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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 May 22nd 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on May 5th 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-20 remain pending in the application. Claims 1-17 are examined in this office action. Claims 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome each and every objection and 112 rejection previously set forth in the Final Office Action mailed on Mar. 9th 2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “the conductive patterns having bottom surfaces at a same level as bottom surfaces of the light-emitting elements” recited in claims 1 and 11 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1, the disclosure fails to set forth "the first conductive patterns having bottom surfaces at a same level as bottom surfaces of the light-emitting elements", this is considered new matter. Therefore, the limitation directed to this limitation must be cancelled from the claims.
Claims 2-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) for being dependent on claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, the disclosure fails to set forth "the conductive patterns having bottom surfaces at a same level as bottom surfaces of the light-emitting elements", this is considered new matter. Therefore, the limitation directed to this limitation must be cancelled from the claims.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) for being dependent on claim 11.
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.
Claims 1, 5, 7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Templier et al. (US 20210020688), hereinafter Templier.
Regarding claim 1, Templier teaches an electronic device (Abstract) comprising:
a substrate (fig. 2B, semiconductor substrate 151; para. 0040);
contact electrodes (electrodes 161, metal connection pads 255 and connection pads 205 on the right; para. 0062, 0067);
a common contact electrode (common electrode 163 and 255, 205 on the left; para. 0062) on the substrate (151);
light-emitting elements (fig. 2A, LEDs 103 including first doped semiconductor layer 105, an emissive layer 107, second doped semiconductor layer 109, electrode 111; para. 0034, 0038) respectively on the contact electrodes (fig. 2B, 161, 255, 205); and
a common connecting electrode (metal electrode 113; para. 0038) on the common contact electrode (163, 255, 205), connected to the light-emitting elements (103), and comprising first conductive patterns (patterns of 113) spaced apart from one another (113 spaced apart from one another by LED 103) and having bottom surfaces (bottom surfaces of 113) in contact with the common contact electrode (163, 255, 205) and at a same level as bottom surfaces of the light-emitting elements (bottom surfaces of 103).
Regarding claim 5, Templier further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive patterns (fig. 2B, patterns of 113) comprise a same material (copper; para. 0077, 0080) as the contact electrodes (161, 255, 205).
Regarding claim 7, Templier further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the common contact electrode (fig. 2B, 163, 255, 205) further comprises second conductive patterns (patterns of 255) spaced apart from one another (255 spaced apart from one another), and
respectively overlapping the first conductive patterns (patterns of 113).
Regarding claim 11, Templier teaches an electronic device (Abstract) comprising:
a substrate (fig. 2B, semiconductor substrate 151; para. 0040);
contact electrodes (electrodes 161, metal connection pads 255 and connection pads 205 on the right; para. 0062, 0067),
a common contact electrode (common electrode 163 and 255, 205 on the left; para. 0062) on the substrate (151);
light-emitting elements (fig. 2A, LEDs 103; para. 0034) on the contact electrodes (161, 255, 205); and
a common connecting electrode (metal electrode 113; para. 0038) on the common contact electrode (163, 255, 205), connected to the light-emitting elements (103, 205), and at a same layer (same layer height) as the light-emitting elements (103),
wherein the common contact electrode (113) comprises conductive patterns (pattern of 113) spaced apart from one another (113 spaced apart from one another) and having bottom surfaces (bottom surfaces of 113) in contact with the common connecting electrode (163, 255, 205) and at a same level as bottom surfaces of the light-emitting elements (bottom surfaces of 103).
Claims 1-5, 7-8 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by KYOUNG et al. (KR 20190085746), hereinafter KYOUNG.
Regarding claim 1, KYOUNG teaches a display device (Abstract) comprising:
a substrate (fig. 9, submount substrate 200; para. 0021);
contact electrodes (inner solder bumps 270, inner electrodes 250; para. 0025);
a common contact electrode (outer solder bump 260, outer electrode 240; para. 0025) on the substrate (200);
light-emitting elements (epitaxial cells EC, which emit light, including electrode pads 150; para. 0007, 0025) respectively on the contact electrodes (270, 250); and
a common connecting electrode (common electrode pad 160; para. 0025) on the common contact electrode (260, 240), connected to the light-emitting elements (EC), and comprising first conductive patterns (pattern of two 160) spaced apart from one another (two 160 spaced apart) and having bottom surfaces (bottom surfaces of 160) in contact with the common contact electrode (260, 240) and at a same level (fig. 3, 160 has same level as EC including 150) as bottom surfaces of the light-emitting elements (EC).
