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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 12-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/18/2025.
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) 1-4, 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Daanoune (US 20240047505 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Daanoune discloses a light emitting element comprising: a first light emitting element (Fig. 1, center LED for example) including a first semiconductor layer (22), an active layer (20), and a second semiconductor layer (18), which are sequentially disposed in a first direction (vertical direction); a second light emitting element (Fig. 1, rightmost LED for example) including a first semiconductor layer (18), an active layer (20), and a second semiconductor layer (22), which are spaced apart from the first light emitting element (Fig. 1 shows first and second light emitting elements being spaced apart by insulative film 24) and sequentially disposed in a reverse direction of the first direction (Fig. 1 shows 22, 20, and 18 stacked in an opposite direction to the first direction); and an insulative film (comprises 23 and 24) surrounding a portion of the first light emitting element and a portion of the second light emitting element (Figs. 1-2 show 24 surrounding a portion of both the first and second light emitting elements).
Regarding claim 2, Daanoune further discloses wherein the insulative film surrounds at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the first light emitting element and at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the second light emitting element, and fills a space between the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element (shown in Figs. 1-2).
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Regarding claim 3, Daanoune further discloses wherein the insulative film includes: a first insulative film (Fig. 1, layer 23 surrounding center LED) surrounding at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the first light emitting (Shown in fig. 1); and a second insulative film (Layer 23 and portion of 24 surrounding rightmost LED) which surrounds at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second light emitting element and fills the space between the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element (see attached figure).
Regarding claim 4, Daanoune further discloses wherein the first insulative film and the second insulative film include a same material (First and second insulative films both include a layer 23, therefore they necessarily include a same material).
Regarding claim 9, Daanoune further discloses wherein the second light emitting element is spaced apart from the first light emitting element in a second direction intersecting the first direction (Figs. 1-2 show first and second light emitting elements being spaced out in a horizontal direction which perpendicularly intersects the vertical direction).
Regarding claim 10, Daanoune further discloses wherein shapes of the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element are same (Shown in Figs. 1-4).
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.
Claim(s) 5-8 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Daanoune (US 20240047505 A1) in view of Do (US 20210151424 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Daanoune discloses the light emitting element of claim 2 further comprising an electrode layer (Fig. 1, 14) disposed on the second semiconductor layer of the first light emitting element (Shown in fig. 1). However, Daanoune does not explicitly disclose the electrode layer being disposed on the second semiconductor layer of the second light emitting element.
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On the other hand, Do discloses a display device comprising adjacent LEDs having the opposite orientation as each other (see attached figure). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing of the invention to modify Daanoune according to the teachings of Do such that adjacent LEDs would have an opposite orientation, and therefore Daanoune's electrode layer 14 would be disposed on the second semiconductor layer of the first light emitting element and the second semiconductor layer of the second light emitting element. One would be motivated to reverse the orientation of Daanoune’s adjacent LEDs in order to improve the light extraction efficiency of the device.
Regarding claim 6, Daanoune discloses wherein each of the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element includes a first end portion (Fig. 1, end adjacent to the second semiconductor layer; bottom end) a second end portion (end adjacent to the second semiconductor layer; top end), each of the electrode layer is disposed on the first end portion of each of the first light emitting element (Fig. 1 shows electrode layer 14 disposed on the bottom end of the first light emitting element), and each of the first semiconductor layer is disposed on the second end portion of each of the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element (Fig. 1 shows first and second light emitting elements having a second end adjacent to the first semiconductor layer). However, Daanoune does not explicitly disclose each of the electrode layer being disposed on the first end of the second light emitting element.
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On the other hand, Do discloses a display device comprising adjacent LEDs having the opposite orientation as each other (see attached figure). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing of the invention to modify Daanoune according to the teachings of Do such that adjacent LEDs would have an opposite orientation, and therefore Daanoune's electrode layer 14 would be disposed on the first end of the second light emitting element. One would be motivated to reverse the orientation of Daanoune’s adjacent LEDs in order to improve the light extraction efficiency of the device.
Regarding claim 7, Daanoune discloses wherein the insulative film exposes each of the first end portion and the second end portion of each of the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element (Shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Daanoune discloses wherein the first end portion of the first light emitting element and the second end portion of the second light emitting element are disposed on a same plane (Shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Daanoune discloses wherein in the first light emitting element the first semiconductor layer includes GaN doped with an n-type dopant, and the second semiconductor layer includes GaN doped with a p-type dopant (Para. 77 "Preferably, the semiconductor portion 18 is P-doped GaN and the semiconductor portion 22 is N-doped GaN"). However, Daanoune does not explicitly disclose wherein in the second light emitting element the first semiconductor layer includes GaN doped with an n-type dopant, and the second semiconductor layer includes GaN doped with a p-type dopant.
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On the other hand, Do discloses a display device comprising adjacent LEDs having the opposite orientation as each other (see attached figure). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing of the invention to modify Daanoune according to the teachings of Do such that adjacent LEDs would have an opposite orientation, and therefore Daanoune's second light emitting element would comprise a first semiconductor layer including GaN doped with an n-type dopant, and a second semiconductor layer including GaN doped with a p-type dopant. One would be motivated to reverse the orientation of Daanoune’s adjacent LEDs in order to improve the light extraction efficiency of the device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL J SMITH whose telephone number is (703)756-5706. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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/S.J.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/MARLON T FLETCHER/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817