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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 11/05/2025 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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(s) 1 - 6, and 9 - 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210359166 A1 hereinafter Jung.
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2).
This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C.102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B); or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. See generally MPEP § 717.02.
For claim 1, Jung teaches a display device comprising: a substrate (fig. 2 numeral 200); a first electrode on the substrate (fig. 15 numeral 210); a second electrode spaced from the first electrode on the substrate in a first direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the substrate (fig. 15 numeral 220); a light emitting element on the first electrode and the second electrode (fig. 15 numeral 300), respective ends of the light emitting element being on the first electrode and the second electrode (fig. 15 shows light emitting element 300 with ends on the first and second electrodes 210 and 220); a first insulating pattern on the light emitting element and exposing the ends of the light emitting element (fig. 15 numeral 530 on top of the light emitting element 300); and a second insulating pattern on the first electrode and entirely spaced from the first insulating pattern in the first direction (fig. 15 numeral 520_1 shows an insulating pattern on the electrode 210 and separated from the first insulating pattern 530 on top of the light emitting element 300), and wherein the second insulating pattern does not overlap the first insulating pattern in the thickness direction (fig. 15 shows first insulating pattern 530 does not overlap second insulating pattern 520_1). Jung does not explicitly state that the first and second insulating patterns comprise the same material. However, Jung does teach that the insulating layers comprise similar or the same material (Par. [0163]) and that the insulating materials used for the insulating patterns are not limited and that different materials can be used (Par. [0165]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the immediate invention that the first and second insulating patterns in Jung include embodiments wherein the materials used for each insulating pattern are the same, as Jung teaches the insulating layers having overlapping materials and that the materials used for each insulating pattern are not limited and does not teach away from the insulating patterns being made of the same material.
For claim 2, Jung teaches all of claim 1. Jung also teaches a first contact electrode in contact with one end of the light emitting element and the first electrode, wherein the first contact electrode is on the first electrode and covers the first insulating pattern (fig. 2 numeral 261).
For claim 3, Jung teaches all of claim 2. Jung also teaches a first insulating layer on the first electrode and the second electrode (fig. 15 numeral 510), wherein the light emitting element and the second insulating pattern are on the first insulating layer (fig. 15 shows the light emitting element 300 and the second insulating pattern 520_1 on the first insulating layer 510), and wherein the first contact electrode is in contact with the first electrode through a first opening penetrating through the first insulating layer (fig. 15 shows first insulating layer 510 with an opening allowing contact electrode 261 to contact the first electrode 210).
For claim 4, Jung teaches all of claim 3. Jung also teaches the first opening does not overlap the first insulating pattern and the second insulating pattern in the thickness direction of the substrate (fig. 15 shows the opening of first insulating layer 510 not overlapping the first insulating pattern 530 and second insulating pattern 520_1).
For claim 5, Jung teaches all of claim 1. Jung also teaches a third insulating pattern on the second electrode and spaced from the first insulating pattern and the second insulating pattern (fig. 15 numeral 550), wherein the third insulating pattern comprises the same material as the first and second insulating patterns (Par. [0163]).
For claim 6, Jung teaches all of claim 5. Jung also teaches a first contact electrode on the first electrode and in contact with one end of the light emitting element and the first electrode (fig. 15 numeral 261); and a second contact electrode on the second electrode and in contact with the other end of the light emitting element and the second electrode (fig. 15 numeral 262), wherein the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode are spaced from each other on the first insulating pattern (fig. 15 shows first contact electrode 261 and second contact electrode 262 separated by the first insulating pattern 530).
For claim 9, Jung teaches all of claim 1. Jung also teaches the second insulating pattern does not overlap both ends of the first electrode in the thickness direction of the substrate (fig. 15 shows second insulating pattern 520_1 not covering both ends of the first electrode).
For claim 10, Jung teaches all of claim 9. Jung also teaches the first insulating pattern and the second insulating pattern have an island shape in a plan view (fig. 14 numeral 520_1; fig. 14 shows light emitting element 300 in plan view including the first insulating pattern 530 as shown in fig. 15 having an island shape).
For claim 11, Jung teaches all of claim 1. Jung also teaches wherein a cross-sectional shape of the second insulating pattern is a shape in which one side surface of the second insulating pattern opposing the first insulating pattern is parallel to the first insulating pattern (fig. 15 shows first insulating pattern 530 and second insulating pattern 520_1 having opposing sides parallel in orientation) and an other side surface of the second insulating pattern protrudes outward of an emission area of the display device (fig. 15 shows second insulating pattern 520_1 with a side surface protruding upwards outward of the emission area).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210359166 A1 hereinafter Jung in further view of US 20200168662 A1 hereinafter Kim.
For claim 8, Jung teaches all of claim 1. Jung is silent regarding the thickness of the first insulating pattern being greater than a thickness of the second insulating pattern.
Kim teaches a display device with two insulating patterns (Kim, fig. 16 numeral SL1; fig. 17 numeral SL1 and SL2) and wherein the first insulating pattern (SL1) has a greater thickness than the thickness of the second insulating pattern (SL2; Par. [0152]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the immediate invention to combine the thickness differences in Kim with the insulating patterns in Jung in order to firmly fix the light emitting elements in the device (Kim, Par. [0153]).
