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 Status
Previous action: claims 1-13 and 15 rejected, 14 and 16 through 17 objected, claims 18 through 20 allowed
Present action: claims 1, 3 through 6 and 10 through 13 rejected, claim 7 through 9 and 17 objected, claims 14 through 16 and 18 through 20 allowed
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/8/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the final action on 9/11/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Rejection Note: Italicized and struck through claim limitations indicate limitations that are not explicitly disclosed in the primary reference, but disclosed in the secondary reference(s).
Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai (US 2020/0220098) in view of Kim (US 2014/0183472) in view of Kim (US 2020/0144535).
Regarding claim 1.
Tsai teaches:
An electroluminescent display device comprising:
a display panel (fig 4:14; [para 0036]) including an active area (fig 4:AA; [para 0036]) and a non-active area;
a layer (fig 4:48; [para 0025]) extending to the non-active area of the display panel (fig 4:14; [para 0036]);
a bank on the layer (fig 4:48; [para 0025]) and extending to the non-active area,
the bank including a trench (fig 4,7:412; [para 0036]) that exposes a portion of the layer (fig 4:48; [para 0025]) in the non-active area;
an organic layer (fig 4:44; [para 0036]) on the bank and separated by the trench (fig 4,7:412; [para 0036]),
the organic layer (fig 4,7:44; [para 0036]) including a first organic layer in an inner direction area of the trench (fig 4,7:412; [para 0036]) and a second organic layer in an outer direction area of the trench (fig 4,7:412; [para 0036]);
a cathode (fig 4:46; [para 0033]) on the first organic layer (fig 4:44; [para 0036]) in the inner direction area of the trench (fig 4,7:412; [para 0036]);
and an adhesive layer (fig 4:70; [para 0035]) over the cathode (fig 4:46; [para 0033]),
wherein the adhesive layer (fig 4:70; [para 0035]) is directly in contact with the organic layer (fig 4:44; [para 0036]),
and wherein the cathode (fig 4:46; [para 0033]) is not disposed on an upper surface of the second organic layer (fig 4 annotated).
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Tsai does not teach that the structure comprises a planarization layer and encapsulation substrate.
Kim (472) teaches:
An electroluminescent display device comprising:
a display panel (fig 1a:100a; [para 0035]) including an active area (fig 1a:EA; [para 0040]) and a non-active area (fig 1a:TA; [para 0040]);
a planarization layer (fig 1a:134a; [para 0035]) extending to the non-active area (fig 1a:TA; [para 0040]) of the display panel (fig 1a:100a; [para 0035]);
a bank (fig 1a:a35a; [para 0035]) on the planarization layer (fig 1a:134a; [para 0035]) and extending to the non-active area (fig 1a:TA; [para 0040]),
the bank (fig 1b:135a; [para 0035]) including a trench that exposes a portion of the planarization layer (fig 1a:134a; [para 0035]) in the non-active area (fig 1a:TA; [para 0040]);
and an adhesive layer (fig 1c:160c; [para 0085]) and an encapsulation substrate (fig 1c:115c; [para 0080]) over the cathode (fig 1c:145c; [para 0085]),
wherein the adhesive layer (fig 1c:160c; [para 0085]) is in the outer direction area of the trench (fig 1c; [para 0085]),
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a planarization layer in order to form a level surface on which to fabricate the structure (paragraph 56), further providing an adhesive layer and encapsulation substrate over the entire structure will support and protect the elements of the display (paragraph 80).
Tsai does not teach that the adhesive layer is directly in contact with the second organic layer that is in the outer direction area of the trench
Kim (535) teaches:
the adhesive layer (fig 3:130[0101]) is directly in contact with the second organic layer (fig 3:EL[0094]) that is in the outer direction area of the trench
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the adhesive layer to contact the organic layer in the outer region because the adhesive material protects all underlying structures by forming an adhesive bond with the structures it lies over therefore where the organic layer is exposed in the outer region the adhesive material in the outer region will make contact.
Regarding claim 3.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) teaches the electroluminescent display device of claim 1, further
Tsai teaches:
the cathode (fig 4:46; [para 0033]) is not disposed in the trench (fig 4:412; [para 0036]) and not on the second organic layer.
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Regarding claim 4.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) teaches the electroluminescent display device of claim 1, further
Tsai teaches:
the second organic layer is spaced apart from an end of the bank by a predetermined distance in the non-active area (annotated fig 4).
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Regarding claim 5.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) teaches the electroluminescent display device of claim 1, further
Tsai teaches:
the first organic layer extends over the bank in the inner direction area of the trench (fig 4 annotated).
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Regarding claim 10.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) teaches the electroluminescent display device of claim 1, further
Tsai teaches:
the trench (fig 4:412; [para 0036]) comprises a plurality of lines.
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Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai (US 2020/0220098) in view of Kim (US 2014/0183472) in view of Kim (US 2020/0144535) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Bae (US 2019/0165312).
