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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
The indicated allowability of claims 11-12 and 15-19 is withdrawn in view of the newly discovered reference(s) to Kim et al. (US 2022/0352248 A1). Rejections based on the newly cited reference(s) follow.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 11 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2022/0352248 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Kim et al. teach a method of forming an array of light emitting devices (LDs; Fig. 10, [0072]), comprising: forming a first via (the via of BNPs in PXL1, Fig. 10, [0178]) in a matrix material (11/12/13; Fig. 8, [0165]); depositing a first plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL1; Fig. 14, [0187]) in the first via (the via of BNPs in PXL1) to form a first portion of the color conversion material layer (the portion of quantum dots of CCL in PXL1) corresponding to a first color (white; [0105]); forming a second via (the via of BNPs in PXL2, Fig. 10, [0178]) in the matrix material (11/12/13; Fig. 10); depositing a second plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL2; Fig. 14, [0187]) in the second via (the via of BNPs in PXL2) to form a second portion of the color conversion material layer (the portion of quantum dots of CCL in PXL2) corresponding to a second color (white; [0105]); forming a third via (the via of BNPs in PXL3, Fig. 10, [0178]) in the matrix material (11/12/13; Fig. 10); and depositing a third plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL3; Fig. 14, [0187]) in the third via (the via of BNPs in PXL3; Fig. 14) to form a third portion of the color conversion material layer (the portion of quantum dots of CCL in PXL3) corresponding to a third color (white; [0105]), wherein the first plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL1) are located over a first light emitting diode (the LD in PXL1; Fig. 14; [0178, 0084]), the second plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL2) are located over a second light emitting diode (the LD in PXL2; Fig. 14; [0178, 0084]), and the third plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL3) are located over a third light emitting diode (the LD in PXL3; Fig. 14; [0178, 0084]).
Regarding claim 17, Kim et al. teach the method of claim 11, further comprising: forming a first color selector (color filter layer CF1; Fig. 18, [0110]) over the first plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL1) in the first via (the via of BNPs in PXL1); forming a second color selector (color filter layer CF2; Fig. 21, [0110]) over the second plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL2) in the second via (the via of BNPs in PXL2); and forming a third color selector (color filter layer CF3; Fig. 24, [0110]) over the third plurality of quantum dots (quantum dots of CCL in PXL3) in the third via (the via of BNPs in PXL3).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Xu et al. (US 2022/0310575 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Kim et al. teach the method of claim 11, wherein: the first, the second and the third light emitting diodes (the LDs in PXL1, PXL2 and PXL3) are located over a backplane (SUB; Fig. 10, [0093]).
Kim does not teach the matrix material is formed over the first, the second and the third light emitting diodes prior to the forming the first, the second and the third via in the matrix material; and the matrix material comprises a metal or a metal oxide layer.
In the same field of endeavor of display devices, Xu et al. teach the matrix material (205; Fig. 2C, [0042]) is formed over the first, the second and the third light emitting diodes (the three 210s in Fig. 2C; [0037, 0003]) prior to the forming the first, the second and the third via (the three 240s in Fig. 2D; [0044]) in the matrix material (205); and the matrix material (205) comprises a metal or a metal oxide layer (a metal; [0047]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the inventions of Kim et al. and Xu et al., and to adopt the wall forming process of Xu et al. in forming the device of Kim et al., because the wall forming process of Xu et al. can introduce opaque walls to isolate the light emitting devices which can improve the overall display brightness, and color gamut as taught by Xu et al. ([0011]).
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Fujimaki et al. (US 2009/0068575 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Kim et al. teach the method of claim 17, wherein the first, the second and the third color selectors (CF1, CF2, CF3) comprise an color filter (color filter layer CF1, CF2, CF3; Fig. 18, [0110]).
Kim et al. do not teach an color filter is an organic dye color filter embedded in an organic polymer.
In the same field of endeavor of display devices, Fujimaki et al. teach an color filter ([0015]) is an organic dye color filter ([0019]) embedded in an organic polymer ([0019]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the inventions of Kim et al. and Fujimaki et al., and to use the organic color filter embedded in an organic polymer of Fujimaki et al. as the material of the color filter of Kim et al., because the color filter of Fujimaki et al. can improve dispersion stability of the pigment-dispersed composition and achieve a higher contrast as taught by Fujimaki et al. ([0714]).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2018/0374409 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Kim et al. teach the method of claim 17, wherein the first, the second and the third color selector (CF1, CF2, CF3).
Kim et al. do not teach the first, the second and the third color selector comprise a distributed Bragg reflector.
In the same field of endeavor of display devices, Lee et al. teach the first, the second and the third color selector (80a, 80b, 75c; Fig. 2, [0089]) comprise a distributed Bragg reflector ([0089]).
Kim et al. teach all the claimed elements except that Kim et al. is using a photoresist including a color filter material for a color filter ([0193]) rather than a distributed Bragg reflector.
In the same field of endeavor of semiconductor manufacturing, Lee et al. teach a distributed Bragg reflector for providing a color filter (80a, 80b, 75c; Fig. 2, [0089]).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that a photoresist including a color filter material and a distributed Bragg reflector are known equivalents for providing a color filter within the semiconductor art.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to substitute one know element (a photoresist including a color filter material) for another known equivalent element (a distributed Bragg reflector) resulting in the predictable result of providing a color filter (KSR rationales B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12, 16 and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not teach or suggest, singularly or in combination, at least the limitations of "forming a first protective layer over the first plurality of quantum dots prior to forming the second via in the matrix material; and forming a second protective layer over the second plurality of quantum dots prior to forming the third via in the matrix material " as recited in claim 12, “the matrix material is formed as an aluminum layer over the first, the second and the third light emitting diodes; and the forming the first, the second and the third via in the matrix material comprises anodically oxidizing the aluminum layer by applying a voltage to electrodes of the first, the second and the third light emitting diodes in an acid bath to form an alumina matrix material” ae recited in claim 16, and “forming a light extracting material over the first, the second and the third light emitting diode prior to forming the first, the second and the third color selector, wherein the light extracting material has a first index of refraction that is less than a second index of refraction of the matrix material” as recited in claim 20.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments, filed 01/02/2026, overcome the rejections to claim 20 under 35 U.S.C. 112. The rejections to claim 20 under 35 U.S.C. 112 have been withdrawn.
Conclusion
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/HSIN YI HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899 5/20/2026
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