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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-17, in the reply filed on 12/11/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 18-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 12/11/2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. The IDS has been considered.
Claim Objections
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities: “ae light-emitting” should likely read -- a light-emitting --. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509).
(Re Claim 1) Yokoyama teaches a method for manufacturing a display device, comprising:
providing a donor substrate (101+102+103; Fig. 1A) including a first base substrate (101+102) and an organic material layer (103; Fig. 1A) disposed on the first base substrate; etching the organic material layer (Fig. 1C) to form an etched organic material layer (103b; Fig. 1A) using a laser device (light 108 is generated through a laser; ¶62); providing a display substrate (201+202+203; Fig. 5C) including a second base substrate (201; Fig. 5C) and a plurality of first electrodes (202; Fig. 5C) disposed on the second base substrate; aligning the donor substrate (Fig. 5C) and the display substrate (Fig. 5C) such that the etched organic material layer faces the plurality of first electrodes (Fig. 5C); and transferring the etched organic material layer to the display substrate using an energy generation device (energy generation device produces light 204; ¶¶77, 79).
(Re Claim 2) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the organic material layer comprises at least one of a hole control layer, a light-emitting layer (EL layer; ¶¶52, 77), and an electron control layer.
(Re Claim 4) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first base substrate comprises a light-to-heat conversion layer (102; Fig. 1A, ¶46).
(Re Claim 10) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the energy generation device emits light (¶78).
(Re Claim 11) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the energy generation device provides a heat source (from a discharge lamp; ¶80).
(Re Claim 12) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, wherein an area of a heat source of the energy generation device is equal to or greater than an area (coextensive with the area of one of 103b elements shown in Fig. 5C) of the donor substrate in a plan view (as the area of a heat source is large enough to cause evaporation of the etched organic material layer across the entire donor substrate, the area of the heat source is equal to or greater than an area of the donor substrate as defined).
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claims 1 and 4 above, and further in view of Tanaka (US 2010/0084676) and Asano (US 2009/0015153)
(Re Claim 3) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, but has not been shown to teach a method wherein the first base substrate comprises at least one of silicon nitride (Si3N4), aluminum nitride (AlN), and silicon carbide (SiC).
Tanaka teaches forming a first base substrate (50+51+52+54; Fig. 10) with a layer of silicon nitride (54; ¶103) on top of a light-to-heat conversion layer (52; Fig. 10).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to form a layer of silicon nitride on top of the light-to-heat conversion layer 102 of Yokoyama, as taught by Tanaka, as silicon nitride is chemically stable and protects underlying layers from damage during an evaporation process. This may also allow for reuse of the first base substrate of Yokoyama (Tanaka: ¶103).
Asano teaches that SiN is associated with Si3N4 when a SiN layer is a protection layer (Asano: ¶¶30, 42).
A PHOSITA would find it obvious to use Si3N4 as the SiN material when forming the silicon nitride on modified Yokoyama’s first base substrate as this material also has good moisture resistance (Asano: ¶30).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claims 1 and 4 above, and further in view of Ikeda et al. (US 2009/0280589) and Bang et al. (US 2015/0270486).
(Re Claim 5) Modified Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 4, but has not been shown to explicitly teach the method wherein the laser device emits light having a wavelength in an ultraviolet region, and the first base substrate comprises at least one of indium-tin oxide (ITO), zinc-tin oxide (ZTO), and fluorinated tin oxide (FTO).
Ikeda teaches using light having a wavelength in an ultraviolet region region to etch an organic material layer (Fig. 1C; ¶69).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to use a laser device that emits light having a wavelength in an ultraviolet region, as taught by Ikeda, as that range is suitable for patterning an organic material layer, preventing deformation during subsequent evaporation (Ikeda: ¶26; Yokoyama: ¶86). See Ruiz v. A.B. Chance Co., 357 F.3d 1270, 69 USPQ2d 1686 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
Bang teaches forming a first base substrate (21+22; Fig. 6) using ITO (light-to-heat layer conversion 22 may include ITO when forming it as a multilayered structure; ¶48).
A PHOSITA would find it obvious to form the light-to-heat conversion layer 102 of the first base substrate of modified Yokoyama using the multilayered structure of Bang that includes ITO (Bang: ¶¶47-48), as this is a known alternative to using titanium or aluminum (Bang: ¶48; Yokoyama: ¶¶17-18) that is suitable for light absorption. The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945). "Reading a list and selecting a known compound to meet known requirements is no more ingenious than selecting the last piece to put in the last opening in a jig-saw puzzle." 325 U.S. at 335, 65 USPQ at 301.). See also In re Leshin, 277 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Ikeda et al. (US 2009/0280589).