Regarding claim 2, KYOUNG further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive patterns (fig. 9, pattern of two 160) are formed as dots or lines (vertical line shaped of 160 since it has a slender profile).
Regarding claim 3, KYOUNG further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements (fig. 9, EC) comprise a first semiconductor layer (p-type semiconductor layer 118; para. 0042), an active layer (active layer 116; para. 0042) on the first semiconductor layer (118), a second semiconductor layer (n-type semiconductor layer 114; para. 0042) on the active layer (116), and a third semiconductor layer (undoped semiconductor layer 112; para. 0042) on the second semiconductor layer (114), and
wherein the second semiconductor layer (114) is a common layer (114 is common for both EC) connected in common to the light-emitting elements (EC).
Regarding claim 4, KYOUNG further teaches the display device of claim 3, wherein the first conductive patterns (fig. 9, 160) are between, and in contact with, the second semiconductor layer (114) and the common contact electrode (260, 240).
Regarding claim 5, KYOUNG further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive patterns (fig. 9, 160) comprise a same material (Cu; para. 0047) as the contact electrodes (270, 250).
Regarding claim 7, KYOUNG further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the common contact electrode (fig.9, 260, 240) further comprises second conductive patterns (pattern of two 260) spaced apart from one another (two 260 spaced apart), and respectively overlapping the first conductive patterns (160).
Regarding claim 8, KYOUNG further teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein the second conductive patterns (fig. 9, 260) correspond one-to-one to the first conductive patterns (160).
Regarding claim 10, KYOUNG further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements (fig. 9, EC) are in a display area (middle area with EC emit light), and
wherein the common contact electrode (260, 240) and the common connecting electrode (160) are in a non-display area (side area without EC) surrounding the display area (middle area).
Regarding claim 11, KYOUNG teaches an electronic device (Abstract) comprising:
a substrate (fig. 9, submount substrate 200; para. 0021);
contact electrodes (inner solder bumps 270, inner electrodes 250; para. 0025);
a common contact electrode (outer solder bump 260, outer electrode 240; para. 0025) on the substrate (200);
light-emitting elements (epitaxial cells EC, which emit light, including electrode pads 150; para. 0007, 0025) on the contact electrodes (270, 250); and
a common connecting electrode (common electrode pad 160; para. 0025) on the common contact electrode (260, 240), connected to the light-emitting elements (EC), and at a same layer (same layer height) as the light-emitting elements (EC),
wherein the common contact electrode (160) comprises conductive patterns (pattern of two 160) spaced apart from one another (two 160 spaced apart) and having bottom surfaces (bottom surfaces of 160) in contact with the common connecting electrode (260, 240) and at a same level (fig. 3, 160 has same level as EC including 150) as bottom surfaces of the light-emitting elements (EC).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-17 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 13 would be allowable for disclosing "dummy patterns in the non-display area, adjacent to a first side of the substrate extending in a first direction, and having respective lengths in the first direction that incrementally increase away from a center of the first side of the substrate along the first side such that at least three of the lengths are different from one another."
Li et al. (CN 109962094) teaches dummy patterns (fig. 6, 181) in the non-display area (PA), adjacent to a first side (left side) of the substrate (110) extending in a first direction. However, Li does not teach dummy patterns having respective lengths in the first direction that incrementally increase away from a center of the first side of the substrate along the first side such that at least three of the lengths are different from one another
Claims 14-17 would be also allowable because they are dependent on claim 13.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-12 of prior art rejections (35 USC 102/103) 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIJUN XU whose telephone number is (571)270-3447. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm ET.
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/ZHIJUN XU/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/EVA Y MONTALVO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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