Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/273,890

MICRO LED SELECTIVE AIR LAYER TRANSFER PRINTING DEVICE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jul 24, 2023
Examiner
MEHTA, RATISHA
Art Unit
2817
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Hardram Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
89%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 1m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 89% — above average
89%
Career Allow Rate
559 granted / 625 resolved
+21.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +6% lift
Without
With
+6.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
24 currently pending
Career history
649
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.4%
-39.6% vs TC avg
§103
44.9%
+4.9% vs TC avg
§102
29.5%
-10.5% vs TC avg
§112
12.3%
-27.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 625 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 7/24/2023 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 § 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. Claim(s) 1-3, 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwag et al (US 2020/0243358; hereinafter Kwag) in view of Kwag et al (US 2020/0357779; hereinafter Kwag_1). Regarding claim 1, Fig 1 of Kwag discloses a micro-LED selective air layer transfer print device comprising: a laser light source part (60; Fig 1; ¶ [0062]) which irradiates laser light (¶ [0062]); a wafer part (20; Fig 1; ¶ [0062]) which is located under the laser light source part (60; Fig 1; ¶ [0062]) to receive the laser light irradiated from the laser light source part (¶ [0070]); and a substrate part (30/40/80; Fig 1; ¶ [0062]), which is located under the wafer part (20; Fig 1; ¶ [0062]) and onto which micro LED chips (21; Fig 1; ¶ [0063]) of the wafer part are transferred, wherein the substrate part includes: a substrate stage (30/40; Fig 1; ¶ [0063]) which is located under the wafer part; and a substrate lift part (80; Fig2; ¶ [0093], ¶ [0084] discloses stage 40 can move the substrate vertically along the z-direction; Fig 1) which lifts the whole substrate stage or only a part of the substrate stage. However Kwag does not expressly disclose a substrate as glass substrate. In the same field of endeavor, Kwag_1 discloses a target substrate can be a glass substrate (¶ [0040]). Accordingly it would have been obvious to the person in the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention such that a target substrate is a glass substrate for the purpose of using well known and suitable material known in the art to be used during transfer micro LED chips (¶ [0040]). Regarding claim 2, Fig 1 of Kwag discloses the laser light source part includes: a laser light source (60; Fig 1; ¶ [0062]) which generates laser light (¶ [0062]); a beam path part (¶ [0088]; Fig 1) through which the laser light emitted from the laser light source passes; a mask part (51; Fig 1; ¶ [0104]) having a non-transmissive film which blocks a portion of the laser light passing through the beam path part (¶ [0104]) and selectively allows only the portion of the laser light to pass (¶ [0104]); and a projection lens part (¶ [0108]) which enlarges the magnification of the laser light transmitted through the mask part according to an area of the wafer. Regarding claim 3, Fig 1 of Kwag discloses the glass substrate part further includes: a substrate lift support on which the substrate lift part is formed (¶ [0084], [0093]); a substrate left-right movement guide part which guides the substrate lift support to move left and right (¶ [0084], [0093]); a substrate left-right movement support on which the substrate left-right movement guide part is formed (¶ [0084], [0093]); and a substrate front-rear movement part which guides the substrate left-right movement support to move forward and backward (¶ [0084], [0093]). Regarding claim 6, Figs 1 and 18 of Kwag discloses a substrate rotation part, which is formed between the bottom of the substrate stage and the top of the substrate lift support to rotate the substrate stage. (¶ [0157]) Regarding claim 7, Figs 1 and 18 of Kwag discloses a stage support member, which is formed on the substrate lift support to support the bottom of the substrate stage. (Fig 1) Allowable Subject Matter Claims 4-5, 8-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Regarding claim 4, the prior art of record, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest the combination of limitations including “a first drive part; a first drive shaft for the first drive part; a drive slope member moving back and forth according to the rotation of the first drive shaft; a passive slope member which contacts the drive slope member and is lifted and lowered by the drive slope member”. Regarding claim 5, the prior art of record, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest the combination of limitations including “the beam path part includes: an attenuator module, which is formed to adjust power while the laser light passes through; a beam forming part, which forms the shape of the laser light passed through the attenuator module to reduce a difference in energy intensity occurring depending on the position of the beam irradiation surface”. Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest the combination of limitations including “a cylindrical rotation member formed around the cylindrical rotational center member; a substrate passive rotation member formed on one side of the substrate stage; and a substrate driving rotation member formed on one side of the top of the substrate lift support to rotate the substrate passive rotation member, wherein when the substrate passive rotation member moves by the substrate driving rotation member, the cylindrical rotation member rotates around the rotating central cylindrical member”. Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest the combination of limitations including “a stage support cylinder part; a first direction movement support part which is formed on the lower portion of the stage support cylinder part; and a second direction movement support part, which is formed to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the first direction movement support part on the lower part of the first direction movement support part”. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Aoki (US 10564548) Kwag et al (US 2020/0020740) Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RATISHA MEHTA whose telephone number is (571)270-7473. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9:00am - 5:00 pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eliseo Ramos Feliciano can be reached at 571-272-7925. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /RATISHA MEHTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 24, 2023
Application Filed
Dec 27, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
89%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+6.4%)
2y 1m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 625 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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