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 .
Status of the Application
The Amendment filed on 1/15/2025, responding to the Office action mailed on 1/15/2026, has been entered into the record. The present Office action is made with all the suggested amendments being fully considered. Accordingly, claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
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 (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 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180012876 A1) in view of Park (KR 20120113543 A).
Re Claim 1 Kim teaches a display device (FIG. 17) comprising:
a substrate (5) [0041];
a planarization layer (605) [0129] on the substrate (5);
a first electrode (51) [0052] and a second electrode (52) spaced apart from each other on the planarization layer (605);
a first insulating layer (70) [0054] disposed on the planarization layer (605) and not overlapping the first electrode (51) and the second electrode (52) in a thickness direction of the first insulating layer;
a light emitting (30) [0046] element comprising a first semiconductor layer (33), a second semiconductor layer (34), an active layer (35) between the first semiconductor layer (33) and the second semiconductor layer (34), and an insulating film (40) [0051] at least partially surrounding the first semiconductor layer (33), the active layer (35), and the second semiconductor layer (34); and
the first insulating layer (70) is between the light emitting element (30) and the planarization layer (605, a straight line can be drawn from top left of 30 to top left of 605 and intersect with part of 70, FIG. 17).
Kim does not teach the first insulating layer is between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
wherein side surfaces of the first insulating layer contact the first electrode and the second electrode.
the light emitting element being disposed on the first insulating layer.
Park teaches (FIG. 2) the first insulating layer (206, page 4 last par) is between the first electrode (208 in T region, page 5 last par) and the second electrode (208 in C region); and
wherein side surfaces of the first insulating layer (206) contact (mechanically) the first electrode (208 in T region) and the second electrode (208 in C);
the light emitting element (220, page 6 last par) being disposed on the first insulating layer (206, FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Park into the structure of Kim since Park teaches an LED semiconductor device.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Park in combination with Kim in the above manner for the motivation of optimally integrating the electrodes, insulation layer, and light emitting layers to build a device that is light weight, high resolution, and requires minimal power. Page 2 par 3 states, “…the use of display devices is rapidly increasing, and in recent years, display devices capable of satisfying conditions of low power, light weight, thinness, and high resolution are required.”
Claims 2-3 and 6-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180012876 A1) in view of Park (KR 20120113543 A) as applied to claim1 above, and further in view of Kim (US 20180175106 A1, ‘Kim2’ hereafter).
Re Claim 2 Kim in view of Park teaches the display device of claim 1, but does not teach a first portion of each of the first electrode and the second electrode which contact the side surfaces of the first insulating layer respectively contact the side surfaces of the first insulating layer in the thickness direction of the first insulating layer.
Kim2 teaches a first portion of the first electrode (Kim, CNE1 shared surface with PSV1) and the second electrode (CNE2 shred surface with PSV1) which contact the side surfaces of the first insulating layer (PSV1) respectively contact the side surfaces of the first insulating layer (PSV1) along the thickness direction (contact is slanted, but it contains a vertical component) of the first insulating layer (PSV1, FIG. 18).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Kim2 into the structure of Kim in view of Park since Kim2 teaches an LED semiconductor device.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kim2 in combination with Kim in view of Park in the above manner for the motivation of optimally integrating the electrodes to build a device capable of improving light emission efficiency. [0006] states, “Aspects of some example embodiments of the present invention include a light emitting device, which is capable of improving light emission efficiency, and a display device including the same.”
Re Claim 3 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the first insulating layer (Kim2, PSV1) is greater than a maximum thickness of each of the first electrode (CNE1) and the second electrode (CNE2, FIG. 18).
Re Claim 6 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein a height of a contact surface between each of the first electrode (Kim2, CNE1) and the second electrode
(CNE2) and a side surface of the first insulating layer (PSV1) is greater than the thickness of each of the first electrode (CNE1) and the second electrode (CNE2, FIG. 18).
Re Claim 7 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element (Kim2, LD1) extends in one direction (horizontal), and
a length of the light emitting (LD1) element is greater than a width of the first insulating layer (PSV1, FIG. 18).
Re Claim 8 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein one end of the light emitting element (Kim2, LD1) is disposed on the first electrode (CNE1, use surface shared by CNE1 and LD1), and the other end is disposed on the second electrode (CNE2, use surface shared by CNE2 and LD1, FIG. 18).
Re Claim 9 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 7, further comprising a second insulating layer (Kim2, [0121] “second passivation layer”), at least a portion of which is disposed on the light emitting element(LD1), wherein a width of the second insulating layer is smaller than the width of the first insulating layer (see modified Kim FIG. 18 below).