Regarding claim 2.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) teaches the electroluminescent display device of claim 1, above
Tsai teaches:
the trench (fig 4:412; [para 0036]) is in three surfaces of the non-active area (fig 1)
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) does not teach a flexible film connection
Bae teaches:
the trench is in three surfaces of the non-active area (fig 32,33:180; [para 0319]) except for a side (fig 31:PA; [para 0317]) of the display panel to which a flexible film (fig 4:150{0080,0317]) is connected.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to place the trench structure on three sides of the display and not on the side attached to a flexible component in order that the trench does not disrupt the bonding or electrical connection of the pixel units to the eternal controller
Claim(s) 6, 11, 12, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai (US 2020/0220098) in view of Kim (US 2014/0183472) in view of Kim (US 2020/0144535) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Nomiyama (US 2022/0181582).
Regarding claim 6.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) teaches the electroluminescent display device of claim 1, above
Kim (472) teaches:
the first organic layer (fig 1a:144a; [para 0042]) and the cathode (fig 1a:145a; [para 0059]) extend over the bank (fig 1a:135a; [para 0035]) in the inner direction area of the trench,
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Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) does not teach a capping layer.
Nomiyama teaches:
wherein the electroluminescent display device (fig 1:1; [para 0016]) further includes a capping layer (fig 2:51a; [para 0054]) on the cathode (fig 2:33; [para 0026]) that is disposed to extend over the bank (fig 2:41; [para 0042]) in the inner direction area of the trench.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a capping layer on the light emitting device in order exclude moisture and oxygen (paragraph 47).
Regarding claim 11.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) in view of Nomiyama teaches the semiconductor device of claim 6.
Nomiyama teaches:
an inorganic layer (fig 2:51b; [para 0054]) on the capping layer (fig 2:51a; [para 0054]),
the inorganic layer (fig 2:51b; [para 0054]) including an inner side surface of the trench (fig 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a capping layer comprising an overlying inorganic layer on the light emitting device in order exclude moisture and oxygen (paragraph 47).
Regarding claim 12.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) in view of Nomiyama teaches the semiconductor device of claim 11.
Nomiyama teaches:
the inorganic layer (fig 2:51b; [para 0054]) comprises at least one of silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), or a multilayer thereof (fig 2:51b; [para 0055]).
Regarding claim 13.
Tsai in view of Kim (472) in view of Kim (535) in view of Nomiyama teaches the semiconductor device of claim 6.
Tsai teaches:
the second organic layer (annotated fig 4 above) and on ,
.
Nomiyama teaches:
the inorganic layer (fig 2:51b; [para 0054]) is on the capping layer (fig 2:51a; [para 0054]),
the inorganic layer (fig 2:51b; [para 0054]) including an inner portion of the trench (fig 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 are allowed.
Claims 7, 8, 9, and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 7, the prior art does not teach in combination with other elements of the claim:
an electroluminescent display device comprising: a trench that exposes a portion of the planarization layer in the non-active area; an organic layer on the bank and separated by the trench,; a cathode on the first organic layer in the inner direction area of the trench; wherein the adhesive layer is directly in contact with the second organic layer that is in the outer direction area of the trench, and wherein the cathode is not disposed on an upper surface of the second organic layer.
a capping layer on the cathode that is disposed to extend over the bank in the inner direction area of the trench, the capping layer and the cathode are spaced apart from an inner end of the second organic layer by a predetermined distance.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art does not teach in combination with other elements of the claims:
an electroluminescent display device comprising: a trench that exposes a portion of the planarization layer in the non-active area; an organic layer on the bank and separated by the trench; a cathode on the first organic layer in the inner direction area of the trench; wherein the adhesive layer is directly in contact with the second organic layer that is in the outer direction area of the trench, and wherein the cathode is not disposed on an upper surface of the second organic layer.
a capping layer on the cathode that is disposed to extend over the bank in the inner direction area of the trench, inner ends of the bank in the outer direction area of the trench and the second organic layer coincide with one another.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art does not teach in combination with other elements of the claims:
an electroluminescent display comprising a display panel including an active area and a non-active area; a trench that exposes a portion of the planarization layer in the non-active area; an organic layer on the bank and separated by the trench; an adhesive layer and an encapsulation substrate over the cathode; and a step alleviation layer on the portion of the planarization layer in the non-active area, wherein the adhesive layer is directly in contact with the second organic layer that is in the outer direction area of the trench.
Regarding claim 17, the prior art does not teach:
an electroluminescent display device comprising: a trench that exposes a portion of the planarization layer in the non-active area; an organic layer on the bank and separated by the trench, wherein the adhesive layer is directly in contact with the second organic layer that is in the outer direction area of the trench, and wherein the cathode is not disposed on an upper surface of the second organic layer.
the trench further includes an extension portion extending outwardly from a side of the display panel.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art does not teach in combination with other elements of the claims:
an electroluminescent display device comprising: a substrate including an active area and a non-active area; the bank including a trench in the non-active area that exposes a portion of the planarization layer in the non-active area;
a first organic layer and a second organic layer on the bank and respectively separated by the trench; a cathode and a capping layer disposed on the first organic layer; and an adhesive layer and an encapsulation substrate disposed on the capping layer, wherein the cathode and the capping layer are not disposed on the second organic layer and the cathode and the capping layer are not disposed in the trench.
Conclusion
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/D.J.G/Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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