The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA
DETAILED ACTION
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 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CH113571534 (provided as IDS on 05/19/2023) in view of Vitkavage et al. (5,858,873) and Jenq (6,303,430).Regarding claim 1, CH113571534 teaches in figure 3 and related text a display panel, comprising:
a substrate 100 (see figure 1) comprising a first surface 110a, a second surface 110b, and a side surface 110c, wherein the first surface and the second surface are disposed opposite to each other, and the side surface is disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
wherein the substrate 100 comprises a driving circuit layer 120, a base substrate 110, and a pixel layer 200 that are arranged from the second surface toward the first surface;
a plurality of first terminals 1221 (or the terminals identified as drive circuit 120) disposed on the first surface 110a of the substrate, wherein the first terminal is electrically connected to the pixel layer;
a plurality of conductive lines 1223, wherein each conductive line 1223 is at least partially disposed on the side surface of the substrate, and the conductive lines 1223 are spaced apart from the first terminals 1221/120; and
a plurality of first connecting members 1222 (located inside connecting hole 113) disposed on the substrate, wherein the first connecting members 1222 are connected between the conductive lines 1223 and the first terminals 1221/120, so that the conductive lines are electrically connected to the first terminals.
CH113571534 does not explicitly state that drive circuit 120 comprises terminals, and does not teach that the driving circuit layer, the base substrate, and the pixel layer that are sequentially arranged from the second surface toward the first surface.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form terminals in drive circuit 120 in the device of CH113571534, and to sequentially the driving circuit layer, the base substrate, and the pixel layer from the second surface toward the first surface in the device of CH113571534, in order to provide better electrical connection to the display panel, and in order to prevent electrical interference between the driving circuit and the pixel layer, respectively.
CH113571534 also does not teach that a material of the first terminal is different from a material of the first connecting member (which is actually a plug), and the material of the first connecting member is different from a material of the conductive line.
Vitkavage et al. teach in related text that a material of the first terminal (which is a trace) is aluminum alloy (see column 1, lines 24-26) different from a material tungsten (column 1, line 44) of the first connecting member (which is actually a plug), and the material of the first connecting member is different from a material of the conductive line aluminum alloy (which is a trace).
CH113571534, Vitkavage et al. and Jenq are analogous art because they are directed to semiconductor devices having metal layers and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify CH113571534 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to form a material of the first terminal is different from a material of the first connecting member, and the material of the first connecting member is different from a material of the conductive line, as taught by Vitkavage et al., in the device of CH113571534, in order to simplify the processing steps of making the device by using conventional materials and in order to the lower electrical resistance and hence a higher operating speed for the transistor (by using tungsten plug).
The combination is motivated by the teachings of Jenq who points out the advantages of using tungsten plug.
It is further held that it is within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Note that substitution of materials is not patentable even when the substitution is new and useful. Safetran Systems Corp. v. Federal Sign & Signal Corp. (DC NIII, 1981) 215 USPQ 979.
See KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 416 (2007) (“The combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results.”).
Regarding claim 2, CH113571534 teaches in figure 3 and related text that each first connecting member is at least partially disposed on the first surface, and/or each first connecting member is at least partially disposed on the side surface.
Regarding claim 3, CH113571534 teaches in figures 1, 3 and related text plurality of pixels 122, identical to pixel 122 described in figure 3, Therefore, CH113571534 teaches a plurality of second terminals and a plurality of second connecting members, wherein the second terminals are disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the second terminals are spaced apart from the conductive lines, the second connecting members are disposed on the substrate, and the second connecting members are connected between the conductive lines and the second terminals, so that the conductive lines are electrically connected to the second terminals.
Regarding claim 4, CH113571534 teaches in figures 1, 3 and related text that each second connecting member is at least partially disposed on the second surface, and/or each second connecting member is at least partially disposed on the side surface.
Regarding claim 5, CH113571534 teaches in figures 1, 3 and related text that an orthographic projection of each first terminal 120 projected on the substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of a corresponding one of the second terminals (another 120 in adjacent pixel) projected on the substrate.
Regarding claim 6, CH113571534 teaches in figure 3 and related text that the first terminals 120 are disposed on the first surface and close to the side surface, and/or the second terminals are disposed on the second surface and close to the side surface.
Regarding claim 7, CH113571534 teaches in figures 1, 3 and related text that the display panel comprises multiple first terminals 120 and multiple conductive lines 122, the first terminals are disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the conductive lines, the display panel comprises multiple first connecting members, and each first connecting member is connected between the corresponding first terminal and the corresponding conductive line.
Regarding claim 8, CH113571534 teaches in figures 1, 3 and related text that the display panel comprises multiple second terminals and multiple second connecting members, the second terminals are disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the conductive lines, and each second connecting member is connected between the corresponding second terminal and the corresponding conductive line.
Regarding claim 9, CH113571534 teaches in figures 1, 3 and related text that the first terminals 120 are arranged side by side on the first surface and close to the side surface; and the second terminals (another 120 in adjacent pixel) are arranged side by side on the second surface and close to the side surface.
Regarding claim 10, CH113571534 teaches in figure 3 and related text that the display panel further comprises a protective layer 130 covering the first terminals, the second terminals, the conductive lines, the first connecting members, and the second connecting members.
Regarding claim 11, CH113571534 teaches in figure 5 and related text that the substrate 100 comprises a driving circuit layer 120, a base substrate 110, and a pixel layer 200 that are sequentially arranged (as disclosed in the combined device) from the second surface toward the first surface, the pixel layer is electrically connected to the first terminals, and the driving circuit layer is electrically connected to the second terminals.
Regarding claim 12, CH113571534 does not teach that a material of the first terminals, the second terminals, and the conductive lines comprises one or more of copper, aluminum, molybdenum, or titanium; and a material of the first connecting members and the second connecting members comprises solder paste.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to sequentially arrange the above layers from the material of the first terminals, the second terminals, and the conductive lines comprises one or more of copper, aluminum, molybdenum, or titanium; and a material of the first connecting members and the second connecting members comprises solder paste, in the device of CH113571534, in order to improve the conductivity of the first terminals, the second terminals, and the conductive lines by using conventional conductive materials and in order to improve the structural integrity of the device by using the well-known solder material.
Regarding claim 13, CH113571534 teaches in figures 1, 3 and related text a display device, comprising the display panel of claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-13 have been considered but are moot because of the new ground of rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ORI NADAV whose telephone number is 571-272-1660. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 7 AM to 4 PM (Eastern Standard Time) Monday through Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynne Gurley can be reached on 571-272-1670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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O.N. /ORI NADAV/
4/7/2026 PRIMARY EXAMINER
TECHNOLOGY CENTER 2800
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