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 .
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) 1-6, 8, 10-19 & 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SEO et al. (US 20190051801) in view of CHOI et al. (US 20190341536).
Regarding claim 1, SEO discloses that a light-emitting device, comprising:
a substrate 110 (Fig. 2A);
a first semiconductor layer 122 and a semiconductor platform 124 & 126 disposed on the first semiconductor layer 122, wherein the semiconductor platform comprises a second semiconductor layer 126 and an active layer 124 between the first semiconductor layer 122 and the second semiconductor layer 126 (Fig. 2A);
a plurality of openings 150 passing through the semiconductor platform to expose a portion of the first semiconductor layer 122 (Fig. 1 & 2A);
a plurality of first electrodes 150 located on the exposed portions of the first semiconductor layer 122 in the plurality of openings and not covering the semiconductor platform (Fig. 1 & 2);
a second electrode 144 & 140 on the second semiconductor layer and not covering the first electrode 150 (Fig. 1 & 2A);
a first electrode pad 162 located on the first electrode 150 and not covering the semiconductor platform (Fig. 2A, para. 0108, note:” each of the first and second bonding pads 162 and 164 may be Ti/Ni/Au/Sn/Au”); and
a second electrode pad 164 located on the semiconductor platform and not covering the first electrode 150 (Fig. 1 & 2A).
SEO fails to specify that a first electrode pads are a multilayer pads.
However, CHOI suggests that an electrode pads 1172 or 1171 can be multilayer in vertically (para. 0285, note: using “- - at least one of Ti, Al, In, Ir, Ta, Pd, Co, Cr, Mg, Zn, Ni, Si, Ge, Ag, Ag alloy, Au, Hf, Pt, Ru, Rh, ZnO, IrOx, RuOx, NiO, RuOx/ITO, Ni/IrOx/Au, Ni/IrOx/Au/ITO, and the like - -” and since applicant’s claim doesn’t not specify that a location of a plurality of electrode pads, multilayers stacked structure can be considering a plurality of electrode pads in vertical direction).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of applicant(s) claimed invention was made to provide SEO with a plurality of electrode pads as taught by CHOI in order to improving the luminous intensity (para. 0300) and also, the claim would have been obvious because a particular know technique was recognized as part of the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art.
Reclaim 2, SEO & CHOI disclose that in a top view, the second electrode pad 164 comprises a plurality of concave portions 140 (SEO, Fig. 1) and a plurality of convex portions on the semiconductor platform (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2B).
Reclaim 3, SEO & CHOI disclose that one of the plurality of first electrode pads 162 is disposed between two adjacent of the plurality of convex portions of the second electrode pad (Fig. 1 & 2A).
Reclaim 4, SEO & CHOI disclose that one of the plurality of first electrode pads 162 and one of the plurality of convex portions of the second electrode pad respectively comprises an end, the light-emitting device comprises an edge, and the end of the one of the plurality of convex portions of the second electrode pad is closer to the edge of the light- emitting device than the end of the one of the plurality of first electrode pads (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A).
Reclaim 5, SEO & CHOI disclose that a first diagonal and a second diagonal, a distance between two of the plurality of concave portions of the second electrode pad on the first diagonal is less than a distance between two of the plurality of concave portions of the second electrode pad on the second diagonal (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A).
Reclaim 6, SEO & CHOI disclose that the plurality of first electrode pads has a total area, and the second electrode pad has an area greater than the total area of the plurality of first electrode pads (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A).
Reclaim 8, SEO & CHOI disclose that an insulating layer 130 covering the plurality of first electrodes and the second electrode, wherein the insulating layer comprises a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) structure (SEO, para. 0058).
Reclaim 10, SEO & CHOI disclose that the second electrode 144 & 140 comprises an outer edge, one of the plurality of first electrodes comprises a first extension electrode extending along the outer edge of the second electrode in a top view (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A).
Reclaim 11, SEO & CHOI disclose that a first diagonal and a second diagonal, wherein each of the plurality of first electrodes 150 comprises a first extension electrode, a first diagonal distance between two of the first extension electrodes on the first diagonal is less than a second diagonal distance between two of the first extension electrodes on the second diagonal. (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A).
Reclaim 12, SEO & CHOI disclose that a first side and a second side connected with the first side, wherein one of the plurality of first electrode pads 162 is adjacent to the first side and the second side, the one of the plurality of first electrode pads 162 is separated from the first side by a first distance and is separated from the second side by a second distance, the second distance is greater than the first distance. (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A).
