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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie et al (PG Pub 2011/0073867 A1), Wang et al (PG Pub 2020/0168461 A1), and Kim et al (PG Pub 2014/0197382 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Xie teaches a display substrate, comprising: a base substrate (1, fig. 9); a first conductive layer (4;15a to 15c, paragraph [0032]) which is located at a side of the base substrate and comprises a gate line (paragraph [0032]) a first insulation layer (10, paragraph [0031]) located at a side of the first conductive layer away from the base substrate: and a second conductive layer (8) which is located at a side of the first insulation layer away from the base substrate and comprises a data line (3, paragraph [0033]) wherein the first conductive layer is a metal conductive layer, the first conductive layer comprising a core conductive layer (15b) and a functional conductive layer (15c) that are stacked along a direction away from the base substrate; a material of the core conductive layer comprises: a conductive metal material (Cu or Al, paragraphs [0030][0032]); a material of the functional conductive layer comprises: a first diffusion barrier metal material (paragraph [0030]) and at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material (paragraph [0032]).
Xie does not teach “wherein the first diffusion barrier metal material is configured to block diffusion of the conductive metal material, and the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material is configured to enhance an adhesion force between the functional conductive layer and a photoresist used in a patterning process of the functional conductive layer” or “a surface energy of any of the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material is less than or equal to 325 mJ/m2, and a range of a sum of atomic percents of all of the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material in the functional conductive layer is 5% to 60%.”
In the same field of endeavor, Wang teaches a first conductive layer comprises a first diffusion barrier metal material (Mo in MoNiTi, paragraph [0014]) and at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material (Ti in MoNiTi), for the benefit of reducing stress and improving yield (paragraph [0004]).
Wang does not teach “wherein the first diffusion barrier metal material is configured to block diffusion of the conductive metal material, and the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material is configured to enhance an adhesion force between the functional conductive layer and a photoresist used in a patterning process of the functional conductive layer”; Wang teaches the same materials (Mo and Ti) disclosed by Applicant, Wang’s conductive layer can perform the same function as claimed.
Xie does not teach “a surface energy of any of the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material is less than or equal to 325 mJ/m2, and a range of a sum of atomic percents of all of the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material in the functional conductive layer is 5% to 60%.”
In the same field of endeavor, Kim teaches a range of a sum of atomic percents of all of the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material in the functional conductive layer is 5% to 60% (paragraphs [0085][0112]), for the benefit of preventing corrosion of the metal layer underneath/above it (paragraph [0117]).
Kim does not explicitly teach that the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material is configured to enhance an adhesion force between the functional conductive layer and a photoresist used in a patterning process of the functional conductive layer (functional language); a surface energy of any of the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material is less than or equal to 325 mJ/m2. Since Kim teaches the very same material for the adhesion force enhancing metal material (titanium, paragraphs [0085][0112] of Kim and current claim 4), they inherently possess the same claimed property (surface energy) and function.
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 1, wherein the material of the functional conductive layer further comprises: a first oxidation resistance metal material (nickel, Ni, paragraph [0112]), configured to enhance an oxidation resistance performance of the functional conductive layer; and a sum of atomic percents of the first oxidation resistance metal materials in the functional conductive layer is 5% to 30% (paragraph[0112]).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 2, wherein the first oxidation resistance metal material comprises: nickel (paragraph [0112]).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 1, wherein the at least one first adhesion force enhancing metal material in the functional conductive layer comprises: at least one of aluminum, silver, gold, barium, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, titanium (paragraphs [0085][0112]), gallium, germanium, indium, manganese, neodymium, palladium, platinum, rubidium, antimony, scandium, tin, strontium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium.
Regarding claim 5, Kim does not explicitly teach the display substrate claim 1, wherein the first diffusion barrier metal material and the conductive metal material are configured such that they are able to be etched using a same etching liquid.
Since Kim teaches the very same materials the first diffusion barrier metal material and the conductive metal material (Mo and Cu, paragraphs [0084][0105][0085][0112] of Kim and current claim 4), they inherently possess the same claimed property such as being etched with the same etching liquid.
Regarding claim 6, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim1, wherein the conductive metal material comprises copper (paragraphs [0108][0112]); and the first diffusion barrier metal material comprises molybdenum (paragraphs [0108][0112]).
Regarding claim 7, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim1, wherein a range of atomic percents of the first diffusion barrier metal material in the functional conductive layer is 40% to 90% (50%: 100% minus those of titanium and nickel, 20 and 30, respectively, paragraph [0112]).
Regarding claim 8, Wang and Kim teaches the display substrate of claim1, wherein the metal conductive layer further comprises: a buffer conductive layer (first buffer, paragraphs [0012][0013]; 147, fig. 6 of Kim), located at a side of the core conductive layer away from the functional conductive layer and in contact with the core conductive layer; and a material of the buffer conductive layer comprises: a second diffusion barrier metal material, configured to block diffusion of the conductive metal material (paragraph [0014] of Wang; paragraph [0085] of Kim).
