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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2 December 2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Office acknowledges receipt on 2 December 2025 of Applicant’s amendments in which claims 1 and 12 are amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 12 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, 8-10, 12-15, 17, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. (US20200227670A1) in view of Zhang et al. (US20180374762A1); Kim et al. (US20190019981A1), and Zhu et al. (CN108987430A) using Zhu et al. (US20200127226A1) as the English translation.
Regarding claim 1, Huang teaches in Figs. 1A and 1B a display panel, comprising:
a substrate (120) {¶0039};
a plurality of pixel units (190) on a side of the substrate (120), with each pixel unit (190) comprising a light emitting device (160) which comprises a first electrode (162), a light emitting layer (161) and a second electrode (111) in sequence on the side of the substrate (120) {¶0035, 0039, 0040}; and
an auxiliary electrode layer (112) on a side (topside) of the plurality of pixel units (190) distal to the substrate (120) and comprising light-transmitting regions (AT) and electrode regions (A0), with an orthogonal projection of a corresponding light-transmitting region (AT) on the substrate (120) at least covering an orthogonal projection of the light emitting layer (161) on the substrate (120), each electrode region (A0) comprising an auxiliary electrode (112), and the auxiliary electrode (112) being electrically connected to the second electrode (111) {¶0034, 0039, 0040};
wherein a material of the auxiliary electrode (112) comprises a metal {¶0034, a conductive metal material or alloy, and may include, but not limited to, Mg (magnesium), Al (aluminum), Ag (silver), Au (gold), or Cu (copper)}.
Huang does not teach each light-transmitting region comprising a transparent structure, a material of the transparent structure comprises a metal oxide, the metal oxide and the metal have a same kind of element, and the metal oxide is obtained by oxidation of the metal.
In an analogous art pertaining to a problem faced by Applicant regarding a conductive film having both opaque and transparent regions for use in a semiconductor display device {see ¶0053 of the instant application}, Zhang teaches in Fig. 2B:
each light-transmitting region (transparent region a) comprising a transparent structure (portion of 20 within transparent region a) {¶0045, 0046},
a material of the auxiliary electrode (portion of 20 within transparent region b) comprises a metal (tantalum) {¶0045},
a material of the transparent structure (portion of 20 within transparent region a) comprises a metal oxide (tantalum oxide) {¶0045, 0057},
the metal oxide (portion of 20 within transparent region a) and the metal (portion of 20 within transparent region b) have a same kind of element (e.g., tantalum) {¶0045},
the metal oxide is obtained by oxidation of the metal {¶0057, film 20 is oxidized with an oxidant, so that the transparent region to be formed of the film (i.e., two regions a) becomes transparent. … the above oxidant is hydrogen peroxide}. Examiner’s Note: Although Zhang teaches this limitation in whole, such limitation is a product by process limitation, which requires no showing beyond a teaching by the applied reference of the product (i.e., the metal oxide).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel based on the teachings of Zhang – such that each of Huang’s light-transmitting regions comprises a transparent structure, a material of Huang’s auxiliary electrode comprises a metal, a material of Huang’s transparent structure comprises a metal oxide, the metal oxide and the metal have a same kind of element, and the metal oxide is obtained by oxidation of the metal – for the purpose of preventing height differences and crystallization defects that occur when opaque and light-transparent regions are provided in a light-shielding layer. Zhang ¶¶0042-0044.
Huang as modified by Zhang does not teach the auxiliary electrode layer has a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes.
In an analogous art, Kim teaches in Fig. 9A and paragraph [0128] the auxiliary electrode layer (111) has a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes (transparent rectangles) distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines (gray-hatched horizontal and vertical lines) which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes (transparent rectangles). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel as modified by Zhang based on the teachings of Kim – such that the Huang’s auxiliary electrode layer has a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes – for the purpose of allow[ing] an [sic] uniform current to be applied to the whole of the lighting part EA through the first electrode 116 b of the emission region 105, thereby enabling the lighting apparatus 100 having the large area to emit light having uniform luminance. Kim ¶0101.
Huang as modified by Zhang and Kim does not teach wherein the second electrode comprises a first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a second portion overlapping a corresponding electrode region, the first portion has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second portion in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and both a top surface of the first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a top surface of the second portion overlapping the corresponding electrode region together form a flat surface.
