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 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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choung et al. (2022/0077257).
Re claim 1, Choung et al. disclose (Fig. 1A) a substrate (102); a plurality of adjacent pixel-defining layer structures (126) disposed over the substrate, the PDL structure having a top surface coupled to adjacent sidewalls of the PDL structure (Fig. 1A); a plurality of sub-pixels (106) defined by the PDL structures, each sub-pixel comprising: an anode (104), wherein an anode (104) of a sub-pixel (108a) of the plurality of sub-pixels is separated from an adjacent anode of an adjacent sub-pixel (108b)(Fig. 1A ([0027] & [0029]); an organic light emitting diode (OLED) material (112) disposed over the anode (104), the OLED material having a first OLED end and a second OLED end that extend over the top surface of the PDL structure (126) past the adjacent sidewalls (Fig. 1A); a cathode (114) disposed over the OLED material (112), the cathode (114) having a first cathode end and a second cathode end that extend over the top surface of the PDL structure (126) past the adjacent sidewalls; and an encapsulation layer (116) disposed over the cathode (114), wherein the encapsulation layer (116) has a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall extend past the first OLED end (112), the second OLED end (112), the first cathode end (114), and the second cathode end (114) (Fig. 1A).
Re claim 2, Choung et al. disclose wherein the anode includes one or more layers comprising a transparent conductive oxide material, chromium, titanium, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, ITO, or a combination thereof ([0027]).
Re claim 3, Choung et al. disclose wherein: the first OLED end and the second OLED end (112) extend over the top surface of the PDL structure (126) past an endpoint of the anode (104); and the first cathode end and the second cathode end (114) extend over the top surface of the PDL structure (126) past an endpoint of the anode (104).
Re claim 4, Choung et al. disclose wherein the plurality of sub-pixels (106) includes a first sub-pixel (114) and a second sub-pixel (114) (as shown in Fig. 1A), wherein a gap (gap on 115) separates the first sidewall of the encapsulation layer (116) of the second sub-pixel from the second sidewall of the encapsulation layer (116) of the first sub-pixel (Fig. 1A).
Re claim 5, Choung et al. disclose further comprising a global passivation layer (118) disposed over the encapsulation layer (116), wherein the global passivation layer is disposed over the first sidewall and second sidewall of the encapsulation layer and a portion of the top surface of the PDL structures in the gap (Fig. 1A).
Re claim 6, Choung et al. disclose wherein the global passivation layer (118) contacts the first sidewall and second sidewall of the encapsulation layer (116) and the portion of the top surface of the PDL structures in the gap (gap over 115).
Re claim 31, Choung et al. disclose wherein the PDL structure (116) is disposed on the substrate (102) between the anode (104) and the adjacent anode (104) of the adjacent sub-pixel (sub-pixels 108a and 108b).
Conclusion
All arguments are directed to the claims as amended which are addressed herewith.
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 MICHELLE MANDALA whose telephone number is (571)272-1858. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-5:00 PM.
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/MICHELLE MANDALA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893 April 7, 2026
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