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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/02/2023 has been considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/19/2025. Claims 1-12 are pending and an action on merits follows.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Specifically claim 1 recites where “each of the metal layer and the graphene layer has a hexagonal closed packed structure”. A graphene layer is a single layer of carbon atoms in a hexagonal lattice nanostructure. Several sheets of graphene are named graphite and graphite is known to form a hexagonal closed packed structure. A single sheet of graphene however cannot form a hexagonal closed packed structure. Furthermore claim 1does not claim that the graphene layer is in contact with or directly above the metal which makes it unclear as to how this structure is achieved. For purposes of examination Shida, (US 20220181569 A1) paragraphs 32-35, read on this structure. Claims 2-10 and 11-12 are rejected due to their dependency upon claims 1 and 10 respectively.
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shida et al. (US 20220181569 A1, of record ids) (Shida, hereafter) in view of Kang et al. (US 20160197304 A1 of record ids) (Kang, hereafter).
Regarding claim 1,Shida discloses (Figures 1-6 and corresponding text) a second electrode (430)disposed opposite to the first electrode(410), and a light-emitting layer(420) disposed between the first electrode(410) and the second electrode (412), the first electrode includes a metal layer (413), and a graphene layer(415) disposed on an upper surface of the metal layer (413), and each of the metal layer(410) and the graphene layer(415) has a hexagonal closed packed structure(π90-π92) (see 112 rejection).
Shida fails to explicitly disclose a display device comprising: a circuit layer; and a display element layer disposed on an upper surface of the circuit layer, wherein the display element layer includes a light-emitting element, and a pixel-defining film, through which a pixel opening is defined, wherein the light-emitting element includes a first electrode exposed through the pixel opening.
Kang discloses (Figures 3 and 7)a display device comprising: a circuit layer (where transistors are located); and a display element layer(LD) disposed on an upper surface of the circuit layer, wherein the display element layer includes a light-emitting element (LD), and a pixel-defining film (350), through which a pixel opening is defined, wherein the light-emitting element(LD)includes a first electrode (191) exposed through the pixel opening(π68-π75).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Shida, as disclosed by Kang and incorporating OEL element into the device to render wherein a display device comprising: a circuit layer; and a display element layer disposed on an upper surface of the circuit layer, wherein the display element layer includes a light-emitting element, and a pixel-defining film, through which a pixel opening is defined, wherein the light-emitting element includes a first electrode exposed through the pixel opening the motivation being to maintain excellence in excellent response speed, viewing angle, and contrast ratio and is also excellent in terms of power consumption (Kang, π7).
Regarding claim 2, Shida discloses wherein the metal layer (413/103) comprises Zn or Ti (π32).
Regarding claim 3, Shida also discloses wherein the metal layer (413/103) comprises a single metal. (π32).
Regarding claim 4, Shida as modified by Kang fails to explicitly disclose wherein the metal layer has a thickness of about 500 Å or greater.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date further to modify the display device of Shida wherein the metal layer has a thickness of about 500 Å or greater.; since it has been held that where [the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 5, Shida discloses wherein the first electrode (410) further comprises a metal oxide layer(412) disposed below the metal layer (413), wherein the metal oxide layer comprises a transparent conductive oxide (412) (π90)
Regarding claim 6, Shida discloses wherein the transparent conductive oxide comprises at least one selected from indium oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and zinc indium oxide (ZIO).(π31)
Regarding claim 7, Shida as modified by Kang fails to explicitly wherein the metal oxide layer is thinner than the metal layer and thicker than the graphene layer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date further to modify the display panel of Shida explicitly wherein the metal oxide layer is thinner than the metal layer and thicker than the graphene layer.
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Shida fails to explicitly disclose wherein the circuit layer comprises a transistor and an insulating layer disposed on an upper surface of the transistor, wherein the insulating layer is a planarization layer and is in contact with the first electrode (claim8) ;wherein the insulating layer comprises at least one selected from photoresist polyimide (PSPI), siloxane, and an acrylic resin(claim 9).
Kang discloses wherein the circuit layer comprises a transistor (QS, Qd (π47-π55)and an insulating layer (180) disposed on an upper surface of the transistor, wherein the insulating layer is a passivation and is in contact with the first electrode (191,π70) ;wherein the insulating layer comprises at least one selected from photoresist polyimide (PSPI), siloxane, and an acrylic resin. Kang fails to disclose the choice of material.
IT would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify the display device of Shida wherein the circuit layer comprises a transistor and an insulating layer disposed on an upper surface of the transistor, wherein the insulating layer is a planarization layer and is in contact with the first electrode the motivation . and wherein the insulating layer comprises at least one selected from photoresist polyimide (PSPI), siloxane, and an acrylic resin, since matters of deign choice requires only routine skill,
Regarding claim 10,Shida discloses (Figures 1-6 and corresponding text) (Figure 4)a second electrode(430) disposed opposite to the first electrode(410) , and a light-emitting layer (420)disposed between the first electrode (410)and the second electrode(430), and wherein the first electrode(410) includes: a first layer including graphene(415); a second layer (414) disposed below the first layer and including Zn or Ti; and a third layer(412) disposed below the second layer(414) and including a transparent conductive oxide(π91).
Kang discloses (Figures 3 and 7) a display device comprising: a circuit layer (where transistors are located); and a display element layer(LD) disposed on an upper surface of the circuit layer, wherein the display element layer includes a light-emitting element (LD), and a pixel-defining film (350), through which a pixel opening is defined, wherein the light-emitting element(LD)includes a first electrode (191) exposed through the pixel opening(π68-π75).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Shida, as disclosed by Kang and incorporating OEL element into the device to render wherein a display device comprising: a circuit layer; and a display element layer disposed on an upper surface of the circuit layer, wherein the display element layer includes a light-emitting element, and a pixel-defining film, through which a pixel opening is defined, wherein the light-emitting element includes a first electrode exposed through the pixel opening the motivation being to maintain excellence in excellent response speed, viewing angle, and contrast ratio and is also excellent in terms of power consumption (Kang, π7).
Regarding claim 11, Shida teaches wherein each of the first layer and the second layer has a hexagonal closed packed structure (See 112 rejection)
Regarding claim 12, Shida teaches, wherein the transparent conductive oxide comprises at least one selected from indium oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and zinc indium oxide (ZIO)(π33 and π31)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the 892 for this office action and below:
US 20240306419 A1 OLED device and a method for manufacturing thereof, and a display panel
US 20150279498 A1 -General state of the art-A transparent electrodes having a conductive thin film
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875