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 Group I: claims 1-14 in the reply filed on 10/20/2025 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. The following title is suggested: DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING AN AIR LAYER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME.
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.
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Jang (US 20220052121), hereinafter Jang.
Regarding claim 12, Jang (US 20220052121) teaches a display device (1, see para 76) comprising:
a light emitting layer (OL, described as "light emitting layer OL" in para 79 and 87, best seen in each of ED1, ED2 and ED3 in Figure 5) disposed on a substrate (110, described as "first base portion 110" in para 80 – best seen in Figure 5);
a color conversion layer (comprising 340, 350 - described in para 94 as "first wavelength conversion pattern 340, and the second wavelength conversion pattern 350"; best seen in Figure 5; also see detail of Figure 6) disposed on the light emitting layer (OL);
a partition wall structure (formed by SPC and 370, described as “spacers SPC” and comprising SPC1, SPC2 and SPC3 – see para 72, and “color mixing prevention member 370” – see para 64, best seen in Figure 5) disposed on the color conversion layer (comprising 340, 350) including a first portion (370) facing the substrate (110) and a second portion (SPC) facing the first portion bonded to each other and defining an opening (i.e. opening in which “air layer AL” is formed – see para 101 and Fig. 5) overlapping the color conversion layer (comprising 340, 350) in a plan view;
an air layer (Al, described as “air layer AL” in para 76, best seen in Figure 5 and detail of Figure 6) filling the opening of the partition wall structure (SPC).
Regarding claim 13, Jang teaches the display device of claim 12, wherein the partition wall structure includes an organic polymer material (para 155 describes spacers SPC may include “an opaque organic insulating material”; also see para 163 which describes SPC and 370 may be “together” and of “the same material”).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang (US 20220052121), hereinafter Jang, in view of Kubota (US 2002/0113241), hereinafter Kubota..
Regarding claim 1, Jang (US 20220052121) (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches a display device (1, see para 76) comprising:
a light emitting layer (OL, described as "light emitting layer OL" in para 79 and 87, best seen in each of ED1, ED2 and ED3 in Figure 5) disposed on a substrate (110, described as "first base portion 110" in para 80 – best seen in Figure 5);
a color conversion layer (comprising 340, 350 - described in para 94 as "first wavelength conversion pattern 340, and the second wavelength conversion pattern 350"; best seen in Figure 5; also see detail of Figure 6) disposed on the light emitting layer (OL);
a partition wall structure (formed by SPC and 370, described as “spacers SPC” and comprising SPC1, SPC2 and SPC3 – see para 72, and “color mixing prevention member 370” – see para 64, best seen in Figure 5) disposed on the color conversion layer (comprising 340, 350) including an organic polymer material (para 155 describes spacers SPC may include “an opaque organic insulating material”; also see para 163 which describes SPC and 370 may be “together” and of “the same material”) and defining an opening (i.e. opening in which “air layer AL” is formed – see para 101 and Fig. 5) overlapping the color conversion layer (comprising 340, 350) in a plan view;
an air layer (Al, described as “air layer AL” in para 76, best seen in Figure 5 and detail of Figure 6) filling the opening of the partition wall structure (SPC); and
a capping layer (393, described as “second capping layer 393” – see para 109; best seen in detail of Figure 6) disposed on the color conversion layer (comprising 340, 350) and bonded (i.e. attached) to the partition wall structure
Although Jang teaches that the capping layer (393) may be an inorganic material (see last sentence each of para 109 and para 93), Jang does not specifically state that the capping layer is an “insulating” layer that is “chemically” bonded to the partition wall structure. Kubota (US 2002/0113241) teaches a display device further teaching that when bonding to an organic layer to an inorganic layer, it is known to use chemical bonding such as covalent bonds (para 77; also see para 51). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify Jang so that the inorganic capping layer is a common inorganic insulating layer that is chemically bonded to the partition wall structure (which includes an organic polymer material). The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Jang for at least the purpose of creating a layer that can effectively bond organic and inorganic insulating layers to create a protective member with improved light transmittance and passivation (gas barrier, oligomer release prevention and minimized outgassing) and anti-water or moisture-absorption (para 11 of Kubota; also see para 9), which can improve display reliability.
Regarding claim 2, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein a side surface of the partition wall structure (formed by SPC and 370) is exposed by the air (AI) layer (best seen in Figure 5).
Regarding claim 3, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein a refractive index of the air layer is smaller than a refractive index of the color conversion layer (para 136).
Regarding claim 4, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is disposed on the partition wall structure (formed by SPC and 370).
Regarding claim 5, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer (393) is disposed between the color conversion layer and the partition wall structure (see Figure 5).
Regarding claim 6, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer includes an inorganic material or an organic polymer material (393 may be inorganic - see last sentence each of para 109 and para 93).
Regarding claim 7, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 6, wherein the inorganic material includes at least one selected from a group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride (para 109 and para 93, and above listed materials are common insulating materials for Si based devices).
Regarding claim 8, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 6, wherein the organic polymer material of each of the partition wall structure and the insulating layer includes at least one selected from a group consisting of an epoxy-based resin and a siloxane-based resin (para 109 and para 93, and above listed materials are common organic materials; eg. See para 30).
Regarding claim 9, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the partition wall structure includes at least one selected from a group consisting of dyes, pigments, and inorganic particles (para 109 and para 93).
Regarding claim 10, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising: a bank layer (150, para 45) disposed on the substrate and surrounding (one the bottom side) the color conversion layer.
Regarding claim 11, Jang (refer to Figures 1-6) teaches the display device of claim 10, wherein the partition wall structure entirely overlaps the bank layer (150, para 45) in a plan view.
Regarding claim 14, Jang teaches the display device of claim 12, further comprising: a first capping layer capping layer (393, described as “second capping layer 393” – see para 109; best seen in detail of Figure 6) disposed between the color conversion layer and the first portion, and directly contacting the first portion; and a second capping layer (395) disposed between the partition wall structure (formed by SPC and 370 and the second portion (SPC), and directly contacting the second portion.
Although Jang teaches that the capping layers (393, 395) may be an inorganic material (see last sentence each of para 109 and para 93), Jang does not specifically state that the capping layer is an “insulating” layer that is “chemically” bonded to the partition wall structure. Kubota (US 2002/0113241) teaches a display device further teaching that when bonding to an organic layer to an inorganic layer, it is known to use chemical bonding such as covalent bonds (para 77; also see para 51). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify Jang so that the inorganic capping layer is a common inorganic insulating layer that is chemically bonded to the partition wall structure (which includes an organic polymer material). The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Jang for at least the purpose of creating a layer that can effectively bond organic and inorganic insulating layers to create a protective member with improved light transmittance and passivation (gas barrier, oligomer release prevention and minimized outgassing) and anti-water or moisture-absorption (para 11 of Kubota; also see para 9), which can improve display reliability.
Conclusion
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/AJAY ARORA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892