du, Example 1, discloses an ITO glass substrate),
a hole transport layer made of a first hole transport material (Du, Example 1, discloses a TFB layer, a hole transport material),
a light-emitting layer made of a light-emitting material (Du, Example 1, discloses a QLED with a QDs layer composed of CdSe/ZnS nuclear shell structure quantum dot particle), and
a cathode (Du, Example 1, discloses an Aluminum electrode (a cathode));
wherein
a difference value between a conduction band energy level of the light-emitting material (CB(CdSe/ZnS QD =-3.8 eV) and a valence band energy level of the first hole transport material (VBTFB =-5.4) is a first difference value, (CBCdSe/ZnS QD - VBTFB-= -3.8 - -5.4 = 1.6, a first difference value),
a difference value between the valence band energy level of the first hole transport material (VBTFB=-5.4) and a valence band energy level of the light-emitting material (VBCdSe/ZnS QD= -6.1 eV) is a second difference value (-5.4--6.1 = 0.7, a second difference value) wherein
the first difference value is greater than twice the second difference value (1.6 > 2 × 0.7, the condition requiring the first difference to be greater than twice the second difference is met by the materials taught by Du).
Regarding claim 2, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the light-emitting layer is greater than or equal to 10 nm (Du, Example 1, discloses QD (light emitting) layer thickness of 30 nm).
Regarding claim 3, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the light-emitting layer ranges from 10 nm to 200 nm (Du, Example 1, discloses QD (light emitting) layer thickness of 30 nm).
Regarding claim 4, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein
the light-emitting material is selected from one or more of a single structure quantum dot and a core-shell structure quantum dot, the single structure quantum dot is selected from one or more of a group II-VI compound, a group III-V compound, and a group 1-111-VI compound, the group II-VI compound is selected from one or more of CdSe, CdS, CdTe, ZnSe, ZnS, CdTe, ZnTe, CdZnS, CdZnSe, CdZnTe, ZnSeS, ZnSeTe, ZnTeS, CdSeS, CdSeTe, CdTeS, CdZnSeS, CdZnSeTe and CdZnSTe, the group III-V compound is selected from one or more of InP, InAs, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, AIN, AlP, InAsP, InNP, InNSb, GaAINP and InAINP, the group I-III-VI compound is selected from one or more of CuInS2, CuInSe2 and AgInSe2the core of the core-shell structure quantum dot is selected from any one of the single structure quantum dots (Du, Example 1, discloses a QLED with a QDs layer composed of CdSe/ZnS nuclear shell structure quantum dot particle, the core is CdSe), and
the shell material of the core-shell structure quantum dot is selected from one or more of CdS, CdTe, CdSeTe, CdZnSe, CdZnS, CdSeS, ZnSe, ZnSeS and ZnS (Du, Example 1, discloses a QLED with a QDs layer composed of CdSe/ZnS nuclear shell structure quantum dot particle, the shell is ZnS).
Regarding claim 5, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first hole transport material is selected from one or more of TFB, PVK, poly-TPD, TCATA, CBP, TPD, NPB, PEDOT:PSS, TAPC, doped graphene, undoped graphene, and C60 (Du, Example 1, discloses TFB, a hole transport material).
Regarding claim 6, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the hole transport layer ranges from 10 nm to 100 nm (Du, Example 1, discloses a 30 nm thick TFB layer).
Regarding claim 7, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device further comprises a hole injection layer disposed between the hole transport layer and the anode (Du, Example 1, discloses a PEDOT:PSS layer, a hole injection material, on the ITO glass substrate (the anode), and the TFB layer (the hole transport layer) is deposited on the PEDOT:PSS layer); and
a material of the hole injection layer is selected from one or more of PEDOT:PSS, MCC, CuPc, F4-TCNQ, HATCN, a transition metal oxide and a transition metal chalcogenide compound (Du, Example 1, discloses a PEDOT:PSS layer).