Modified Kim2 FIG. 18 shown below to identify 1st and 2nd insulating layer widths
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Re Claim 10 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 9, further comprising:
a first contact (Kim2, REL1, [0123] “first reflection electrode”) electrode disposed on (the bottom of) the first electrode (CNE1) and contacting one end (REL1 is in electrical contact with the LD1 through CNE1) of the light emitting element (LD1); and
a second contact electrode (REL2, [0123] “second reflection electrode”) disposed on (the bottom of) the second electrode (CNE2) and contacting the other end (REL2 is in electrical contact with the LD1 through CNE2) of the light emitting element (LD1, Kim).
Re Claim 11 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of first banks (Kim2, PW, [0181] “partition wall”) disposed between the first substrate (SUB) and the first electrode (CNE1) and between the first substrate (SUB) and the second electrode (CNE2), wherein the first insulating layer (PSV1) does not contact the first banks (FIG. 18).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180012876 A1) in view of Park (KR 20120113543 A) and Kim (US 20180175106 A1, ‘Kim2’ hereafter) as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, and further in view of Zhang (US 10121822 B2).
Re Claim 4 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 2, but does not teach a width of the first portion of each of the first electrode and the second electrode is smaller than a thickness of portions other than the first portion.
Zhang teaches a width of the first portion (308A) of each of the first electrode (use 308 on left, col 10 line 25 “second electrode”) and the second electrode (use 308 2nd from left) is smaller than a thickness of portions other than the first portion (See modified FIG. 3A shown below).
Modified FIG.3A is shown below to clearly identify the electrode width and thickness
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It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed the invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Zhang into the structure of Kim in view of Park and Kim2 since Kim and Zhang are both patents about devices containing light emitters.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Zhang in combination with Kim in view of Park and Kim2 in the above manner for the motivation of having a certain portion of the electrode having a smaller width than other portions have thickness to help optimize the device’s light emittance and current levels. Col 1 line 36 states, “…electrode arrangement may increase the emitting area and may also reduce the current crowding effect.”
Re Claim 5 Kim in view of Park and Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein both ends of the light emitting element (Kim, LD1) contact the first portions (surfaces that CNE1 and CNE1 share with LD1) of the first electrode (CNE1) and the second electrode (CNE2, FIG. 18).
Kim in view of Kim2 and Gao does not teach the upper surfaces of the first portions lie in the same plane as an upper surface of the first insulating layer.
Zhang teaches upper surfaces of the first portions (Zhang, top of 308A) lie in the same plane as an upper surface of the first insulating layer (top of 312A, col 10 line 43 “passivation structures”, FIG. 3A).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed the invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Zhang into the structure of Kim in view of Park and Kim2 since Kim and Zhang are both patents about devices containing light emitters.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Zhang in combination with Kim in view of Park and Kim2 in the above manner for the motivation of having the first portions of the electrode top surface shares a plane with the top surface of the first insulating layer. Col 1 line 36 states, “…electrode arrangement may increase the emitting area and may also reduce the current crowding effect.”
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180012876 A1) in view of Kim (US 20180175106 A1, ‘Kim2’ hereafter).
Re Claim 12 Kim teaches a display (FIG. 17) device comprising:
a substrate (5) [0041];
a planarization layer (601) [0118] on the substrate (5);
a first electrode (51) [0052] disposed on the planarization layer and extending in a first direction (horizontal);
a second electrode (52) spaced apart from the first electrode extending in the first direction (horizontal);
an insulating layer (605) [0130] disposed on the planarization layer (601) and between the first electrode and the second electrode and extending in the first direction (horizontal); and;
light emitting elements (30) [0046] each comprising a first semiconductor layer (33), a second semiconductor layer (34), an active layer (35) between the first semiconductor layer (33) and the second semiconductor layer (34), and an insulating film (40) [0051] at least partially surrounding the first semiconductor layer (33), the active layer (35), and the second semiconductor layer (34), the light emitting elements (30) being disposed on the insulating layer (605) such that the insulating layer is between the light emitting elements (30) and the planarization layer (601) and arranged in the first direction (horizontal), wherein
side surfaces of the insulating layer (605) contact the first electrode and the second electrode (51 and 52 are mechanically connected to 605 via 11 and 12), and
an end of each of the light emitting elements (33) is disposed on the first electrode (51), and another end of each of the light emitting elements (34) is disposed on the second electrode (52, FIG. 17);
Kim does not teach the second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode in a second direction.
Kim2 teaches the second electrode (CNE2) [0090] spaced apart from the first electrode (CNE1) in a second direction (vertical, FIG. 17).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Kim2 into the structure of Kim since Kim2 teaches an LED semiconductor device.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kim2 in combination with Kim in the above manner for the motivation of optimally integrating the electrodes to build a device capable of improving light emission efficiency. [0006] states, “Aspects of some example embodiments of the present invention include a light emitting device, which is capable of improving light emission efficiency, and a display device including the same.”
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180012876 A1) in view of Kim (US 20180175106 A1, ‘Kim2’ hereafter) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Lim (US 20180047799 A1).
