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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/9/2023 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 § 102
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) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Seo et al (US 2012/0074441; hereinafter Seo).
Regarding claim 1, Fig 26 of Seo discloses a semiconductor light emitting device, comprising:
a first array of light emitting units (130 (left)/S1; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) comprising a first light emitting unit (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) and a second light emitting unit (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) spaced apart from each other on a substrate (121; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]);
a second array of light emitting units (130 (right)/S2; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) comprising a third light emitting unit (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) and a fourth light emitting unit (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) spaced apart from each other on the substrate (121; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]);
a first pad electrode (139b; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) electrically connected to the first light emitting unit (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]);
a second pad electrode (139a; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) electrically connected to the fourth light emitting unit;
a first upper electrode (145b/145c; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) provided above and electrically connected to the first pad electrode (139b; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]); and
a second upper electrode (145a; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) provided above and electrically connected to the second pad electrode,
wherein, each of the first to fourth light emitting units includes a first semiconductor layer (129; Fig 26; ¶ [0099]) having a first conductivity (¶ [0099]), a second semiconductor layer (125; Fig 26; ¶ [0099]) having a second conductivity (¶ [0099]) different from the first conductivity (¶ [0099]), and an active layer (127; Fig 26; ¶ [0099]) interposed between the first semiconductor layer (129; Fig 26; ¶ [0099]) and the second semiconductor layer (125; Fig 26; ¶ [0099]) for generating light by recombination of electrons and holes (¶ [0099]),
the first to fourth light emitting units (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) are electrically connected to one another (Fig 26), and
the first pad electrode (139b; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) is arranged to cover both the first (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) and second light emitting units (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]; Pad electrode covers the second light emitting unit at least partially).
Regarding claim 2, Fig 26 of Seo discloses the first upper electrode (145b/145c; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) is disposed above the first pad electrode (139b; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) in the upper portions of the respective first and second light emitting units (130; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]).
Regarding claim 3, Fig 26 of Seo discloses the first upper electrode (145b/145c; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) and the first pad electrode (139b; Fig 26; ¶ [0098]) are electrically connected by an electrode connection (131/135; Fig 26) formed in the upper portion of the each of the first and second light emitting units.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 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.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art of record, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest the combination of limitations including “the first lower connection electrically connects one end of the first horizontal connection to the second semiconductor layer of the first light emitting unit, and
the second lower connection electrically connects the other end of the first horizontal connection to the first semiconductor layer of the second light emitting unit”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Tu et al (US 9018655) Kim et al (US 2019/0157515)
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/RATISHA MEHTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817