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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 12-15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Guan (“Liquid-precursor-intermediated synthesis of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides”, Guan et al, Mater. Horiz. 2023, 10, 1105-1120, published 13 DEC 2022 per document notations).
Claim 1 – Guan teaches a liquid-phase alloy catalyst for synthesizing a two- dimensional chalcogenide thin film (Section 2 Title, “Synthesis of monolayer 2D TMDs materials; Section 2.5 Title, “Novel chalcogen precursor-supplied LPI-CVD growth”), the liquid-phase alloy catalyst comprising an alloy including an alkali metal, a transition metal and an oxygen atom (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate; sodium is an alkali metal; tungsten is a transition metal; oxygen is present).
Claim 2 – Guan teaches the liquid-phase alloy catalyst of claim 1, wherein the alkali metal comprises sodium (Na) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate).
Claim 3 – Guan teaches the liquid-phase alloy catalyst of claim 1, wherein the transition metal comprises tungsten (W) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate).
Claim 4 – Guan teaches the liquid-phase alloy catalyst of claim 1, wherein a two-dimensional chalcogenide of the thin film comprises: tungsten (W) and sulfur (S) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers).
Claim 12 – Guan teaches a method of manufacturing a two-dimensional chalcogenide thin film, the method comprising:
(1) synthesizing a liquid-phase alloy catalyst comprising an alkali metal, a transition metal and oxygen atom (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate; sodium is an alkali metal; tungsten is a transition metal; oxygen is present); and
(2) contacting the liquid-phase alloy catalyst with a gas- phase chalcogen precursor, thus preparing a thin film including a two-dimensional chalcogenide comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen element (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid vaporizes in presence of H2S to form solid oriented monolayer WS2 in a vapor-liquid-solid synthesis).
Claim 13 – Guan teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the liquid-phase alloy catalyst provides a uniform concentration environment of the transition metal when forming the two-dimensional chalcogenide thin film (page 1111 first full paragraph, substrate placed in one-end-closed inner quartz tube to attain quasi-static vapor concentration).
Claim 14 – Guan teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the liquid-phase alloy catalyst controls a defect in a grain boundary of a two- dimensional chalcogenide crystal in the thin film when forming the two-dimensional chalcogenide thin film (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid vaporizes in presence of H2S to form solid oriented monolayer WS2 in a vapor-liquid-solid synthesis).
Claim 15 – Guan teaches the method of claim 14, wherein the step (2) is carried out by a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) synthesis method, and the liquid-phase alloy catalyst acts as a reaction intermediate to control the defect in the grain boundary (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid vaporizes in presence of H2S to form solid oriented monolayer WS2 in a vapor-liquid-solid synthesis).
Claim 17 – Guan teaches the method of claim 12, the step (2) comprises:
(2-1) contacting a chalcogen precursor with the liquid-phase alloy catalyst so that the chalcogen element is dissolved in the liquid-phase alloy catalyst (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid reacts in presence of H2S); and
(2-2) precipitating the two-dimensional chalcogenide comprising the transition metal and the chalcogen element from the liquid-phase alloy catalyst in which the chalcogen element is dissolved, thus preparing the two-dimensional chalcogenide thin film (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid reacts in presence of H2S to precipitate the chalcogenide).
Claim 18 – Guan teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the liquid-phase alloy catalyst is solidified and located in the grain boundary of the two-dimensional chalcogenide (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid reacts in presence of H2S to form solid oriented monolayer WS2 in a vapor-liquid-solid synthesis where the sulfur specifically migrates to needed spots in the obtained grain structure).
Claim 19 – Guan teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the alkali metal comprises sodium (Na), the transition metal comprises tungsten (W), and a chalcogen element of the gas-phase chalcogen precursor comprises sulfur (S) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate; sodium is an alkali metal; tungsten is a transition metal; oxygen is present).
Claim 20 – Guan teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the two-dimensional chalcogenide of the thin film comprises WS2 (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers).
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) 5-6 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guan.
Claim 5 – Guan teaches the liquid-phase catalyst of claim 1, but does not expressly teach or suggest wherein the liquid-phase alloy catalyst is in a liquid phase at 500 to 900 degrees C. Guan page 1111 right column first full paragraph, discloses Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate at temperatures above 700 degrees C; selection of overlapping range e.g. 700 – 900 degrees C is held as prima facie obvious.
Claim 6 – Guan teaches the liquid-phase alloy catalyst of claim 5, wherein the liquid-phase alloy catalyst acts as a liquid-phase reaction intermediate to control a defect in a grain boundary of the thin film when forming the thin film using a vapor-liquid-solid synthesis method (VLS) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid vaporizes in presence of H2S to form solid oriented monolayer WS2 in a vapor-liquid-solid synthesis).
Claim 16 – Guan teaches the method of claim 12, but does not expressly teach or suggest wherein the step (2) is carried out at a temperature in a range of 500 to 900 degrees C. Guan page 1111 right column first full paragraph, discloses Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate at temperatures above 700 degrees C; selection of overlapping range e.g. 700 – 900 degrees C is held as prima facie obvious.
Claim(s) 7-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guan in view of Kimura ‘292 (US PGPub 2007/0117292).
Claim 7 – Guan teaches a method of manufacturing a liquid-phase alloy catalyst for synthesizing a two-dimensional chalcogenide thin film, the method comprising:
(a) providing a substrate comprising an alkali metal and an oxygen atom (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate formed by reaction of Na2SO4 and WO3 on the substrate surface; sodium is an alkali metal; oxygen is present); and
(b) contacting the substrate with a gas-phase transition metal precursor, thus synthesizing a liquid-phase alloy catalyst comprising an alkali metal, a transition metal and an oxygen atom on the substrate (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers; the liquid vaporizes in presence of H2S to form solid oriented monolayer WS2 in a vapor-liquid-solid synthesis meaning a gas phase transition metal precursor is contacting the substrate in the presence of a formed liquid phase alloy catalyst and interreacting therewith).
Guan does not expressly teach a glass substrate. Kimura ‘292 is drawn to the fabrication of display devices (Title, e.g. PG 0050) and discloses that display devices using glass substrates or wafer substrates may desirably use chalcogenide thin films as one of several alternative suitable semiconductor thin film materials (PG 0047). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made or filed to have modified the invention of Guan to use glass substrates as suggested by Kimura ‘292, as Guan teaches formation of chalcogenide films on wafer substrates and Kimura ‘292 teaches that both glass substrates and silicon wafers are desirable substrates for forming chalcogenide thin films thereon. The selection of a material specifically disclosed to be suitable for the claimed purpose is held as prima facie obvious.
Claim 8 – Guan / Kimura ‘292 renders obvious the method of claim 7, wherein the alkali metal comprises sodium (Na) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate).
Claim 9 – Guan / Kimura ‘292 renders obvious the method of claim 7, wherein the transition metal comprises tungsten (W) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate).
Claim 10 – Guan / Kimura ‘292 renders obvious the method of claim 7, wherein the two-dimensional chalcogenide of the thin film comprises: tungsten (W) and sulfur (S) (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate to grow WS2 monolayers).
Claim 11 – Guan / Kimura ‘292 renders obvious the method of claim 7, wherein the step (b) is carried out at a temperature in a range of 700 to 900 degrees C (page 1111 right column first full paragraph, Na2WO4 as a liquid material on the substrate at temperatures above 700 degrees C; selection of overlapping range is held as prima facie obvious).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL G MILLER whose telephone number is (571)270-1861. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Cleveland can be reached at 571-272-1418. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL G MILLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712
Prosecution Insights