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 08/18/2023 has been considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 01/14/2026. Claims 11-20 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 § 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 11-13 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akagawa et al. (US 20210028245 A1) (Akagawa, hereafter) in view of XU et al. (US 20220293692 A1) (XU, hereafter).
Regarding claims 11-12, Akagawa discloses a method of manufacturing a display device (figures 1-15 and corresponding text), the method comprising (Figure 4):: disposing a material for forming a partition layer (29, pixel separating layer) on a substrate (10s); forming a partition layer (29) by patterning the material for forming the partition layer(29) (π78); disposing a material for forming a reflective layer (17) and a material for forming a conductive layer on the partition layer and in openings (29B,29G,29R) defined in the partition layer (29). Akagawa fails to explicitly disclose wherein forming a first pixel electrode comprising a first reflective layer and a first conductive layer, a second pixel electrode comprising a second reflective layer and a second conductive layer, and a third pixel electrode comprising a third reflective layer and a third conductive layer by removing the material for forming he reflective layer and the material for forming the conductive layer, 12f the third conductive layer is wet-etched after forming a second mask pattern to cover and surround each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode (claim 11); after performing the second etching in which at least the portion of the third conductive layer is wet-etched after forming the second mask pattern to cover and surround each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, removing the second mask pattern (claim 12).
Xu discloses the following : forming the transparent conductive material layer on the base substrate 1, and forming the metal material layer (reflective) on the transparent conductive material layer. patterning the transparent conductive material layer and the metal material layer through a same half-tone mask by using a stepwise etching process, so as to form the transparent conductive layer ITO and the metal layer laminated one on another and in contact with each other; the transparent conductive material layer and the metal material layer are etched through a dry-etching process to obtain a pattern where the transparent conductive material layer overlaps the metal material layer, and then a part of the metal material layer arranged above the transparent conductive material layer (at a side away from the base substrate) and not to be reserved is removed through a wet-etching process (π107-π110); the transparent conductive layer ITO laminated on and in contact with the metal layer, and the transparent conductive layer ITO and the metal layer may be etched through a same mask until wiring is complete.
Therefore, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the art before the effective filing date to modify the method of Akagawa as disclosed by Xu above wherein forming a first pixel electrode comprising a first reflective layer and a first conductive layer, a second pixel electrode comprising a second reflective layer and a second conductive layer, and a third pixel electrode comprising a third reflective layer and a third conductive layer by removing the material for forming he reflective layer and the material for forming the conductive layer, the third conductive layer is wet-etched after forming a second mask pattern to cover and surround each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode; after performing the second etching in which at least the portion of the third conductive layer is wet-etched after forming the second mask pattern to cover and surround each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, removing the second mask pattern the motivation being to allow for reusable masks , and other processes that lower manufacturing cost.
Regarding claims 13, Akagawa wherein the material for forming the partition layer (29) comprises an inorganic material (π78).
Regarding claim 16, Akagawa discloses where the first conductive layer(27a,27b,31), second conductive layer(27a,31) and third conductive layer (31) have first ,second and third thicknesses (π70, Figures 4-5) (Examiner note 27 illustrate height adjustment layer). Akagawa as modified by Xu fail to explicitly disclose wherein a thickness of each of the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer, and the third conductive layer before performing the first etching is equal to or greater than 1700 angstrom (Å) and equal to or less than 1900 Å.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective to modify the method of Akagawa wherein Akagawa as modified by Xu fail to explicitly disclose wherein a thickness of each of the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer, and the third conductive layer before performing the first etching is equal to or greater than 1700 angstrom (Å) and equal to or less than 1900 Å 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 17, Akagawa discloses (Figure 5)a wherein the first conductive layer(31, 27a,27b) has a first thickness in the thickness direction, the second conductive layer(31,27b) has a second thickness in the thickness direction less than the first thickness, the third conductive layer has a third thickness (31) in the thickness direction less than the second thickness. Akagawa fails to disclose etching.