In an analogous art, Zhu teaches in Fig. 4 and paragraphs [0058-0059] a second electrode (251) comprises a first portion (portion directly over 24) overlapping a corresponding light-transmitting region (region above 24) and a second portion (portion directly beneath via interconnecting 251 & 253) overlapping a corresponding electrode region (region of via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253), the first portion (portion directly over 24) has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second portion (portion directly beneath via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253) in a direction perpendicular to a substrate (21), and both a top surface of the first portion (portion directly over 24) [of the second electrode (251)] overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region (region above 24) and a top surface of the second portion (portion directly beneath via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253) [of the second electrode (251)] overlapping the corresponding electrode region (region of via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253) together form a flat surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel as modified by Zhang and Kim based on the teachings of Zhu – such that the second electrode comprises a first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a second portion overlapping a corresponding electrode region, the first portion has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second portion in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and both a top surface of the first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a top surface of the second portion overlapping the corresponding electrode region together form a flat surface – so: (1) the conductive layer … and the cathode … provide a hybrid cathode with lower electrical resistivity for enhancing the OLED performance and/or (2) [t]he protective layer … is configured to protect the cathode … and the organic light-emitting layer … underneath from potential damages occur[ing] during a process of forming the conductive layer. Zhu ¶0059.
Regarding claim 2, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, but Huang does not teach wherein the material of the auxiliary electrode comprises tantalum, and the material of the transparent structure comprises a tantalum oxide.
However, Zhang’s display panel as modified by Zhang above with respect to claim 1 includes the features whereby the material of the auxiliary electrode comprises tantalum {Zhang ¶0045}, and the material of the transparent structure comprises a tantalum oxide {Zhang ¶0045, 0057}. And the motivation for modifying Huang’s display device based on the teachings of Zhang to achieve this subject matter is identified above with respect to claim 1 and repeated below.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel based on the teachings of Zhang – such that each Huang’s light-transmitting regions comprises a transparent structure, a material of Huang’s auxiliary electrode comprises a metal, a material of Huang’s transparent structure comprises a metal oxide, the metal oxide and the metal have a same kind of element, and the metal oxide is obtained by oxidation of the metal – for the purpose of preventing height differences and crystallization defects that occur when opaque and light-transparent regions are provided in a light-shielding layer by deposition of an opaque material on a transparent material. Zhang ¶¶0042-0044.
Regarding claim 4, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, but Huang does not teach wherein a side of the transparent structure proximal to the plurality of pixel units and a side of the auxiliary electrode proximal to the plurality of pixel units are on a same plane.
However, as discussed above with respect to claim 1, Zhang provides a motivation to substitute Zhang’s conductive film 20 for Huang’s auxiliary electrode layer and, as illustrated by Zhang’s Fig. 2b, Zhang’s conductive film 20 comprises a transparent structure (a) and an auxiliary electrode an the same plane. Accordingly, the modification of Huang’s display device based on Zhang’s teaching discussed above with respect to claim 1 achieves the claimed subject matter whereby a side of the transparent structure proximal to the plurality of pixel units and a side of the auxiliary electrode proximal to the plurality of pixel units are on a same plane. And the motivation for making this modification is identified above with respect to claim 1 and repeated below.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel based on the teachings of Zhang – such that each Huang’s light-transmitting regions comprises a transparent structure, a material of Huang’s auxiliary electrode comprises a metal, a material of Huang’s transparent structure comprises a metal oxide, the metal oxide and the metal have a same kind of element, and the metal oxide is obtained by oxidation of the metal – for the purpose of preventing height differences and crystallization defects that occur when opaque and light-transparent regions are provided in a light-shielding layer by deposition of an opaque material on a transparent material. Zhang ¶¶0042-0044.
Regarding claim 5, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Huang further teaches wherein a light shielding layer (112) is between any two adjacent pixel units (190) among the plurality of pixel units (190), and the auxiliary electrode (112) function as the light shielding layer (112) {Figs. 1A and 2; ¶0043, 0049}.
Regarding claim 6, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Huang further teaches further comprising: a packaging layer (170) on a side of the auxiliary electrode layer (112) distal to the substrate (120) {Fig. 1A; ¶0039}.
Regarding claim 8, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, but Huang does not teach wherein the transparent structure of each pixel unit is located in one of the plurality of meshes, and an orthogonal projection of each of the plurality of grid lines on the substrate is located outside an orthogonal projection of the transparent structure on the substrate.