Claim(s) 12 – 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210359166 A1 hereinafter Jung in further view of US 20160172339 A1 hereinafter Do.
For claim 12, Jung teaches a display device comprising: a substrate (Jung, fig. 2 numeral 200); a first electrode on one surface of the substrate and extending in a first direction (fig. 15 numeral 210); a second electrode spaced from the first electrode, on the on surface of the substrate, and extending in the first direction (fig. 15 numeral 220); a light emitting element on the first electrode and the second electrode, respective ends of the light emitting element being on the first electrode and the second electrode (fig. 15 numeral 300); a first insulating pattern on the substrate in an area between the first electrode and the second electrode and extending in the first direction (fig. 15 numeral 530); and a second insulating pattern spaced from the first insulating pattern, on the first electrode, and extending in the first direction (fig. 15 numeral 520_1), wherein at least a portion of the first insulating pattern is on the light emitting element, and does not overlap the ends of the light emitting element in a thickness direction of the substrate (fig. 15 shows first insulating pattern 530 not overlapping the ends of the light emitting element 300 while at least a portion is on the light emitting element), and wherein the second insulating pattern does not overlap both ends of the first electrode in the thickness direction of the substrate (fig. 15 shows second insulating pattern 520_1 not overlapping both ends of the first electrode 210 in the thickness direction). Jung is silent regarding the thickness of the first insulating pattern is greater than a diameter of the light emitting elements.
Do teaches a display device (Do, fig. 13a) wherein the insulating layer on which the LED is placed upon has a thickness that is greater than the diameter of the LED (Par. [0151], Par. [0198]; Par. [0024] and Par. [0087] teach the LED having a length of about 100 nm to 10 μm and Par. [0095] teaches the active layer of the device having a thickness of 10 nm to about 200nm. Par. [0151] and Par. [0198] teach the insulating layers and the barrier layers for the device having a thickness between 0.1 and 100 μm. This results in a thickness greater than a diameter of the LED.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the immediate invention to combine the insulating layer thicknesses in Do with the light emitting elements in Jung, in order to prevent overflow and contain the light emitting elements during the manufacturing process of the light emitting device and prevent the light emitting device from spreading to other parts of the device during manufacturing (Do, Par. [0151] and Par. [0198]). Examiner is interpreting the diameter of the light-emitting elements to be any diameter in any orientation of the light emitting elements, as the claim does not specify in which direction the diameter is measured in. Similarly, the thickness of the first insulating pattern is being interpreted as any measured thickness or width in any orientation of the device, as the claim does not specify in what direction or orientation the thickness of the first insulating pattern is measured in.
For claim 13, Jung and Do teach all of claim 12. Jung also teaches a first contact electrode in contact with one end of the light emitting element and the first electrode, extending in the first direction, and covering the second insulating patter (Jung, fig. 15 numeral 261).
For claim 14, Jung and Do teach all of claim 12. Jung and Do do not explicitly state that the first and second insulating patterns comprise the same material. However, Jung does teach that the insulating layers comprise similar or the same material (Par. [0163]) and that the insulating materials used for the insulating patterns are not limited and that different materials can be used (Par. [0165]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the immediate invention that the first and second insulating patterns in Jung and Do include embodiments wherein the materials used for each insulating pattern are the same, as Jung teaches the insulating layers having overlapping materials and that the materials used for each insulating pattern are not limited and does not teach away from the insulating patterns being made of the same material.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15 - 20 are allowable primarily because the references of record, alone or in combination, do not anticipate or render obvious the limitations noted therein. For example, independent claim 15’s “…disposing a shadow mask on the substrate and forming an insulating pattern material layer on the first electrode and the second electrode as well as on an area between the first electrode and the second electrode… wherein the insulating pattern material layer overlaps one end of the first electrode opposing the second electrode and one end of the second electrode opposing the first electrode… and does not overlap an other end of the first electrode and an other end of the second electrode…”.
Claims 16 – 20 are allowable primarily as depending on an allowable base claim.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance”.
Claim 7 is 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.
For claim 7, Jung is silent regarding the second contact electrode covers the third insulating patter. Jung appears to instead teach the second contact electrode being fully covered by the third insulating pattern.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/05/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 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.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 is directed to the prior art not teaching the first and the second insulating patterns comprising the same material. This is not persuasive as Jung teaches both insulting layers as not limiting, and that the first insulating layer only needs to be a material that includes an insulating property and that the material in the second insulating layer only needs to be suitable to affix the light emitting element. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the immediate application would understand that the first insulating layer would inherently include organic insulating layers that include the materials used in the second insulating layer and/or the second insulating layer would inherently include the materials used in the first insulating layer as materials that can fix the light-emitting elements. As Jung teaches two selections of materials that overlap and allows for embodiments wherein the first and second insulating layers are of the same material (see rejection above), applicant's arguments are not persuasive.
Conclusion
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/J.T.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2815
/MONICA D HARRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815