Xu discloses the following : forming the transparent conductive material layer on the base substrate 1, and forming the metal material layer (reflective) on the transparent conductive material layer. patterning the transparent conductive material layer and the metal material layer through a same half-tone mask by using a stepwise etching process, so as to form the transparent conductive layer ITO and the metal layer laminated one on another and in contact with each other; the transparent conductive material layer and the metal material layer are etched through a dry-etching process to obtain a pattern where the transparent conductive material layer overlaps the metal material layer, and then a part of the metal material layer arranged above the transparent conductive material layer (at a side away from the base substrate) and not to be reserved is removed through a wet-etching process (π107-π110); the transparent conductive layer ITO laminated on and in contact with the metal layer, and the transparent conductive layer ITO and the metal layer may be etched through a same mask until wiring is complete.
Therefore, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the art before the effective filing date to further modify the method of Akagawa as disclosed by XU to etch in the thickness direction the first second and third conductive layers such that each has lower manufacturing costs
Regarding claim 18, Akagawa as modified by Akagawa fail to explicitly disclose wherein the first thickness of the first conductive layer after performing the second etching is equal to or greater than 1700 Å and equal to or less than 1900 Å, the second thickness of the second conductive layer after performing the second etching is equal to or greater than 1100 Å and equal to or less than 1300 Å, and the third thickness of the third conductive layer after performing the second etching is equal to or greater than 600 Å and equal to or less than 800 Å.
It would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify the method of Akagawa wherein the first thickness of the first conductive layer after performing the second etching is equal to or greater than 1700 Å and equal to or less than 1900 Å, the second thickness of the second conductive layer after performing the second etching is equal to or greater than 1100 Å and equal to or less than 1300 Å, and the third thickness of the third conductive layer after performing the second etching is equal to or greater than 600 Å and equal to or less than 800 Å, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 19, Akagawa discloses (Figure 4)a disposing a first emission layer (33) (29R, hole where emission layer is ), a second emission layer (29G), and a third emission layer (29B) on the first pixel electrode (31), the second pixel electrode (31), and the third pixel electrode (31), respectively, wherein the first emission layer (29R), the second emission layer (29G), and the third emission layer(29B) (Examiner note: going from right to left) emit red light( 29R), green light (29G), and blue light (29B),
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akagawa et al. (US 20210028245 A1) (Akagawa, hereafter) in view of XU et al. (US 20220293692 A1) (XU, hereafter) and in further view of Wang et al. (US 20220285406 A1) (Wang, hereafter).
Regarding claims 14 and 15, Akagawa as modified by Xu discloses the method set forth above(See rejection claim 11). Akagawa as modified by Xu fail to disclose wherein the material for forming the partition layer comprises a photoresist-forming material (photoresist claim14); after the forming of the partition layer by patterning the material for forming the partition layer, removing the partition layer(claim 15).
Wang discloses forming a first conductive film layer on the base substrate, the first conductive film layer covering the display region and the non-display region; forming a first photoresist pattern and a second photoresist pattern on the first conductive film layer, the first photoresist pattern being arranged in the display region, and the second photoresist pattern being arranged in the non-display region; wet-etching the first conductive film layer with the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern as masks to obtain a reflection layer and an etch stop pattern, the reflection layer being arranged in the display region, and the etch stop pattern being arranged in the non-display region and at least covering a side surface of the bonding pin; and removing the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern(π16).
It would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify the method of Akagawa as disclosed by Wang wherein the material for forming the partition layer comprises a photoresist-forming material; after the forming of the partition layer by patterning the material for forming the partition layer, removing the partition layer the motivation being having a stable product.
Claims 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akagawa et al. (US 20210028245 A1) (Akagawa, hereafter) in view of XU et al. (US 20220293692 A1) (XU, hereafter) and in
Akagawa as modified by Xu discloses the method set forth above(See rejection claim 11), Akagawa discloses a first emission layer (29R), the second emission layer(29G), and the third emission layer (29B). Akagawa fails to disclose wherein a capping layer on the opposite electrode.
Lee discloses (Figure 4) that a capping layer (not shown) may be disposed between the first inorganic encapsulation layer (310 the opposite electrode (230) to further protect the device from environmental moisture and oxygen.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further modify the method of Akagawa as disclosed by Lee the motivation being to further seal the device from moisture and oxygen that can lead to device degradation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the 892 with this office action or below:
US 20090315451 A1-General state of the art- organic light emitting diode display and a method of manufacturing the same.
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875