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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments in “Remarks – 06/10/2025- Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment”, with the “Amendment/Req. Reconsideration-After Non-Final Reject -06/10/2025", have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive, because of the following:
Applicant’s amendment of claims 1-17 necessitated the shift in new grounds of rejection detailed above in section below. The shift in grounds of rejection renders Applicant’s arguments moot.
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.
Claim(s) 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bour et al. (US 20170170360 A1; hereinafter Bour).
Regarding Claim 1, Bour (Fig.19-20) discloses a micro-light emitting diode comprising: a substrate (growth substrate 102, temporary substrate 140 or layer 104);
an n-type semiconductor layer (106; [0141]) on the substrate;
a p-type semiconductor layer (110; [0141]);
an active region (108; [0142]) between the n-type semiconductor layer (106) and the p-type semiconductor layer (110) and configured to emit red light ([0083]),
the active region comprising: a barrier layer (109; [0147]) characterized by a first lattice constant; and
a quantum well layer (107; [0147]) next to the barrier layer, the quantum well layer characterized by a second lattice constant greater than the first lattice constant and by an in-plane compressive strain ([0147]-[0149]), wherein the active region is characterized by a lateral linear dimension equal to or less than 10 um ([0140]); and
a secondary optical component (112; Fig.19A; [0151]; 112 is a spreading layer which is an optical component containing phosphorus that results in emitting red light).
Regarding Claim 2. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0131], [0147]) discloses wherein the substrate is characterized by a third lattice constant that matches the first lattice constant (Bour discloses that the substrate 104 and barrier layer are formed of (AlGa)0.5In0.5P which are lattice match over all possible Al and Ga ratios).
Regarding Claim 3. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0147]- [0149]) discloses wherein: the quantum well layer (107) is characterized by an energy band structure including a heavy- hole band and a light-hole band in a valence band; and a top of the heavy-hole band is higher than a top of the light-hole band (Bour discloses that the quantum well is compressively strained which implies the desired energy band as recited).
Regarding Claim 4. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 3, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0130], [0147]) discloses wherein a difference between the top of the heavy-hole band and the top of the light-hole band is greater than 0.075 eV at room temperature (Bour discloses that substrate 130 is GaAs, the quantum barrier is (Al0.7Ga0.3)0.5In0.5P and quantum well is (Al0.2Ga0.8)0.4In0.6P which results in a compressive strain of 0.75%.
Regarding Claim 5. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0130], [0147]) discloses wherein: the substrate includes a GaAs substrate; the barrier layer includes a (AlxGa1-x)0.5In0.5P layer; and the quantum well layer includes a GayIn1-yP or (AlxGa1-x)yln1-yP layer, wherein y is less than 0.5.
Regarding Claim 6. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0147]) discloses wherein a difference between the second lattice constant and the first lattice constant is greater than 1% of the first lattice constant.
Regarding Claim 7. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0081]) discloses wherein the red light is characterized by a wavelength greater than 600 nm.
Regarding Claim 8. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour (Figs.19f; [0139]) discloses wherein the active region includes a plurality of quantum well layers (107) interleaved with a plurality of barrier layers (109), the plurality of quantum well layers including the quantum well layer.
Regarding Claim 9. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour (Figs.19e-f; [0139]-[0144]) discloses further comprising a passivation layer (intermixed region 1902 act as a current blocking layer) on sidewalls of the active region.
Regarding Claim 10. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 1, Bour ([0144];[0147]) discloses wherein a thickness of the quantum well layer (107) is less than a thickness of the barrier layer (109).
Regarding Claim 11, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0131], [0147]) discloses A device comprising:
a substrate (growth substrate 102, temporary substrate 140 or layer 104); and
an array of micro-light emitting diodes on the substrate, each micro-light emitting diode of the array of micro-light emitting diodes comprising a mesa structure (120; Fig.17; [0071], ) that comprises:
an n-type semiconductor layer (106; [0141]);
a p-type semiconductor layer (110; [0141]);
an active region (108; [0142]) between the n-type semiconductor layer (106) and the p-type semiconductor layer (110) and configured to emit red light ([0083]),
the active region comprising: a barrier layer (109; [0147]) characterized by a first lattice constant; and a quantum well layer (107; [0147]) next to the barrier layer, the quantum well layer characterized by a second lattice constant greater than the first lattice constant and by an in-plane compressive strain ([0147]-[0149]), wherein the active region is characterized by a lateral linear dimension equal to or less than 10 um ([0140]) and
a secondary optical component (112; Fig.19A; [0151]; 112 is a spreading layer which is an optical component containing phosphorus that results in emitting red light).
Regarding Claim 12. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 11, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0131], [0147]) discloses wherein the substrate is characterized by a third lattice constant that matches the first lattice constant (Bour discloses that the substrate 104 and barrier layer are formed of (AlGa)0.5In0.5P which are lattice match over all possible Al and Ga ratios).
Regarding Claim 13. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 11, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0147]- [0149]) discloses wherein: the quantum well layer (107) is characterized by an energy band structure including a heavy- hole band and a light-hole band in a valence band; and a top of the heavy-hole band is higher than a top of the light-hole band (Bour discloses that the quantum well is compressively strained which implies the desired energy band as recited).
Regarding Claim 14, (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 13, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0130],[0147]) discloses wherein a difference between the top of the heavy-hole band and the top of the light-hole band is greater than 0.075 eV at room temperature (Bour discloses that substrate 130 is GaAs, the quantum barrier is (Al0.7Ga0.3)0.5In0.5P and quantum well is (Al0.2Ga0.8)0.4In0.6P which results in a compressive strain of 0.75%.
Regarding Claim 15, (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 11, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0130], [0147]) discloses wherein: the substrate includes a GaAs substrate; the barrier layer includes a (AlxGa1-x)0.5In0.5P layer; and the quantum well layer includes a GayIn1-yP or (AlxGa1-x)yln1-yP layer, wherein y is less than 0.5.
Regarding Claim 16. (Original) The micro-light emitting diode of claim 11, Bour (Figs.19-20; [0147]) discloses wherein a difference between the second lattice constant and the first lattice constant is greater than 1% of the first lattice constant.
Regarding Claim 17. (Original) The device of claim 11, Bour (Figs.17-20; abstract) discloses wherein the mesa structure is characterized by a vertical, conical, parabolic, inward-tilted, or outward-tilted shape (abstract discloses vertical).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAJAR KOLAHDOUZAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5842.
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/HAJAR KOLAHDOUZAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/AJAY OJHA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898 8/11/2025