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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a solar cell precursor” in line 3, which renders the claim indefinite. Solar cell precursor is a known term of art. One skilled in the solar or photovoltaic art realizes that the solar or photovoltaic cell comprises multiple layers, namely, electrodes, active/photoactive/absorber layer, and/or hole/electron transport layers. Thus, the precursor cannot for all of these layers from just a single solar cell precursor. Each of the individual layers can have its own precursors to form these layers. For example, the absorber layer can be formed from its precursor layer, the hole/electron transport layer can be formed from its precursor layer, the electrode(s) layer(s) can be formed from its precursor layer. However, there is no such precursor known in the art that forms all the layers of the solar cell. If the applicant is referring to individual cell layer precursor, it is suggested to explicitly claim that.
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)(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 1-4, 6-7 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nejand et al. ("Scalable two- terminal all-perovskite tandem solar modules with a 19.1% efficiency", NATURE ENERGY, vol. 7, no. 7, 7 July 2022, pages 620-630”) (cited in IDS dated 05/09/2025).
Regarding claim 1, Nejand discloses a method for producing a solar cell (two-terminal all-perovskite tandem solar modules) (see figure 3a; page 628, left-hand column) featuring a self-organizing monolayer (figure 3a, reference sign 2: "2PACz"), the method comprising the following steps:
a) preconditioning a solar cell precursor in a preconditioning zone (figure 3a, reference sign 1: "P1"),
b) coating the preconditioned solar cell precursor with the self-organizing monolayer (figure 3a, reference sign 2: "2PACz") in a coating zone (figure 3a, reference sign 2),
wherein the solar cell precursor is transported successively through the preconditioning zone (figure 3a, reference sign 1) and the coating zone by means of a horizontal transport system (see figure 3a) while at least one face thereof is at least partially in contact with the transport system (see figure 3a) and thereby on one face (see figure 3a) is preconditioned in the preconditioning zone (figure 3a, step 1) and then coated in the coating zone (figure 3a, step 2) (see figure 3a).
Regarding claim 2, Nejand further discloses that step a) comprises precleaning of the solar cell precursor (cleaning of the substrate, page 627, right column), in which the solar cell precursor is transported through a precleaning zone and is precleaned on one side, in which the solar cell precursor is transported through a pretreatment zone and is pretreated on one side (figure 3a; page 627, right column).
Regarding claim 3, Nejand further discloses that the precleaning comprises washing one side of the solar cell precursor with ethanol (figure 3a; page 627, right column) or oxygen (page 627, right column).
Regarding claim 4, Nejand further discloses that following step b), a step c) of thermally treating the solar cell precursor, coated with the self-assembled monolayer, is carried out in an annealing zone, wherein the solar cell precursor is transported through the annealing zone by the horizontal transport system, in contact with the transport system on one side, and is thermally treated (“annealing at 100oC for 10 min”, figure 3a; page 627, right column).
Regarding claim 6, Nejand further discloses that the solar cell precursor is treated on its side facing away from the transport system (figure 3a; page 627, right column).
Regarding claim 7, Nejand further discloses that step b) comprises knife coating (blade coating) (pages 626-627).
Regarding claim 9, Nejand further discloses that the solar cell precursor comprises a lower subcell of the solar cell (see fig. 1a), which is to be produced as a tandem solar cell and bears a recombination layer (ITO layer between subcells, see fig. 1a) which is preconditioned in step a) and coated in step b), wherein the recombination layer is configured as a TCO layer (figure 1a).
Regarding claim 10, Nejand further discloses that the method is carried out in an installation which is configured in such a way that the transport system transports the solar cell precursor through the installation during the complete performance of the method (figure 3a; page 627, right column).
Regarding claim 11, Nejand further discloses that the solar cell precursor comprises a lower subcell of the solar cell (see fig. 1a), which is to be produced as a tandem solar cell and bears a recombination layer (ITO layer between subcells, see fig. 1a) which is preconditioned in step a) and coated in step b), wherein the recombination layer is configured as a TCO layer (figure 1a).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nejand as applied above, and further in view of CN 110047998 A (Inventor’s name is not published) (refer to translation as provided) (cited in IDS dated 05/09/2025).
Regarding claim 5, Nejand does not disclose a post-cleaning step, namely, a step d) of after-cleaning the solar cell precursor, coated with the self-assembled monolayer, is carried out in an after-cleaning zone, wherein the solar cell precursor is transported through the after-cleaning zone by the horizontal transport system, in contact with the transport system on one side, and in the process is after-cleaned on one side in the after-cleaning zone.
CN 110047998 A discloses a method of making a solar cell wherein a post cleaning is performed (figure 5, reference sign C6: "second cleaning station") for cleaning and drying (page 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have used a post-cleaning step as taught by CN 110047998 A in the process of Nejand such that the layer can be cleaned and dried as shown by CN 110047998 A.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nejand as applied above, and further in view of Ding et al. (CN 110349886 A) (refer to translation as provided) (cited in IDS dated 05/09/2025).
Regarding claim 8, Nejand does not disclose the horizontal transport system comprises a multiplicity of transport rollers, wherein the transport rollers rotate in a rotational direction, so that a solar cell precursor lying on said rollers is transported in a transport direction through the preconditioning zone and the coating zone.
Ding discloses a method of making a solar cell wherein a horizontal transport system comprises a multiplicity of transport rollers (figure 1, plurality of transfer rollers 101).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have used the horizontal transport system with multiplicity of transport rollers as taught by Ding to form the transport system of Nejand such that precursor layer can be transported or rolled through to form the device as shown by Ding and also desired by Nejand.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Berry et al. (WO 2022/174055 A1) (cited in IDS dated 05/09/2025) discloses a method for producing a solar cell having a self-assembled monolayer ([0045]: "self-assembled monolayer"), comprising the following steps: a) preconditioning a solar cell precursor in a preconditioning zone ( [0059]: "substrate stack may be cleaned"), b) coating the preconditioned solar cell precursor with the self-assembled monolayer in a coating zone (paragraph [0066]: "slot die coating") wherein the solar cell precursor is transported successively through the preconditioning zone and the coating zone by a horizontal transport system with which it is in contact at least partly by one side, and in this process on one side is preconditioned in the preconditioning zone and subsequently coated in the coating zone ([0066]).
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 M-Th, 7am - 4pm.
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/GOLAM MOWLA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721
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