Re Claim 13 Kim in view of Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 12, further comprising:
a first contact electrode (Kim2, REL1, [0123] “first reflection electrode”) disposed on (the bottom of) the first electrode (CNE1) and contacting one end (REL1 is in electrical contact with LD1 through CNE1) of each of the light emitting elements (LD1); and
a second contact electrode (REL2, [0123] “second reflection electrode”) disposed on the second electrode (CNE2) and contacting the other end (REL2 is in electrical contact with LD1 through CNE2) of each of the light emitting elements (LD1).
Kim in view of Kim2 does not teach at least a portion of each of the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode overlaps the first insulating layer in a thickness direction.
Lim teaches at least a portion of each of the first contact electrode (AD) [0136] and the second contact electrode (CD) [0136] overlaps the first insulating layer (PSV, [0153] “protective layer”) in a thickness (vertical) direction (FIG. 8).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed the invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Lim into the structure of Kim since Kim in view of Kim2 since Lim is a patent about devices containing light emitters.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Lim in combination with Kim in view of Kim2 in the above manner for the motivation of having at least part of the first and second contact electrodes overlap the insulating layer in a vertical direction to help the device function ideally and helping the device hold optimal current levels in the electrodes.
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20180012876 A1) in view of Kim (US 20180175106 A1, ‘Kim2’ hereafter) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Zhang (US 10121822 B2).
Re Claim 14 Kim in view of Kim2 teaches the display device of claim 12, but does not teach the first electrode comprises a bent portion extending in the second direction different from the first direction, a widened portion extending in the first direction and having a greater width than the bent portion, and
an extension portion connecting the bent portion and the widened portion and extending in the first direction, and
the first insulating layer is disposed between the widened portion of the first electrode and the second electrode so that one side surface of the first insulating layer contacts the widened portion of the first electrode.
Zhang teaches the first electrode (use 308 on left, col 10 line 25 “second electrode”) comprises a bent portion (308A) extending in the second direction (vertical) different from the first direction (horizontal), a widened portion (308b) extending in the first direction (horizontal) and having a greater width than the bent portion (308b), and
an extension portion (slanted part of 308 connecting 308a and 308b) connecting the bent portion (308a) and the widened portion (308b) and extending in the first direction (horizontal), and
the first insulating layer (312, col 10 line 43 “passivation structures”) is disposed between the widened portion of the first electrode (308b on left) and the second electrode (308b 2nd from left) so that one side surface of the first insulating layer (312) contacts the widened portion of the first electrode (308a on left, FIG. 3B).
Modified FIG. 3B below shows the identified parts
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It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed the invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Zhang into the structure of Kim in view of Kim2 since Zhang is also a patent about a device containing a light emitter.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Zhang in combination with Kim in view of Kim2 in the above manner for the motivation of arranging the first and second electrodes with respect to the first insulating layer to help ensure the device function optimally and the electrodes have optimal current levels. Col 1 line 36 states, “…electrode arrangement may increase the emitting area and may also reduce the current crowding effect.”
Re Claim 15 Kim in view of Kim2 and Zhang teaches the display device of claim 14, wherein the second electrode (Zhang, 308 2nd from left) is formed in a symmetrical structure to the first electrode (308 on left) with respect to the first insulating layer (312), and
the other side surface of the first insulating layer (312) contacts a widened portion of the second electrode (308b 2nd from left, FIG. 3A).
Re Claim 16 Kim in view of Kim2 and Zhang teaches the display device of claim 15, wherein a distance between the widened portions (Zhang, DE1 in modified figure below) of the first electrode (308) and the second electrode (308) is smaller than a distance between the connection portions (DE2 in modified figure below) of the first electrode (308) and the second electrode (308), and
a shortest distance between the bent portions (DE3) of the first electrode (308) and the second electrode (308) is greater than the distance between the widened portions (DE1, see modified FIG. 3A below).
Zhang modified FIG. 3A is shown below with the dimensions labeled
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Kim in view of Kim2 and Zhang further teaches a shortest distance between the bent portions (in figure below) of the first electrode (Kim, 51) [0052] and the second electrode (52) is smaller than the distance between the connection portions (DE2, see modified FIG.18 below).
Kim modified FIG. 18 is shown below with the dimensions labeled
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It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed the invention to incorporate the teaching as taught by Kim into the structure of Kim in view of Kim2 and Zhang.
The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Kim in combination with Kim in view of Kim2 and Zhang in the above manner for the motivation of optimally placing electrodes in the device and reaching ideal dimensions in relation to different sections of the electrodes to help optimize current in the light emitting device. [0003] states, “A light-emitting diode (LED) has high optical conversion efficiency, very low power consumption, a semi-permanent lifetime, and is eco-friendly device.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-16 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
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 KENNETH MARK SIPLING whose telephone number is (571)272-3269. The examiner can normally be reached 10 AM - 6 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH MARK SIPLING/ Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/DUY T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 5/26/26
Prosecution Insights