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 .
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 § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 4, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kishimoto et al. (US PG-Pub No.: 2021/0005134 A1, hereinafter, “Kishimoto”).
(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.
Regarding claim 1, Kishimoto discloses a method for manufacturing a display device (see Kishimoto, FIGs. 5A-5G),
wherein a first conductor (25a, ¶ [0038]) is formed,
wherein a first insulator (30, ¶ [0038]) is formed over the first conductor (25a, FIG. 5B),
wherein an opening (30a, ¶ [0038]) reaching the first conductor (25a) is provided in the first insulator (30, FIG. 5B),
wherein a second conductor is (45, ¶ [0066]) formed inside the opening (30a) and over the first insulator (30, FIG. 5C),
wherein a third conductor (410, ¶ [0038]) is formed by removing part of the second conductor (45) to expose a top surface of the first insulator (30, FIG. 5D),
wherein a first light-emitting layer (43, ¶ [0038]) is formed over the third conductor (410) and over the first insulator (30, FIG. 5F),
wherein a fourth conductor (44, ¶ [0038]) is formed over the first light-emitting layer (43, FIG. 5F), and
wherein a fifth conductor (44) is formed by removing part of the fourth conductor (44, ¶ [0089] and FIG. 5G).
Regarding claim 2, Kishimoto discloses the method for manufacturing a display device, according to claim 1, wherein the second conductor (45) comprises a first region in contact with the inside of the opening (30a) and a second region in contact with the first insulator (30, FIG. 5C).
Regarding claim 4, Kishimoto discloses the method for manufacturing a display device, according to claim 1, wherein the third conductor (410) is formed by removing part of the second conductor (45) by chemical mechanical polishing (¶ [0084]) to expose the top surface of the first insulator (30, FIG. 5D).
Regarding claim 6, Kishimoto discloses the method for manufacturing a display device, according to claim 1, wherein the third conductor (410) is configured to reflect visible light (made of Ti+Cu, ¶ [0083]), and wherein the fifth conductor (44) is configured to transmit visible light (¶ [0071]).
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US PG-Pub No.: 2006/0001091 A1, hereinafter, “Kim”).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses a display device (see Kim, FIG. 6) comprising:
a first conductor (131, ¶ [0054]);
a first insulator (160+175, ¶ [0085]) over the first conductor (131);
a second conductor (170, ¶ [0085]) provided inside an opening (160a+175a) of the first insulator (160+175);
a first light-emitting layer (200, ¶ [0085]) in contact with a top surface of the second conductor (170) and a top surface of the first insulator (160+175); and
a third conductor (220, ¶ [0085]) in contact with a top surface of the first light-emitting layer (200, FIG. 6).
Regarding claim 13, Kim discloses the display device according to claim 12, wherein the first conductor (131) and the second conductor (170) are electrically connected to each other (FIG. 6).
Regarding claim 14, Kim discloses the display device according to claim 12, wherein the second conductor (170) comprises a region in contact with a sidewall of the opening (165a+170a, FIG. 6).
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.
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishimoto et al. (US PG-Pub No.: 2021/0005134 A1, hereinafter, “Kishimoto”), as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 3, Kishimoto discloses the method for manufacturing a display device, according to claim 1,
Kishimoto fails to explicitly disclose that formation of the fifth conductor (44) is performed by formation of a resist mask over the fourth conductor (44) and etching using the resist mask.
However, Kishimoto discloses patterning the fourth conductor (44, ¶ [0089]). And etching using a resist mask is a well-known patterning method.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to pattern Kishimoto’s fifth conductor by formation of a resist mask over the fourth conductor and etching using the resist mask.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11 are allowed.
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected claim 4, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 15 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim 12, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious all the claimed subject of claim 5, in particular, a top surface of the third conductor and the top surface of the first insulator are substantially aligned with each other.
The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious all the claimed subject of base claim 7, in particular, a first light-emitting layer is formed over the fifth conductor, over the sixth conductor, over the seventh conductor, and over the first insulator, wherein part of the first light-emitting layer is removed to form a second light-emitting layer over the fifth conductor, wherein a third light-emitting layer is formed over the fifth conductor, over the sixth conductor, over the seventh conductor, over the first insulator, and over the second light-emitting layer, wherein part of the third light-emitting layer is removed to form a fourth light-emitting layer over the sixth conductor, wherein a fifth light-emitting layer is formed over the fifth conductor, over the sixth conductor, over the seventh conductor, over the first insulator, over the second light-emitting layer, and over the fourth light-emitting layer, and wherein part of the fifth light-emitting layer is removed to form a sixth light-emitting layer over the seventh conductor. Therefore, claim 7 is allowable. Accordingly, claims 8-11 are allowable as they depend upon claim 7.
The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious all the claimed subject of claim 15, in particular, the top surface of the second conductor and the top surface of the first insulator are substantially level with each other.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XIA L. CROSS whose telephone number is (571)270-3273. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am-5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, N. Drew Richards can be reached at 571-272-1736. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XIA L CROSS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892
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