Regarding claim 8, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting device further comprises an electron transport layer disposed between the light-emitting layer and the cathode (Du, Example 1, discloses a ZnO nanometer particle layer, an electron transport material, on the QD layer (the light emitting layer) an on which the aluminum electrode (the cathode) is deposited); and
a material of the electron transport layer is selected from one or more of nano-zinc oxide, nano- titanium oxide, nano-tin oxide, nano-barium titanate and element-doped nano-oxide electron transport materials thereof, and a doping element is selected from one or more of aluminum element, magnesium element, lithium element, manganese element, yttrium element, lanthanum element, copper element, nickel element, zirconium element, cerium element and gadolinium element (Du, Example 1, discloses a ZnO nanometer particle layer, an electron transport material).
Regarding claim 9, Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a material of the anode is selected from one or more of a metal, a carbon material and a metal oxide (Du, Example 1, discloses ITO, an anode),
the metal is selected from one or more of Al, Ag, Cu, Mo, Au, Ba, Ca and Mg (Du, Example 1, discloses ITO); the carbon material is selected from one or more of graphite, carbon nanotubes, graphene and carbon fibers; the metal oxide comprises doped or undoped metal oxides, comprising one or more of ITO, FTO, ATO, AZO, GZO, IZO, MZO and AMO, or comprises composite electrodes with metal sandwiched between doped or undoped transparent metal oxides, and the composite electrodes are 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/AI/TiO2, ZnS/Ag/ZnS, ZnS/Al/ZnS, TiO2/Ag/TiO2 and TiO2/Al/TiO2.
Regarding claim 10 , Du discloses the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a material of the cathode is selected from one or more of a metal, a carbon material and a metal oxide (Du, Example 1, discloses an aluminum electrode, a cathode),
the metal is selected from one or more of Al, Ag, Cu, Mo, Au, Ba, Ca and Mg (Du, Example 1, discloses an aluminum electrode) the carbon material is selected from one or more of graphite, carbon nanotubes, graphene and carbon fibers; the metal oxide comprises doped or undoped metal oxides, comprising one or more of ITO, FTO, ATO, AZO, GZO, IZO, MZO and AMO, or comprises composite electrodes with metal sandwiched between doped or undoped transparent metal oxides, and the composite electrodes are selected from one or more of AZO/Ag/AZO, AZO/AI/AZO, ITO/Ag/ITO, ITO/Al/ITO, ZnO/Ag/ZnO, ZnO/Al/ZnO, ZnS/Ag/ZnS, ZnS/Al/ZnS, TiO2/Ag/TiO2 and TiO2/Al/TiO2.
Regarding claim 11, Du discloses the following limitations:
A method for preparing a light-emitting device (Du, Example 1, discloses a method of making a QLED device), comprising:
providing an anode (Du, Example 1, discloses an ITO glass substrate, an anode);
stacking a hole transport layer (Du, Example 1, discloses a TFB layer deposited on the ITO),
a light-emitting layer (Du, Example 1, a QDs layer composed of CdSe/ZnS nuclear shell structure quantum dot particle, deposited on the TFB layer), and
a cathode on the anode (Du, Example 1, discloses an aluminum electrode, a cathode, deposited on the anode);
wherein the light-emitting layer is made of a light-emitting material (Du, Example 1, discloses a QDs layer composed of CdSe/ZnS nuclear shell structure quantum dot particle, a light emitting material), and the hole transport layer is made of a first hole transport material (Du, Example 1, discloses a TFB, a hole transport material);
a difference value between a conduction band energy level of the light-emitting material (CB(CdSe/ZnS QD =-3.8 eV) and a valence band energy level of the first hole transport material (VBTFB =-5.4) is a first difference value, (CBCdSe/ZnS QD - VBTFB-= -3.8 - -5.4 = 1.6, a first difference value),
a difference value between the valence band energy level of the first hole transport material (VBTFB=-5.4) and a valence band energy level of the light-emitting material (VBCdSe/ZnS QD= -6.1 eV) is a second difference value (-5.4--6.1 = 0.7, a second difference value) wherein
the first difference value is greater than twice the second difference value (1.6 > 2 × 0.7, the condition requiring the first difference to be greater than twice the second difference is met by the materials taught by Du).
Regarding claim 12, Du discloses the following limitations:
The method according to claim 11, wherein the light- emitting device further comprises a hole injection layer (Du, Example 1, discloses a PEDOT:PSS layer), and
the step of stacking the hole transport layer, the light-emitting layer, and the cathode on the anode comprises: stacking the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, the light-emitting layer, and the cathode on the anode (Du, Example 1, discloses stacking a PEDOT:PSS layer (hole injection layer), TFB layer (hole transport), the QD layer (Light emitting layer), and the aluminum layer (cathode) on ITO (anode)).
