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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
Receipt is acknowledged of a request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) and a submission, filed on 01/22/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) rejected have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on Sundahl et al. 20020084536 applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BAE et al. 20150103500 in view of Sundahl et al. 20020084536.
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Regarding claim 1, figs. 1-4 of Bae disclose a display device comprising:
a display module 110 comprising: a base substrate including a display area DA and a non-display area (MA/BA) adjacent to the display area; and
pads (IPD-110s) overlapping with the non-display area and disposed on the base substrate; and
a circuit board 120 comprising: a board 122; and connection pads (OPD-120s) disposed on the board and being in contact with the pads of the display module (IPD-110s – see par [0127],[0133]), respectively.
Bae does not disclose wherein each of the connection pads comprises: a first conductive layer disposed on the board in a thickness direction of the board.
a second conductive layer which overlaps with the first conductive layer, is disposed on the first conductive layer and has a different material from that of the first conductive layer; and
a third conductive layer which overlaps with the second conductive layer, is disposed on the second conductive layer and is in contact with a corresponding one of the pads of the display module,
wherein, for each of the connection pads, the second conductive layer covers an entirety of a side surface of the first conductive layer in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the board, the side surface extends in the thickness direction of the board, and the first conductive layer overlaps the third conductive layer in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the board.
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However, fig. 2 of Sundahl discloses a circuit board comprising: a board 204; and connection pads (218/260-240/232) disposed on the board and being in contact with pads 216 of a display module (module above 216), respectively.
wherein each of the connection pads comprises: a first conductive layer 32 disposed on a board 204 in a thickness direction of the board.
a second conductive layer 260-240 which overlaps with the first conductive layer, is disposed on the first conductive layer and has a different material from that of the first conductive layer; and
a third conductive layer 218 which overlaps with the second conductive layer, is disposed on the second conductive layer and is in contact with a corresponding one of the pads 216 of the display module,
wherein, for each of the connection pads, the second conductive layer 260 covers an entirety of a side surface of the first conductive layer 232 in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the board, the side surface extends in the thickness direction of the board, and the first conductive layer 232 overlaps the third conductive layer 218 in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the board.
In view of such teaching, it would have been obvious to form a device of Bae comprising wherein each of the connection pads comprises: a first conductive layer disposed on the board in a thickness direction of the board; a second conductive layer which overlaps with the first conductive layer, is disposed on the first conductive layer and has a different material from that of the first conductive layer; and a third conductive layer which overlaps with the second conductive layer, is disposed on the second conductive layer and is in contact with a corresponding one of the pads, wherein, for each of the connection pads, the second conductive layer covers an entirety of a side surface of the first conductive layer in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the board, the side surface extends in the thickness direction of the board, and the first conductive layer overlaps the third conductive layer in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the board such as taught by Sundahl in order to form a better connection by having electrically and mechanically structure.
Regarding claim 3, figs. 1-4 of Bae disclose a display device comprising:
a display module 110 comprising: a base substrate including a display area DA and a non-display area (MA/BA) adjacent to the display area; and
pads (IPD-110s) overlapping with the non-display area and disposed on the base substrate; and
a circuit board 120 comprising: a board 122; and connection pads (OPD-120s) disposed on the board and being in contact with the pads of the display module (IPD-110s), respectively.
Bae does not disclose wherein each of the connection pads comprises: a first conductive layer disposed on the board; a second conductive layer which overlaps with the first conductive layer, is disposed on the first conductive layer and has a different material from that of the first conductive layer; and a third layer which overlaps with the second conductive layer, is disposed on the second conductive layer and is in direct contact with a corresponding one of the pads of the display module, wherein at least a portion of the second conductive layer is in direct contact with the corresponding pads one of the pads of the display module.
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However, fig. 2 of Sundahl discloses a circuit board comprising: a board 204; and connection pads (232/260/240) disposed on the board and being in contact with pads 218 of the display module 202, respectively;
wherein each of the connection pads comprises: a first conductive layer 232 disposed on the board; a second conductive layer 260 which overlaps with the first conductive layer, is disposed on the first conductive layer and has a different material from that of the first conductive layer; and a third layer 240 which overlaps with the second conductive layer, is disposed on the second conductive layer and is in direct contact with a corresponding one of the pads 218 of the display module, wherein at least a portion of the second conductive layer 240 is in direct contact with the corresponding one of the pads of the display module.
In view of such teaching, it would have been obvious to form a device of Bae comprising wherein each of the connection pads comprises: a first conductive layer disposed on the board; a second conductive layer which overlaps with the first conductive layer, is disposed on the first conductive layer and has a different material from that of the first conductive layer; and a third layer which overlaps with the second conductive layer, is disposed on the second conductive layer and is in direct contact with a corresponding one of the pads of the display module, wherein at least a portion of the second conductive layer is in direct contact with the corresponding pads one of the pads of the display module such as taught by Sundahl in order to form a better connection by having electrically and mechanically structure.
Regarding claim 2, fig. 2 of Sundahl discloses further comprising: a resin 270 disposed between the base substrate and the board and surrounding the pads of the display module and the connection pads.
Regarding claim 4, Sundahl discloses wherein the second conductive layer entirely overlaps with the first conductive layer, and the third conductive layer overlaps with at least a portion of the second conductive layer. The resulting structure would have been one meeting the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 5, Bae and Sundahl disclose claim 1. Bae does not disclose wherein each of the pads comprises: a first driving conductive layer disposed on the base substrate; a second driving conductive layer disposed on the first driving conductive layer; and a third driving conductive layer disposed on the second driving conductive layer and being in contact with the third conductive layer.
However, the method of form Sundahl in applicable to form each of the pads of the display module as claimed in order to have the same benefit of Sundahl.
In view of such teaching, it would have been obvious to form a display device of Bae and Sundahl further comprising wherein each of the pads comprises: a first driving conductive layer disposed on the base substrate; a second driving conductive layer disposed on the first driving conductive layer; and a third driving conductive layer disposed on the second driving conductive layer and being in contact with the third conductive layer such as taught by Sundahl in order to form a better connection by having electrically and mechanically structure.
The resulting structure would have been one comprising wherein the third conductive layer is in contact with a corresponding one of the pads.
Regarding claim 6, Bae and Sundahl disclose claim 5, but do not disclose wherein a material of the first driving conductive layer and a material of the third driving conductive layer are the same.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form a display comprising wherein a material of the first driving conductive layer and a material of the third driving conductive layer are the same in order to obtain a desire resistance. Note that although Bae and Sundahl do not teach exact the material of the semiconductor film as that claimed by Applicant, the material differences are considered obvious design choices and are not patentable unless unobvious or unexpected results are obtained from these changes. It appears that these changes produce no functional differences and therefore would have been obvious. Note In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416, In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 1578, 16 USPQ2d 1934, 1936 (Fed. Circ. 1990).
Bae and Sundahl do not disclose of wherein a thickness of the second driving conductive layer is greater than a thickness of each of the first and third driving conductive layers.
However, the Federal Circuit held that, where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device.
As such it would have been obvious to form a display of Bae and Sundahl comprising wherein a thickness of the second driving conductive layer is greater than a thickness of each of the first and third driving conductive layers in order to obtain a desired contact resistance.
Conclusion
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2829