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
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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.
Claims 1-4, 6-10, 13, 31 and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al., US 2014/0183501.
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a display panel (at least in Figure 2A), comprising: a base substrate (110A); a conductive connection member (290A), located on the base substrate, and comprising a separation structure (the vertically bent portions of 290A); a light-emitting functional layer (152A), located on a side of the conductive connection member facing away from the base substrate, and disconnected at the separation structure; a first electrode (157A), located on a side of the light-emitting functional layer facing away from the base substrate (see Figure 2A); and an auxiliary electrode (261A), located on a side of the conductive connection member close to the base substrate (see Figure 2A), wherein the first electrode is connected with the conductive connection member at the separation structure (electrode 157A is connected to vertically bent portions of 290A), the first electrode is connected with the auxiliary electrode through the conductive connection member (see Figure 2A, connected to 261A via 290A), and the separation structure comprises a groove vertically bent portions of 290A create a groove), and an angle between an orientation of the groove and the base substrate is an acute angle (see Figure 2A, acute angle between bent portions of 290A and substrate 110A).
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the conductive connection member comprises a first connection electrode (flat part of 290A contacting auxiliary electrode 261A) and a second connection electrode (vertically bent portions of 290A), the first connection electrode is closer to the base substrate than the second connection electrode (see Figure 2A), and the second connection electrode has the separation structure (see Figure 2A, bent portion is the separation structure).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 2 and further teaches the first electrode is in contact with at least a part of a side surface of the second connection electrode (see Figure 2A, electrode 157A is contacting side surfaces of bent portions of connection electrode 290A).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 2 and further teaches an orthographic projection of the first connection electrode (flat part of 290A) on the base substrate is larger than an orthographic projection of the second connection electrode (bent portions of 290A) on the base substrate (see Figure 2A), wherein the first electrode (157A) is in contact with a surface of the first connection electrode (flat portion of 290A) facing away from the base substrate (see Figure 2A).
Regarding claim 6, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 2 and further teaches a pixel defining pattern (116A), wherein the pixel defining pattern is arranged between the light-emitting functional layer (152A) and the first connection electrode (flat portion of 290A), the pixel defining pattern comprises a first opening (opening where barrier rib 280A is formed), and the first opening exposes the separation structure on at least one side of the second connection electrode (both bent portions of 290A are exposed by opening in pixel defining pattern 116A).
Regarding claim 7, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 6 and further teaches the pixel defining pattern (116A) further comprises a first defining structure forming at least a part of the first opening (left partition), an orthographic projection of the first defining structure on the base substrate is not overlapped with an orthographic projection of the separation structure on the base substrate (see Figure 2, bent portion of 290 does not overlap the base with partition 116A), and the first defining structure is located on at least one side of the first opening (see Figure 2A).
Regarding claim 8, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 6 and further teaches the pixel defining pattern further comprises a second defining structure (right partition 116A) forming at least a part of the first opening, the second defining structure covers the separation structure on at least one side of the second connection electrode (partition 116A covers a side of bent portion of 290A), and the second defining structure is located on at least one side of the first opening (see Figure 2A).
Regarding claim 9, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the second connection electrode (bent portion of 290A) comprises a first connection part and a second connection part (vertical and curved top portions of the bent portion), the first connection part (vertical part) is closer to the base substrate than the second connection part (top bent portion, see Figure 2A), and the first connection part is inwardly recessed than the second connection part at a side surface of the second connection electrode to form the groove (see Figure 2A), so as to form the separation structure (id).
Regarding claim 10, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 9 and further teaches a material of the first connection part comprises metal ([0069]), and a material of the second connection part and a material of the first connection electrode comprise conductive metal oxide, wherein the groove comprises an over-etching hole ([0093]).
Regarding claim 13, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 9 and further teaches a functional electrode (151A), wherein the functional electrode is adjacent to the auxiliary electrode (adjacent 261A), an orthographic projection of the functional electrode on the base substrate is not overlapped with an orthographic projection of the auxiliary electrode on the base substrate (see Figure 2A), an orthographic projection of the separation structure (bent portions of 290A) on the base substrate is not overlapped with the orthographic projection of the functional electrode on the base substrate (see Figure 2A).
Regarding claim 31, Kim teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a display device (Abstract).
Regarding claim 32, Kim teaches a manufacturing method of a display panel, comprising: providing a base substrate (110A); forming an auxiliary electrode (260A) on the base substrate; forming a conductive connection member (290A) on the auxiliary electrode, wherein the conductive connection member comprises a separation structure (bent portions of 290A); forming a light-emitting functional layer (152A) on the conductive connection member, wherein the light-emitting functional layer is disconnected at the separation structure (see Figure 2A); and forming a first electrode (157A) on the light-emitting functional layer, wherein the first electrode is connected with the conductive connection member at the separation structure (see Figure 2A, connected to bent portions and flat portion of 290A), the first electrode is connected with the auxiliary electrode through the conductive connection member (see Figure 2A), the separation structure comprises a groove (groove created by bent portions of 290A), and an angle between an orientation of the groove and the base substrate is an acute angle (see Figure 2A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11,12, 16, 18, 22, 23, 26 and 27 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. The prior art fails to teach or suggest the dimension of the second connection part protruding from the first connection part is greater than or equal to a thickness of the first connection part and a length of the first connection electrode is greater than a dimension of the second connection part protruding from the first connection part. The prior art further fails to teach or suggest an insulating layer between the auxiliary electrode and conductive connection member and they are connected via a hole penetrating the insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer comprises a passivation layer and a planarization layer.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to teach or suggest a length of a contact part between the first electrode and the first connection electrode is greater than a dimension of the second connection part protruding from the first connection part.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cheng et al., CN 116209314 teaches a display device comprising a cathode and an auxiliary electrode, and further teaches a pixel defining layer.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY-ELLEN BOWMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday; 7:00 am-5:00 pm.
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MARY ELLEN BOWMAN
Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/MARY ELLEN BOWMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875