(Re Claim 6) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 4, wherein the first base substrate comprises at least one of carbon (102 may be formed from carbon; ¶46), silicon, and germanium.
Yokoyama has not been shown to explicitly teach the laser device emits light having a wavelength in a visible region.
Ikeda teaches using light having a wavelength in a visible region to etch an organic material layer (Fig. 1C; ¶69).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to use a laser device that emits light having a wavelength in a visible region, as taught by Ikeda, as that range is suitable for patterning an organic material layer, preventing deformation during subsequent evaporation (Ikeda: ¶26; Yokoyama: ¶86). See Ruiz v. A.B. Chance Co., 357 F.3d 1270, 69 USPQ2d 1686 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
(Re Claim 7) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 4, wherein the first base substrate comprises at least one of glass (glass; ¶44), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and aluminum oxynitride.
Yokoyama has not been shown to explicitly teach the laser device emits light having a wavelength in an infrared region.
Ikeda teaches using light having a wavelength in an infrared region to etch an organic material layer (Fig. 1C; ¶69).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to use a laser device that emits light having a wavelength in an infrared region, as taught by Ikeda, as that range is suitable for patterning an organic material layer, preventing deformation during subsequent evaporation (Ikeda: ¶26; Yokoyama: ¶86). See Ruiz v. A.B. Chance Co., 357 F.3d 1270, 69 USPQ2d 1686 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Scott (5,879,961) and Franson (US 2003/0010988).
(Re Claim 8) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, but has not been shown to explicitly teach the method wherein the laser device is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser.
Scott teaches vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser devices may emit in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet wavelengths (col. 8 ln. 33-36).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to use a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser for the laser device of Yokoyama, as they emit across a wide range (Scott: col. 8 ln. 33-36; Yokoyama: ¶62), and have low temperature sensitivity (Franson: ¶151).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claim 1 above.
(Re Claim 9) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the transferring of the etched organic material layer to the display substrate comprises: moving the donor substrate to contact (d = 0 mm; Fig. 5C) the display substrate; and supplying energy (energy from light 204; Fig. 5C) by the energy generation device (¶80).
Yokoyama has not been shown to explicitly teach aligning the energy generation device to face the display substrate with the donor substrate interposed therebetween.
Yokoyama teaches aligning an energy generation device (910; Fig. 9) to face a display substrate (910; Fig. 9) with a donor substrate (911; Fig. 9) interposed therebetween).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to align the energy generation device of modified Yokoyama to face the display substrate with the donor substrate interposed therebetween, when evaporating the etched organic material layer 103b as shown in Fig. 5C, as taught by Yokohama’s Fig. 9 embodiment, as the Fig. 9 embodiment is considered suitable for producing the light 204 of Fig. 5C (“Note that the structure described in this embodiment can be combined with any of the structures in Embodiments 1 to 3 as appropriate “; ¶133).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Culver et al. (US 2004/0028942).
(Re Claim 13) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, but has not been explicitly shown to teach the method wherein the energy generation device supplies energy toward the first base substrate while moving on the donor substrate.
Culver teaches that a localized laser source (28; Fig. 2a) may be used to evaporate an organic material layer on a donor substrate (14+16+30; Fig. 2a) for deposition onto a display substrate (36; Fig. 2a), as an alternative to using a flash lamp (¶¶122-123). Culver also teaches scanning the beam across the donor substrate (¶142).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to use a laser source as taught by Culver as the energy generation device of Yokoyama, as this allows for localized, consistent vaporization of each etched organic material layer 103b when transferring the etched organic material layer to the display substrate.
Yokoyama teaches scanning a laser beam across a donor substrate by moving on the donor substrate (Fig. 8, ¶111).
A PHOSITA would find it obvious to scan the energy generation device of modified Yokoyama by moving it across the donor substrate, in the manner taught by Yokoyama, as this allows for transfer of each portion of the etched organic material layer 103b of modified Yokoyama to the display substrate when using a beam size less than the total area of the donor substrate.
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claim 1 above.
(Re Claim 14) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, but has not explicitly been shown to teach the method wherein the laser device emits laser toward the organic material layer while moving on the donor substrate.
Yokoyama teaches a laser device (801; Fig. 8) emitting light (¶107) towards a donor substrate (813; Fig. 8) while moving on the donor substrate (¶111).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to have the laser device emit a laser toward the organic material layer while moving on the donor substrate, as Yokoyama describes with respect to the embodiment of Fig. 8, as the Fig. 8 embodiment is suitable for use with the embodiment of Fig. 5C (“Note that the structure described in this embodiment can be combined with the structure described in Embodiment 1 or 2 as appropriate”; ¶117).