Regarding claim 9, Wang and Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 8, wherein the second diffusion barrier metal material comprises molybdenum (paragraph [0014] of Wang; paragraph [0085] of Kim).
Regarding claim 10, Wang and Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 8, wherein the material of the buffer conductive layer further comprises at least one second adhesion force enhancing metal material (Ti, paragraph [0014] of Wang; titanium, paragraph [0085] of Kim), configured to enhance an adhesion force between the buffer conductive layer and the core conductive layer (can perform the same function, see claim 1).
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 10, wherein a surface energy of any of the at least one second adhesion force enhancing metal material is less than or equal to 325 mJ/m2 (titanium, paragraph [0085], same material, same property, see claim 1), and a range of a sum of atomic percents of all of the at least one second adhesion force enhancing metal material in the functional conductive layer is 5% to 60% (paragraph [0085]).
Regarding claim 12, Wang and Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 10, wherein the second adhesion force enhancing metal material in the buffer conductive layer comprises: at least one of aluminum, silver, gold, barium, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, titanium (paragraph [0014] of Wang; paragraph [0085]), gallium, germanium, indium, manganese, neodymium, palladium, platinum, rubidium, antimony, scandium, tin, strontium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium.
Regarding claim 13, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 8, wherein the material of the buffer conductive layer further comprises: a second oxidation resistance metal material, configured to enhance an oxidation resistance performance of the buffer conductive layer (nickel, paragraph [0085]); and a sum of atomic percents of the second oxidation resistance metal material in the buffer conductive layer is 5% to 30% (paragraph [0112]).
Regarding claim 14, Wang and Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 13, wherein the first oxidation resistance metal material comprises nickel (paragraph [0014] of Wang; paragraph [0085] of Kim).
Regarding claim 15, Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 8, wherein the second diffusion barrier metal material comprises molybdenum (paragraphs [0085][0112]); and a range of atomic percents of the second diffusion barrier metal material in the buffer conductive layer is 40% to 90% (50%: 100% minus those of titanium and nickel, 20 and 30, respectively, paragraph [0112]).
Regarding claim 16, Wang and Kim teaches the display substrate of claim 8, wherein the material of the buffer conductive layer and material of the functional conductive layer are the same (paragraphs [0014][0015] of Wang; paragraphs [0085][0112] of Kim).
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie et al (PG Pub 2011/0073867 A1), Wang et al (PG Pub 2020/0168461 A1), and Kim et al (PG Pub 2014/0197382 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chen (PG Pub 2023/0343837 A1) and Kimura (PG Pub 2005/0161670 A1).
Regarding claim 18, the previous combination remains as applied in claim 1.
Xie further teaches
The previous combination does not teach the thicknesses of the claimed layers.
It would have been obvious to the skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adjust the thicknesses of the layers to optimize the electrical characteristics of the device according to its intended use.
Furthermore, in the same field of endeavor, Chen teaches a thickness of a copper layer (in 40, paragraph [0090]) is 1000Å to 6000Å; and a thickness a Mo-Ti-Ni layer is 50Å to 600Å (paragraph [0092]), for the benefits of providing a conductive wiring and a light shield layer that ensures performance stability of the device (paragraph [0092]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to make a thickness of the core conductive layer 1000Å to 6000Å; and a thickness of the functional conductive layer 50Å to 600Å, for the benefits of providing a conductive wiring and a light shield layer that ensures performance stability of the device.
Xie further teaches the first conductive layer comprises a plurality of conductive patterns (4 and 6, fig. 9, paragraph [0047])
The previous combination does not teach a range of a sidewall slope angle of the conductive patterns is 40º to 50º.
In the same field of endeavor, Kimura teaches a range of a sidewall slope angle of the conductive patterns is 40º to 50º (paragraph [0076]), for the benefit of reducing breakage (paragraph [0017]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to make teach a range of a sidewall slope angle of the conductive patterns to be 40º to 50º, for the benefit of reducing breakage.
Claim(s) 21 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie et al (PG Pub 2011/0073867 A1), Wang et al (PG Pub 2020/0168461 A1), and Kim et al (PG Pub 2014/0197382 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chen (PG Pub 2023/0343837 A1).
Regarding claim 21, the previous combination remains as applied in claim 1.
The previous combination does not teach an opposite substrate disposed opposite to the display substrate.
In the same field of endeavor, Imamura teaches a display substrate (10, fig. 4) and an opposite substrate (20) disposed opposite to the display substrate, for the benefit of preventing external elements such as water and oxygen from entering the device that cause degradation (paragraph [0046]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include an opposite substrate disposed opposite to the display substrate for the benefit of preventing external elements such as water and oxygen from entering the device that cause degradation.
Regarding claim 22, Xie in view of Wang, Kim, and Imamura teaches a display device, comprising the display panel of claim 21.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the currently cited references teach the amended/added features. See rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/FEIFEI YEUNG LOPEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899