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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 1-14 in the reply filed on 4/1/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 4/1/2026.
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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (KR 20200016623) as cited by applicant with references made to attached machine translation.
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses, A mask replacement method comprising:
providing a mask assembly comprising:
a frame comprising an opening (Frame 200 comprises an opening);
a first mask disposed on the frame (mask portion 100 is attached to the frame, See Paragraph [0048]); and
first welding portions overlapping the first mask in a plan view (welding portions WP overlap the mask, See Paragraph [0084]);
removing the first mask from the frame (mask is removed from frame, See Paragraph [0167]); and
forming a second mask and second welding portions overlapping the second mask in a plan view on the frame on which the first welding portions are disposed (a second welding mask is formed 100-2 and with second welding portions WP-2 overlapping the first welding portions. See Paragraphs [0181]), wherein
the first welding portions are spaced apart from the second mask, and
the first welding portions and the second welding portions are arranged in a direction. (See Paragraph [0181]-[0182])
Regarding claim 2, Fig 8 shows a deposition portion with coupling/non-coupling portions 150, 170, where the first welding portions are formed.
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.
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) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (KR 20200016623) in view of Kamiura (US 2010/0079065).
The teachings of Lee have been discussed above. Lee fails to disclose the first and second welding portions comprise a metal oxide.
Kamiura discloses a welded portion in a mask/frame arrangement having a metal oxide. As the metal oxide layer 600 is used for welding, the weld would contain metal oxide. (See Paragraphs [0040]-[0046]) It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention to adapt Lee in view of Kamiura to provide the first and second welding portions comprise a metal oxide since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-12, 14 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN W JENNISON whose telephone number is (571)270-5930. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at 571-270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN W JENNISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 7/22/2026
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