DETAILED ACTION / EXAMINER’S COMMENT
This Office action responds to the amendment filed on 07/29/2026.
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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for a 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.
Amendment Status
The amendment filed on 07/29/2026 in reply to the Office action mailed on 06/11/2026, has been entered. The present Office action is made with all the suggest amendments being fully considered. Claims 3, 8, 13, 14, & 20 are rejoined. Claims 1-2, 16, & 18 are canceled. Accordingly, pending in this Office actions are claims 3-15, 17, 19, & 20.
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.
Claim 8 is 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.
Regarding Claim 8, the limitation “wherein the first metal spacer is located in the second metal layer” is not shown in the figures of Applicant’s drawings. Figure 14 shows the first metal spacer 5 located adjacent to the second metal layer 7 but does not show that first metal spacer in the second metal layer in any capacity.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7, 9-15, 17, 19, & 20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In the Final Rejection mailed on 06/11/2026, Examiner previously indicated Claims 5-9 as allowable.
Claims 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14 are allowed as the amendments change their dependence to depend on allowable Claim 5.
Regarding the amended limitation of claim 15, “a first metal spacer, located in the wire routing area, wherein the first metal spacer is arranged between the second insulating layer and the base substrate; and a second metal layer, located between the second insulating layer and the base substrate, wherein the second insulating layer includes a second via hole located in the non-display area, the second via hole exposes the second metal layer, and the first metal layer and the second metal layer are electrically connected at the second via hole,” the prior art of record (Kim) neither anticipates nor renders obvious the amended claimed limitation in the entirety of the subject matter of claim 15 and overcomes the rejection.
The closest prior art Kim (see, e.g., fig. 1a, fig. 2, fig. 3) shows a similar invention but does not have the support to show second via holes in the second insulating in the non-display area to electrically connect a first and second metal layer at the second via hole.
Claims 17, 19, & 20 are allowable as being dependent on allowable Claim 15.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 9-10, filed 07/29/2026, with respect to the prior art rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The prior art rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) have been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FERNANDO JOSE RAMOS-DIAZ whose telephone number is (571) 270-5855. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Loke can be reached on 571-272-1657. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FERNANDO JOSE RAMOS-DIAZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/STEVEN H LOKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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