Regarding claim 13, Du discloses the following limitations:
The method according to claim 12, wherein the light-emitting device further comprises
an electron transport layer (Du, Example 1, discloses depositing a ZnO nanometer particle layer), and
the step of stacking the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, the light-emitting layer, and the cathode on the anode comprises: stacking the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, the light-emitting layer, the electron transport layer, and the cathode on the anode (Du, Example 1, discloses stacking a PEDOT:PSS layer (hole injection layer), TFB layer (hole transport), the QD layer (Light emitting layer), ZnO (electron transport layer) and the aluminum layer (cathode) on ITO (anode)).
Regarding claim 14, Du discloses the following limitations:
The method according to claim 11, wherein a thickness of the light-emitting layer is greater than or equal to 10 nm (Du, Example 1, discloses QD (light emitting) layer thickness of 30 nm).
Regarding claim 15, Du discloses the following limitations:
The method according to claim 14, wherein the thickness of the light-emitting layer ranges from 10 nm to 200 nm (Du, Example 1, discloses QD (light emitting) layer thickness of 30 nm).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Du as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wang et al., CN 110649133 A, hereafter Wang.
Regarding claim 17, Du fails to disclose the following limitations:
The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first hole transport material is selected from one or more of doped or undoped NiO, MoOx,WOx and CuO.
Wang discloses the following limitations:
the first hole transport material is selected from one or more of doped or undoped NiO, MoOx,WOx and CuO (Wang discloses a light emitting device with a NiO hole transport layer having conduction band bottom of -2.55 eV and valence band top of -6.25 eV).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to have applied the teaching of Wang to the device of Du and to therefore have substituted the NiO hole transport layer of Wang into the device of Du because Wang discloses that NiO “can replace the traditional organic hole transport material” and that when NiO replaces the traditional organic materials it has the advantages of “a very high light transmission rate and hole mobility, low cost, good heat stability and so on.”
Regarding the limitations in claim 1, to the valence and conduction bands. Wang discloses the valance band of NiO as -6.25 eV. Therefore, first difference is CBCdSe/ZnS QD - VBNiO = -3.8-(-6.25)= 2.45 and second difference is VBNiO - VBCdSe/ZnS QD = -6.25-(-6.1) = -0.15. So, the condition of claim 1 that the first difference be more than twice the second difference is met when NiO is substituted into the device of Du.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Steckel et al., US 20170271605 A1, hereafter Steckel.
Regarding independent claim 18, Steckel discloses the following limitations:
A method for preparing a light-emitting device (Steckel, Figure 14, QD-LED, Inverted Bottom Emission Structure), comprising:
providing a cathode (Steckel, Figure 14, cathode 790 layer);
stacking a light-emitting layer (Steckel, Figure 14, QD layer 750B, and [0088] discloses that QD layer 750B is generic for any combination of QD layers 752, 754, 756),
a hole transport layer (Steckel, Figure 14, hole transport layer (HTL) 730, and [0016] discloses the “hole transport layer includes ZnO, NiO, Cu2O, WO3, SnOx, Cr2O3, V2O5, MoO3, or ReO3”), and
an anode (Steckel, Figure 14, anode 710) on the cathode(Steckel, Figure 14, cathode 790);
wherein the light-emitting layer is made of a light-emitting material (Steckel, discloses the quantum dots of the QD layer emit the light [0089]), and the hole transport layer is made of a first hole transport material (Steckel, [0063] discloses the HTL material transports positive charges (holes));
Steckel does not specifically disclose the following limitation:
a difference value between a conduction band energy level of the light-emitting material and a valence band energy level of the first hole transport material is a first difference value;
a difference value between the valence band energy level of the first hole transport material and a valence band energy level of the light-emitting material is a second difference value; wherein
the first difference value is greater than twice the second difference value.