(Re Claim 15) Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, but has not been explicitly shwon to teach the method wherein the display substrate further comprises a hole control layer disposed on the plurality of first electrodes.
Yokoyama teaches sequentially forming a hole control layer before forming a light-emitting and electron control layer (Fig. 10B, ¶153).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious for the display substrate to further comprise a hole control layer (hole-injecting and hole-transport layer; ¶153) on the plurality of first electrodes, as a consequence of sequentially forming a light-emitting element having multiple organic material layers (Fig. 10B) that improve the functioning of the light-emitting element, where the transferring step of Yokoyama’s method is then after forming the hole-transport layer. See Ruiz v. A.B. Chance Co., 357 F.3d 1270, 69 USPQ2d 1686 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
(Re Claim 16) Modified Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 15, wherein the transferring of the etched organic material layer to the display substrate comprises: transferring a light-emitting layer on the hole control layer (¶23). Modified Yokoyama has not been shown to explicitly teach the method wherein the transferring the etched organic material layer to the display substrate comprises transferring an electron control layer on the light-emitting layer.
Yokoyama does describe sequentially forming an electron control layer (electron-transporting layer and electron-injecting layer; Fig. 10B, ¶153) before forming after forming a light-emitting layer (Fig. 10B, ¶153).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious then when forming the light-emitting element having multiple organic material layer for improving the functioning of the light-emitting element, that additional layers may be formed on the hole control layer and light-emitting layer of modified Yokoyama.
The step of transferring the etched organic material layer to the display substrate then comprises the step of transferring a light-emitting layer on the hole control layer (¶23) as shown in Fig. 5C, as well as an additional step of transferring an electron control layer on the light-emitting layer using another donor substrate (¶153).
The claim language does not restrict sub-steps within the step of transferring the etched organic material to the display substrate such that another donor substrate cannot be used for the electron control layer transfer while still being a part of the transferring of the etched organic material layer to the display substrate.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama et al. (US 2009/0269509) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Noh (US 2013/0023071)
(Re Claim 17) Modified Yokoyama teaches the method of claim 1, but has not been explicitly shown to teach the method wherein the etched organic material layer comprises a hole control layer, a light-emitting layer, and an electron control layer, and the transferring of the etched organic material layer to the display substrate comprises transferring, all at once, the hole control layer, the light-emitting layer, and the electron control layer, each sequentially stacked, onto each of the plurality of first electrodes.
Noh teaches forming a donor substrate (200; Fig. 2) using an organic material layer (240; Fig. 2) comprising a multi-layer structure that includes a hole control layer (hole injection layer+hole transfer layer; ¶76), a light-emitting layer (an organic light emitting layer; ¶76), and an electron control layer (electron injection layer+electron transfer layer; ¶76).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to form the organic material layer using the multi-layer structure taught by Noh, as this reduces the number of steps required to form a light-emitting element that utilizes these performance improving structures, when compared to sequential deposition of these layers.
Yokoyama teaches a light-emitting element having a hole control layer (1011+1012; Fig. 10B), a light-emitting layer (1013; Fig. 10B), and an electron control layer (1014+1015) sequentially stacked.
A PHOSITA would find it obvious to arrange the structure taught by Noh in the sequence taught by Yokoyama as this produces a viable light-emitting element for a display. See Ruiz v. A.B. Chance Co., 357 F.3d 1270, 69 USPQ2d 1686 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
As the etched organic material layer comprises the stack taught by Yokoyama and Noh, transferring the etched organic material layer as taught by modified Yokoyama will transfer all at once the hole control layer, the light-emitting layer, and the electron control layer, each sequentially stack (Yokoyama: Fig. 10B), onto each of the plurality of first electrodes (Yokoyama: Fig. 5C).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chin et al. (US 2006/0082640) teaches that hole injection layers, hole transports layers, electron transport layers, and electron injection layers improve device performance (¶40).
Song et al. (US KR20050086067) teaches laser ablating an organic material layer (220; Fig. 2b) to form an etched organic material layer (225; Fig. 2c).
Ikeda et al. (US 2009/0305445) teaches forming an etched organic material layer (105a; Fig. 1D).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher A Schodde whose telephone number is (571)270-1974. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 1000-1800 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Manno can be reached at (571)272-2339. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER A. SCHODDE/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/JESSICA S MANNO/SPE, Art Unit 2898