However, as discussed above with respect to claim 1, Kim provides a motivation to modify Huang’s auxiliary electrode layer to have a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes. As a consequence of the modification, the transparent structure of each pixel unit taught by Huang is located in one of the plurality of Kim’s meshes, and an orthogonal projection of each of the plurality of Kim’s grid lines on Huang’s substrate is located outside an orthogonal projection of Huang’s transparent structure on Huang’s substrate. And the motivation for such modification is identified above with respect to claim 1 and repeated below.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel as modified by Zhang based on the teachings of Kim – such that the Huang’s auxiliary electrode layer has a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes – for the purpose of allow[ing] an [sic] uniform current to be applied to the whole of the lighting part EA through the first electrode 116 b of the emission region 105, thereby enabling the lighting apparatus 100 having the large area to emit light having uniform luminance. Kim ¶0101.
Regarding claim 9, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Huang further teaches wherein the auxiliary electrode (112) is in direct contact with the second electrode (111) {Fig. 1A; ¶0034}.
Regarding claim 10, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Huang further teaches wherein the first electrode (162) is an anode and the second electrode (111) is a cathode {¶0037}.
Regarding claim 12, Huang teaches in Figs. 1A and 1B a manufacturing method of a display panel, comprising:
forming a substrate (120) {¶0039};
forming a plurality of pixel units (190) on a side of the substrate (120), with each pixel unit (190) comprising a light emitting device (160) which comprises a first electrode (162), a light emitting layer (161) and a second electrode (111) sequentially disposed on the side of the substrate (120) {¶0035, 0039, 0040};
forming an auxiliary electrode layer (112) on a side (topside) of the plurality of pixel units (190) distal to the substrate (120), with the auxiliary electrode layer (112) comprising light-transmitting regions (AT) and electrode regions (A0), and an orthogonal projection of a corresponding light-transmitting region (AT) on the substrate (120) at least covering an orthogonal projection of the light emitting layer (161) on the substrate (120) {¶0034, 0039, 0040}; and
forming auxiliary electrodes (112) in the electrode regions (A0), and electrically connecting a corresponding auxiliary electrode (112) to the second electrode (111) {¶0034, 0039, 0040};
wherein a material of the auxiliary electrodes (112) comprises a metal {¶0034, a conductive metal material or alloy, and may include, but not limited to, Mg (magnesium), Al (aluminum), Ag (silver), Au (gold), or Cu (copper)}.
Huang does not teach:
forming transparent structures in the light-transmitting regions;
a material of the transparent structures comprises a metal oxide, the metal oxide and the metal have a same kind of element, and the metal oxide is obtained by oxidation of the metal;
Zhang teaches in Fig. 2B:
forming transparent structures (portion of 20 within transparent region a) in the light-transmitting regions (transparent region a) {¶0045, 0046}.
a material of the auxiliary electrodes (portion of 20 within transparent region b) comprises a metal (tantalum) {¶0045},
a material of the transparent structures (portion of 20 within transparent region a) comprises a metal oxide (tantalum oxide) {¶0045, 0057},
the metal oxide (tantalum oxide) and the metal (tantalum) have a same kind of element (tantalum) {¶0045}, and
the metal oxide (tantalum oxide) is obtained by oxidation of the metal (tantalum) {¶0057, film 20 is oxidized with an oxidant, so that the transparent region to be formed of the film (i.e., two regions a) becomes transparent. … the above oxidant is hydrogen peroxide}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s manufacturing method based on the teachings of Zhang – so as to form transparent structures in Huang’s light-transmitting regions, whereby a material of the auxiliary electrodes comprises a metal, a material of the transparent structures comprises a metal oxide, the metal oxide and the metal have a same kind of element, and the metal oxide is obtained by oxidation of the metal – for the purpose of preventing height differences and crystallization defects that occur when opaque and light-transparent regions are provided in a light-shielding layer. Zhang ¶¶0042-0044.
Huang as modified by Zhang does not teach wherein the auxiliary electrode layer has a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes.
Kim teaches in Fig. 9A and paragraph [0128] the auxiliary electrode layer (111) has a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes (transparent rectangles) distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines (gray-hatched horizontal and vertical lines) which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes (transparent rectangles). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s manufacturing method as modified by Zhang based on the teachings of Kim – such that the auxiliary electrode layer has a shape of a grid comprising a plurality of meshes distributed in an array and a plurality of grid lines which intersect each other to define the plurality of meshes – for the purpose of allow[ing] an [sic] uniform current to be applied to the whole of the lighting part EA through the first electrode 116 b of the emission region 105, thereby enabling the lighting apparatus 100 having the large area to emit light having uniform luminance. Kim ¶0101.