Reclaim 13, SEO & CHOI disclose that the second electrode pad 164 is separated from the first side by a first spacing and separated from the second side by a second spacing, the second spacing is less than the second distance (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2a).
Reclaim 14, SEO & CHOI disclose that the first spacing is equal to or greater than the second spacing (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2a).
Reclaim 15, SEO & CHOI disclose that one of the plurality of first electrode pads and one of the plurality of first electrodes respectively has an area, and the area of the one of the plurality of first electrode pads accounts for a first ratio of that of the one of the plurality of first electrodes, and wherein the second electrode pad and the second electrode respectively has an area, and the area of the second electrode pad accounts for a second ratio of that of the second electrode, wherein the first ratio is greater than the second ratio (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2a).
Regarding claim 16, SEO & CHOI disclose that a light-emitting apparatus comprising:
a light-emitting device comprising:
a substrate 110 (SEO, Fig. 2A);
a first semiconductor layer 122 and a semiconductor platform 124 & 126 disposed on the first semiconductor layer 122, wherein the semiconductor platform comprises a second semiconductor layer 126 and an active layer 124 between the first semiconductor layer 122 and the second semiconductor layer 126;
an opening CHA passing through the semiconductor platform to exposed a portion the first semiconductor layer 122 (SEO, Fig. 2A & 7B );
a first electrode 150 located on the exposed portion of the first semiconductor layer 122 in the opening and not covering the semiconductor platform 120 (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A);
a second electrode 144, 140, 142 on the second semiconductor layer 126 and not covering the first semiconductor layer in the opening 150 v(Fig. 1 & 2A);
a first electrode pad 162 located on the first electrode 150 and not covering the semiconductor platform 120 (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A in view of CHOI’s para. para. 0285), wherein the first electrode pad 162 comprises a first pattern; and
a second electrode pad 164 located on the semiconductor platform 120 and not covering the first electrode 150, wherein the second electrode pad 164 comprises a second pattern, and a first surface of the first electrode pad is higher than a second surface of the second electrode pad (SEO, Fig. 2A); and
a mounting substrate 184 comprising a third pattern and a fourth pattern respectively corresponding to the first pattern and the second pattern of the light-emitting device (Fig. 2A, para. 0153, note: due to a plurality of recesses, a third pattern and a fourth pattern can be made in Fig. 10).
Reclaim 17, SEO & CHOI disclose that the mounting substrate further comprises a first conductor portion and a second conductor portion on a surface of the mounting substrate, and the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion respectively comprises the third pattern and the fourth pattern (SEO, Fig. 2A).
Reclaim 18, SEO & CHOI disclose that the first conductor portion comprises a first conductor extension and the second conductor portion comprises a first concave portion surrounding the first conductor extension (SEO, Fig. 2A).
Reclaim 19, SEO & CHOI disclose that the second electrode pad comprises a second concave portion and a second convex portion on the semiconductor platform, and the second conductor portion comprises a first convex portion corresponding to the second convex portion of the second electrode pad (SEO, Fig. 2A).
Regarding claim 21, SEO & CHOI disclose that a light-emitting device, having a first side and comprising:
a first semiconductor layer 122 and a semiconductor platform 124 & 126 disposed on the first semiconductor layer 122, wherein the semiconductor platform comprises a second semiconductor layer 126 and an active layer 124 between the first semiconductor layer 122and the second semiconductor layer;
an opening 150 passing through the semiconductor platform to expose a portion of the first semiconductor layer 122 (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A);
a first electrode 150 located on the exposed potion of the first semiconductor layer 122; and
a second electrode pad 164 located on the second semiconductor layer 126 and not covering the first electrode 150 and comprising a convex portion CHA, wherein the convex portion is closer to the first side than the first electrode (Fig. 2A or 9-10).
Reclaim 22, SEO & CHOI disclose that a plurality of first electrode pads 162 located on the plurality of first electrodes 150 (SEO, Fig. 1 & 2A).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SEO et al. (US 20190051801) in view of CHOI et al. (US 20190341536).
Reclaim 20, SEO & CHOI disclose fail to specify that a step difference between the first surface and the second surface is less than 2 um.
However, notwithstanding, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to the recited dimensions through routine experimentation and optimization.
Before effective filing date of the invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use a certain step difference between the first surface and the second surface, because it would have been to obtain a certain step difference between the first surface and the second surface to enhance different elevation to contact on the mounting substrate.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 1-3, filed 0323/20296, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) under 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of SEO et al. (US 20190051801) and CHOI et al. (US 20190341536).
Conclusion
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/SU C KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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