Steckel does not disclose the claimed limitation as stated in the instant claims. However, Steckel discloses: “QD layer 752 may be characterized by a valence band within 1.0 eV, or more specifically within 0.5 eV of a valence band of the HTL 740.” (Steckel [0074]) and discloses “QD layer 750B is generic for any combination of QD layers 752, 754, 756” (Steckel [0088]), and “ELQD-LED stack 701 may include any of the HTL 740, ETL 760 in addition to, or in place of, HTL 730” (Steckel [0088]). Steckel’s disclosure, as quoted above, can be summarized as requiring the valence band of the light emitting layer to be within 0.5 eV of the valence band of the hole transport layer.
The instant claims require two differences:
a difference value between a conduction band energy level of the light-emitting material and a valence band energy level of the first hole transport material is a first difference value;
a difference value between the valence band energy level of the first hole transport material and a valence band energy level of the light-emitting material is a second difference value;
Steckel discloses setting the difference between the valence band of the light emitting layer and the valence band of the hole transport layer to ≤ 0.5 eV, this quantity is the second difference in the instant application.
Having set the second difference to ≤ 0.5 eV, the condition necessary to make the first difference greater than twice the second difference (or > 1 eV), is for the light emitting layer to have a band gap > 1.5 eV. A light emitting material with a band gap of > 1.5 eV will produce a first difference (the difference between the valence band of the hole transport material and the conduction band of the light emitting material) of >1 eV, if the light emitting valence band is above the hole transport valence band, OR >2 eV if the light emitting valence band is below the hole transport valence band. In both cases the first difference (>1 or >2 eV) is more than twice the second difference (0.5 eV). Steckel discloses semiconductors for the quantum dots within this range, for instance CdS (2.4 eV), CdSe (1.74 eV), CdTe (1.45 eV), ZnS (3.91), and others (Steckler [0054]). The Steckel patent is drawn to making a display device, and visible light is emitted for band gaps between about 1.8 eV and 3.1 eV. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to have to selected a material for the quantum dot layer with a band gap > 1.5 eV. Using a material with a band gap >1.5 eV is taught by Steckel, and when combined with Steckel’s teaching to have the valence bands of the hole transport layer and the light emitting layer within 0.5 eV of each other would necessarily meet the final limitation of claim 18 ,that the first difference value is greater than twice the second difference value because the first difference would be >1 or >2 and the second difference would be <0.5 eV making the first difference more than twice the second difference.
Regarding claim 19, Steckel discloses the following limitations:
The method according to claim 18, wherein the light-emitting device further comprises a hole injection layer (Steckel, Figure 14, hole injection layer (HIL) 720), and
the step of stacking the light- emitting layer, the hole transport layer, and the anode on the cathode comprises stacking the light-emitting layer (Steckel, Figure 14, QD layer 750B, and [0088] discloses that QD layer 750B is generic for any combination of QD layers 752, 754, 756), the hole transport layer (Steckel, Figure 14, hole transport layer (HTL) 730), the hole injection layer (Steckel, Figure 14, hole injection layer (HIL) 720), and the anode (Steckel, Figure 14, anode 710) on the cathode (Steckel, Figure 14, cathode 790).
Regarding claim 20, Steckel discloses the following limitations:
The method according to claim 19, wherein the light-emitting device further comprises an electron transport layer (Steckel, Figure 14, electron transport layer (ETL) 770), and
the step of stacking the light-emitting layer, the hole transport layer, the hole injection layer, and the anode on the cathode comprises stacking the electron transport layer (Steckel, Figure 14, electron transport layer (ETL) 770), light-emitting layer (Steckel, Figure 14, QD layer 750B, and [0088] discloses that QD layer 750B is generic for any combination of QD layers 752, 754, 756), the hole transport layer (Steckel, Figure 14, hole transport layer (HTL) 730), the hole injection layer (Steckel, Figure 14, hole injection layer (HIL) 720), and the anode (Steckel, Figure 14, anode 710) on the cathode (Steckel, Figure 14, cathode 790).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Du et al., CN 111697150 A, discloses ITO/PEDOT: PSS/MoOx/TFB/QDs/ZnO/Al QLED devices.
Qian et al., CN 106356465 A, discloses QLED with a hole transport layer of TFBs, poly-TPD, PVK, NiO, MoO3.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LINDA J FLECK whose telephone number is (703)756-1253. The examiner can normally be reached 10-2 ET.
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/LINDA J. FLECK/Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/William B Partridge/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