Huang as modified by Zhang and Kim does not teach wherein the second electrode comprises a first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a second portion overlapping a corresponding electrode region, the first portion has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second portion in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and both a top surface of the first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a top surface of the second portion overlapping the corresponding electrode region together form a flat surface.
Zhu teaches in Fig. 4 and paragraphs [0058-0059] a second electrode (251) comprises a first portion (portion directly over 24) overlapping a corresponding light-transmitting region (region above 24) and a second portion (portion directly beneath via interconnecting 251 & 253) overlapping a corresponding electrode region (region of via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253), the first portion (portion directly over 24) has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second portion (portion directly beneath via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253) in a direction perpendicular to a substrate (21), and both a top surface of the first portion (portion directly over 24) [of the second electrode (251)] overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region (region above 24) and a top surface of the second portion (portion directly beneath via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253) [of the second electrode (251)] overlapping the corresponding electrode region (region of via 2521 interconnecting 251 & 253) together form a flat surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel as modified by Zhang and Kim based on the teachings of Zhu – such that the second electrode comprises a first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a second portion overlapping a corresponding electrode region, the first portion has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second portion in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and both a top surface of the first portion overlapping the corresponding light-transmitting region and a top surface of the second portion overlapping the corresponding electrode region together form a flat surface – so: (1) the conductive layer … and the cathode … provide a hybrid cathode with lower electrical resistivity for enhancing the OLED performance and/or (2) [t]he protective layer … is configured to protect the cathode … and the organic light-emitting layer … underneath from potential damages occur[ing] during a process of forming the conductive layer. Zhu ¶0059.
Regarding claim 13, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teach the manufacturing method of claim 12, and Huang further teaches wherein forming the transparent structures in the light-transmitting regions, forming the auxiliary electrodes in the electrode regions, and electrically connecting the corresponding auxiliary electrode to the second electrode comprises {see analysis of claim 12 above}:
coating the metal (112) on a side of second electrodes (111) of the plurality of pixel units (190) distal to the substrate (120) {¶0031}.
Huang does not teach:
patterning the metal according to positions of the light-transmitting regions and the electrode regions so as to make the metal comprise portions corresponding to the light-transmitting regions and portions corresponding to the electrode regions; and
taking the portions of the metal corresponding to the electrode regions as the auxiliary electrodes, and converting the portions of the metal corresponding to the light-transmitting regions to a metal oxide to form the transparent structures.
Zhang teaches in Figs. 4a-4c and paragraph [0057] patterning the metal (20, tantalum) {¶0045} according to positions of the light-transmitting regions and the electrode regions so as to make the metal (20, tantalum) comprise portions corresponding to the light-transmitting regions (potion a) and portions corresponding to the electrode regions (portion b); and taking the portions of the metal (20, tantalum) corresponding to the electrode regions (portion b) as the auxiliary electrodes, and converting the portions of the metal corresponding to the light-transmitting regions (potion a) to a metal oxide to form the transparent structures {¶0057}. The motivation for modifying Huang’s manufacturing method based on the teachings of Zhang is identified above with respect to claim 12 and similarly repeated below. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s manufacturing method as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu based on the further teachings of Zhang – so as to pattern the metal according to positions of the light-transmitting regions and the electrode regions to make the metal comprise portions corresponding to the light-transmitting regions and portions corresponding to the electrode regions; and take the portions of the metal corresponding to the electrode regions as the auxiliary electrodes, and convert the portions of the metal corresponding to the light-transmitting regions to a metal oxide to form the transparent structures – for the purpose of preventing height differences and crystallization defects that occur when opaque and light-transparent regions are provided in a light-shielding layer by deposition of an opaque material on a transparent material. Zhang ¶¶0042-0044.
Regarding claim 14, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the manufacturing method of claim 13, but Huang does not teach wherein patterning the metal according to the positions of the light-transmitting regions and the electrode regions comprises:
coating a photoresist on a side of the metal distal to the substrate; and
performing an exposure process and a development process with a mask to leave the photoresist merely over the portions of the metal corresponding to the electrode regions.
Zhang teaches in Figs. 4a-4c coating a photoresist (60) on a side of the metal (20) distal to the substrate (10) {¶0055}; and performing an exposure process and a development process with a mask to leave the photoresist (60) merely over the portions of the metal (20) corresponding to the electrode regions. The motivation for modifying Huang’s manufacturing method based on the teachings of Zhang is identified above with respect to claim 13 and similarly repeated below. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s manufacturing method as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu based on the further teachings of Zhang – so as to coat a photoresist on a side of the metal distal to the substrate; and perform an exposure process and a development process with a mask to leave the photoresist merely over the portions of the metal corresponding to the electrode regions – for the purpose of patterning a metal layer to create transparent and non-transparent regions and, thereby, prevent height differences and crystallization defects that occur when opaque and light-transparent regions are provided in a light-shielding layer by deposition of an opaque material on a transparent material. Zhang ¶¶0042-0044.
