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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/14/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Seo et al. (US. Pub: 2022/0352268 A1~ hereinafter “Seo”).
Regarding claim 1, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) a display device comprising: a base substrate (110) including a display area (DPA) and a circuit area (NEA): a planarization layer (PLL; [0131]) disposed on the base substrate; a plurality of debossing grooves (items LE are formed in the grooves; see figs. 4-6) defined in the planarization layer (PLL) and disposed on the display area of the base substrate; at least one light-emitting element (LE; [0092]-[0093]) aligned with and disposed in the plurality of debossing grooves (see at least fig. 4), each of the at least one light-emitting element (LE) including a first semiconductor layer (SEM1; see fig. 6; [0115]), an active layer (MQW; fig. 6; [0115]), a second semiconductor layer (SME2; fig. 6; [0115]), and a first electrode (125; see fig. 6; [0117]) contacting the first semiconductor layer (SEM1); a second electrode line (CE) electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer of the light-emitting element (LE); and a first electrode line (PE) electrically connected to the first electrode of the light-emitting element (LE).
Regarding claim 2, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) an insulating layer (BNL) disposed between the first electrode line (PE) and the second electrode line (CE).
Regarding claim 3, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) the second electrode line (CE) covers a top surface of the planarization layer (PLL) between adjacent debossing grooves and a part of side surface of at least one of the plurality of debossing grooves while contacting the second semiconductor layer (see at least figs. 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 4, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) the first electrode line (PE) covers the planarization layer (PLL) and contacts the first electrode (125) of the light-emitting element (LE).
Regarding claim 7, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) the light-emitting element (LE) includes a nanorod shape.
Regarding claim 12, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) the first electrode (125) of each light-emitting element (LE) of the at least one of light-emitting element is in contact with the bottom surface of a debossing groove receiving the light-emitting element of the plurality of debossing grooves (see at least figs. 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 13, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 3-6; [0084]; [0090]; [0093]-[0095]) a driving transistor and a storage capacitor for driving the light-emitting element are disposed in the circuit area.
Regarding claim 14, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6; [0109]) at least one of the first electrode line and the second electrode line includes a transparent metal oxide including indium-tin-oxide (ITO) or indium-zinc-oxide (IZO).
Regarding claim 15, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) at least two light-emitting elements (LE), which do not overlap with each other, are received in each of the plurality of debossing grooves (see at least figs. 4 and 5).
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) 5-6, and 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al. (US. Pub: 2022/0352268 A1~ hereinafter “Seo”).
Regarding claim 5, Seo discloses all the claimed limitations except for the first electrode includes a magnetic material.
However, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) the first electrode may include (ITO; [0119]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use any suitable material including a magnetic material to form the first electrode of Seo, since it has been held that the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination. Also, it has been held that simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results is obvious.
Regarding claim 6, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) an insulating layer (130) disposed under the plurality of debossing grooves and disposed in the display area.
Seo does not expressly disclose a multi-layer insulating structure.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to consider using a multi-layer insulating structure in the device of Seo instead of a single insulating layer for the benefit of providing suitable insulation to the light-emitting element.
Regarding claims 8 and 11, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) each of the plurality of debossing grooves includes a flat bottom surface (see figs. 4-6), but fails to disclose an inclined side surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface; and a length of the inclined side surface is smaller than or equal to a length of the light-emitting element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the display device of Seo such that an inclined side surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface, and a length of the inclined side surface is smaller than or equal to a length of the light-emitting element, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Regarding claim 9, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) each of the plurality of debossing grooves includes a flat bottom surface (see figs. 4-6), a protrusion (item 125) protruding from the bottom surface (see figs. 4-6), but is silent about an inclined side surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the display device of Seo such that an inclined side surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Regarding claim 10, Seo discloses (in at least figs. 4-6) the protrusion (item 125) has an outer surface area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the light-emitting element (LE) in a diameter direction (see figs. 4-6), but fails to disclose the protrusion has an inclined side surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the display device of Seo such that the protrusion has an inclined side surface, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELMITO BREVAL whose telephone number is (571)270-3099. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th~ 7:30-5:30.
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ELMITO BREVAL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/ELMITO BREVAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875