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Claims 17-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 10/14/2025.
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 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mitchell, US 9866822.
Regarding claim 1, Mitchell discloses (figs. 1-2, 10-11, 16 an related text) a device structure (100) comprising: a light emitting diode structure (LED, fig. 12) operable to generate light; a photoluminescent region containing a photoluminescent material (phosphor), wherein the photoluminescent region is positioned on the light emitting diode structure (fig. 12); and an ultraviolet (UV) light filter (122) positioned above the photoluminescent region (phosphor) operable to absorb light generated by the light emitting diode structure characterized by an emission wavelength of less than or about 430 nm (same structure hence same property).
Regarding claim 16, Mitchell discloses (figs. 1-2, 10-11, 16 and related text) a method of fabricating device (100) comprising: forming a light emitting diode structure (LED, fig. 12) on a substrate (104); forming a photoluminescent region (110) containing a photoluminescent material (phosphor), wherein the photoluminescent region is positioned on the light emitting diode structure (fig. 12); and forming a UV light filter (122) positioned on the photoluminescent region (110, fig. 10).
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) 2, 6-7, and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mitchell in view of Woodgate et al., US 2019/0348585.
Regarding claim 2, Mitchell discloses (col. 9, lines 4-14) the photoluminescent material (phosphor) comprising different color.
However, Mitchell does not explicitly disclose the photoluminescent material comprises a red color quantum dot material, a green quantum dot material, or a blue quantum dot material.
Woodgate discloses [0166]) the use of wavelength conversion materials comprise either phosphor or quantum dots in order to advantageously reducing cost and power consumption [0166].
Mitchell and Woodgate are analogous art because they both are directed to light emitting devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Mitchell with the specified features of Woodgate because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, on the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Mitchell to include the different color quantum dots as taught by Woodgate in order to advantageously reducing cost and power consumption [0166].
Regarding claim 6, Mitchell does not disclose a backplane in electronic communication with the light emitting diode structure.
Woodgate discloses (figs. 1 and 13 and related text) a backplane (447) in electronic communication [0032] with the light emitting diode structure (3, fig. 1) in order to advantageously reducing cost and power consumption [0166].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, on the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Mitchell to include the backplane as taught by Woodgate in order to advantageously reducing cost and power consumption [0166].
Regarding claim 7, Mitchell as modified by Woodgate discloses the backplane is operable to activate the light emitting diode structure (Woodgate, fig. 13 and [0276]).
Regarding claim 10, Mitchell does not disclose an upper layer overlying the UV light filter, wherein the upper layer comprises silicon nitride, polymeric material, or glass.
Woodgate discloses an upper layer (52) overlying the display device (100), wherein the upper layer comprises glass [0183].
Mitchell and Woodgate are analogous art because they both are directed to light emitting devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Mitchell with the specified features of Woodgate because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, on the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Mitchell to include the upper layer as taught by Woodgate in order to advantageously reducing cost and power consumption [0166]. The combined structure would have the upper layer overlying the UV light filter, wherein the upper layer is glass.
Regarding claim 11, Mitchell discloses ( figs. 1-2, 10-11, 16 an related text) a device structure (100) comprising: a light emitting diode (LED, 102) structure operable to generate light (figs. 10-11), and a photoluminescent region (110) containing a photoluminescent material (phosphor) operable to emit red, green, or blue light (primary colors col. 5, lines19-55), wherein the photoluminescent region is positioned on the light emitting diode structure (102); and an ultraviolet (UV) light filter (122) operable to absorb light characterized by an emission wavelength of less than or about 430 nm(same structure hence same property), wherein the UV light filter (122) is positioned on the photoluminescent region (110).
Mitchell does not disclose a backplane, a subpixel in electronic communication with the light emitting diode structure.
Woodgate discloses (figs. 1 and 13 and related text) a backplane (447) in electronic communication [0032] with the light emitting diode structure (3, fig. 1) in order to advantageously reducing cost and power consumption [0166].
Mitchell and Woodgate are analogous art because they both are directed to light emitting devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Mitchell with the specified features of Woodgate because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, on the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Mitchell to include the backplane as taught by Woodgate in order to advantageously reducing cost and power consumption [0166].
Regarding claims 12-15, Mitchell as modified by Woodgate does not disclose the UV light filter is characterized by a thickness of less than or about 200 µm, the UV light filter is characterized by a transmittance percentage of less than or about 10% of light having an emission wavelength of less than or about 430 nm, the UV light filter is characterized by a UV exposure stability of greater than or about 10,000 hours, wherein the UV exposure is greater than or about 50 mJ/cm2 or the UV light filter is characterized by a temperature stability of greater than or about 1,000 hours, wherein a temperature is greater than or about 85 °C at about 85% relative humidity.
Parameters such as UV light filter thickness, UV filter transmittance percentage, UV exposure stability, or temperature stability in the art of semiconductor process are subject to routine experimentation and optimization to achieve the desired device characterization during fabrication. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize an appropriate transmittance percentage or thickness of the UV filter to meet the specific requirements of the particular design, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. /n re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim(s) 3-5 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mitchell.
Regarding claims 3-5, Mitchell does not explicitly disclose the UV light filter is characterized by a thickness of less than or about 200 µm, the UV light filter is characterized by a transmittance percentage of greater than or about 80% of light having an emission wavelength of greater than or about 430 nm or the UV light filter is characterized by a transmittance percentage of less than or about 10% of light having an emission wavelength of less than or about 430 nm.
Parameters such as UV light filter thickness, or UV filter transmittance percentage in the art of semiconductor process are subject to routine experimentation and optimization to achieve the desired device characterization during fabrication. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize an appropriate transmittance percentage or thickness of the UV filter to meet the specific requirements of the particular design, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. /n re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claims 19-20, Mitchell does not explicitly disclose the UV light filter is characterized by a thickness of less than or about 200 µm, or the UV light filter is characterized by a transmittance percentage of greater than or about 90% of light having an emission wavelength of greater than or about 430 nm.
Parameters such as UV light filter thickness, or UV filter transmittance percentage in the art of semiconductor process are subject to routine experimentation and optimization to achieve the desired device characterization during fabrication. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize an appropriate transmittance percentage or thickness of the UV filter to meet the specific requirements of the particular design, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. /n re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim(s) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mitchell in view of Pschenitzka et al., WO 2020242636.
Regarding claim 8, Mitchell does not explicitly disclose a buffer layer disposed between the photoluminescent material and the UV light filter.
However, Pschenitzka discloses (fig. 2C and [0025]) a buffer layer (213) disposed on the photoluminescent material (210) in order to protect the sensitive material sensitive materials in subjacent layers [0025].
Mitchell and Pschenitzka are analogous art because they both are directed to light emitting devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Mitchell with the specified features of Pschenitzka because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, on the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Mitchell to include the buffer layer as taught by Pschenitzka in order to protect the sensitive material sensitive materials in subjacent layers [0025]. The combined structure of Mitchell and Pschenitzka the buffer layer disposed between the photoluminescent material and the UV light filter as claimed.
Regarding claim 9, Mitchell as modified by Pschenitzka discloses the buffer layer (213, Pschenitzka) comprises silicon nitride (Pschenitzka, [0025]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL A GEBREMARIAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1653. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-4PM.
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/SAMUEL A GEBREMARIAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811