Regarding claim 15, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the manufacturing method of claim 13, but Huang does not teach wherein converting the portions of the metal corresponding to the light-transmitting regions to the metal oxide comprises: performing an oxidation process on the portions of the metal corresponding to the light-transmitting regions with an oxidant.
Zhang teaches wherein converting the portions of the metal (tantalum) corresponding to the light-transmitting regions (transparent region a) to the metal oxide comprises: performing an oxidation process on the portions of the metal (tantalum) corresponding to the light-transmitting regions (transparent region a) with an oxidant (hydrogen peroxide) {¶0057, film 20 is oxidized with an oxidant, so that the transparent region to be formed of the film (i.e., two regions a) becomes transparent. … the above oxidant is hydrogen peroxide}. The motivation for modifying Huang’s method in this manner is identified with respect to claim 12 and similarly repeated below. . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s manufacturing method as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu based on the further teachings of Zhang – such that the operation of converting the portions of the metal corresponding to the light-transmitting regions to the metal oxide comprises: performing an oxidation process on the portions of the metal corresponding to the light-transmitting regions with an oxidant – for the purpose of preventing height differences and crystallization defects that occur when opaque and light-transparent regions are provided in a light-shielding layer by deposition of an opaque material on a transparent material. Zhang ¶¶0042-0044.
Regarding claim 17, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the manufacturing method of claim 12, wherein electrically connecting the corresponding auxiliary electrode to the second electrode comprises: bringing the corresponding auxiliary electrode (112) into direct contact with the second electrode (111) {Fig. 1A; ¶0034, 0039, 0040}.
Regarding claim 18, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Huang further teaches a display device, comprising the display panel of claim 1 {¶0005}.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Zhang, Kim, and Zhu as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Chuman et al. (US20080124522A1).
Regarding claim 3, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 2, but Huang does not teach wherein the tantalum oxide comprises at least one of ditantalum trioxide or ditantalum pentoxide.
In an analogous art in which a portion of an electrode is oxidized and another portion is not, Chuman teaches in Fig. 6 and paragraph [0045] the tantalum oxide comprises ditantalum pentoxide. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu based on the teachings of Chuman – such that the tantalum oxide comprises ditantalum pentoxide – for the purpose of achieving the oxidation through anodic oxidization of a tantalum electrode. Chuman ¶0045. Moreover, [t]he selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Zhang, Kim, and Zhu as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim (US20160240604A1) (Kim ‘604).
Regarding claim 11, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the display panel of claim 1, but Huang does not teach wherein the first electrode is a reflective electrode.
In an analogous art, Kim ‘604 teaches in Fig. 3 and paragraph [0110] the first electrode (180) is a reflective electrode. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s display panel as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu based on the teachings of Kim ‘604 – such that Huang’s first electrode is a reflective electrode – for the purpose of increasing light emission of the light-emitting element because [l]ight emission may be based on … the lower, fully reflective first electrode 180. Kim ‘604 ¶0090.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Zhang, Kim, and Zhu as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of He et al. (CN110752302A) (“He”) (English translation enclosed).
Regarding claim 16, Huang as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu teaches the manufacturing method of claim 15, but Huang does not teach wherein the oxidant comprises oxydol.
The instant application defines, in paragraph [0063], oxydol as an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide. As mentioned with respect to claim 15, Zhang teaches in paragraph [0057] the oxidant is hydrogen peroxide, but does not specifically say the hydrogen peroxide has an aqueous state. In an analogous, He teaches in the third-to-last paragraph of page 3, using an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang’s manufacturing method as modified by Zhang, Kim, and Zhu based on the teachings of He – such that Zhang’s hydrogen peroxide oxidant is an aqueous solution (i.e., oxydol) – because [t]he selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
You et al. (US20190027702A1) teaches that in a composite transparent electrode, a cover layer (12) is provided between a metal layer (11) and a transparent conducting oxide layer (13), the transparent conducting oxide layer (13) is electrically connected to the metal layer (11). The composite transparent electrode can reduce damages to the metal layer (11) or decrease pressure fall during a sputtering process.
Conclusion
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/D.W.W./Examiner, Art Unit 2891
/MATTHEW C LANDAU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2891