DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
Response to Amendment/Restriction
Applicant's election with traverse of Group 1, Species II, FIG. 2B, Sub-Species A, FIG. 7B, Sub-sub Species 3, FIG. 9A, and Claims 1, 2, 4, and 13-15 in the reply filed on January 12, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B can be grouped as a single sub-species…in addition to Claim Group I, Species II, and Sub-Species A…” However, although [00235] discloses the combination of FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, it appears the structures of FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are distinct from each other with respect to the arrangements of ALE_S1/ALE_S2/ALE2 in FIG. 9A and ALE1/ALE_S3/ALE_S4 in FIG. 9B. It is unclear whether Applicants deem the embodiments obvious variants of each other. It is also unclear what the combined structure would be such that they should be grouped as a single sub-species. Further, it appears claims 3, 5-6, and 10-12 also read on the elected FIG. 7B. Thus, claims 1-6, 10-12, and 13-15 are under examination.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Specification
The title of the invention is broad and 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
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0190672 A1 to Lee et al. (“Lee”).
As to claim 1, Lee discloses a display device comprising: a first pixel electrode (120) disposed on a base layer (101); a first insulating layer (107) disposed on the first pixel electrode (120) and including an opening (at 140) exposing the first pixel electrode (120); a first electrode (AM1”, AM2”) and a second electrode (AM1”, AM2”) disposed on the first insulating layer (107) and spaced apart from each other with the opening (at 140) disposed between the first electrode (AM1”, AM2”) and the second electrode (AM1”, AM2”); a light emitting element (130) disposed in the opening (at 140) and including a first end portion (at 138b) electrically contacting the first pixel electrode (120) and a second end portion (at 138a); a second insulating layer (108/140/109) covering the first insulating layer (107), the first electrode (AM1”, AM2”), and the second electrode (AM1”, AM2”) and exposing the second end portion (at 138a) of the light emitting element (130); and a second pixel electrode (150) disposed on the second insulating layer (108/140/109) and electrically contacting the second end portion (at 138a) of the light emitting element (130) (See Fig. 2, Fig. 6, Fig. 9, ¶ 0040, ¶ 0041, ¶ 0042, ¶ 0049, ¶ 0050, ¶ 0051, ¶ 0052, ¶ 0053, ¶ 0054, ¶ 0055, ¶ 0056, ¶ 0057, ¶ 0062) (Notes: the first and second electrodes are made of the same material as the pixel electrode). As to claim 2, Lee further discloses wherein the light emitting element (130) includes an n-type semiconductor layer (136), an active layer (134), and a p-type semiconductor layer (132), which are sequentially stacked, and the p-type semiconductor layer (132) electrically contacts the second pixel electrode (150) (See Fig. 9, ¶ 0052).
As to claim 3, Lee further discloses wherein the first pixel electrode (120) is a cathode electrode (120), and the second pixel electrode (150) is an anode electrode (150) (See Fig. 9, ¶ 0051, ¶ 0052).
As to claim 4, Lee further discloses wherein the light emitting element (130) further includes a contact electrode layer (138b) disposed on the n-type semiconductor layer (136), and the contact electrode layer (138b) electrically contacts the first pixel electrode (120) (See Fig. 9, ¶ 0052). As to claim 5, Lee further discloses wherein, the opening (at 140) is disposed more adjacent to the first electrode (AM1”) than to the second electrode (AM2”) in a plan view (See Fig. 9). As to claim 6, Lee further discloses wherein a thickness of the first insulating layer (107) in a cross-sectional view is in a range of about 40% to about 75% of a length of the light emitting element (130) (See Fig. 9) (Notes: FIG. 9 conveys the range is met and also in view of the limitation “about” and “a length”). As to claim 10, Lee further discloses wherein the second insulating layer (108, 140) is filled in the opening (at 140) of the first insulating layer (107) (See Fig. 9). As to claim 11, Lee discloses further comprising: a third insulating layer (140) disposed between the first (AM1”, AM2”) and second (AM1”, AM2”) electrodes and the second insulating layer (108) (See Fig. 9). As to claim 12, Lee discloses further comprising: a bank (140) disposed between the first (AM1”, AM2”) and second (AM1”, AM2”) electrodes and the second insulating layer (108), the bank (140) defining an emission area (surrounding 130) in a plan view (See Fig. 9) (Notes: the bank defines and supports the emission area). As to claim 13, Lee discloses further comprising: color conversion particles (quantum dot, fluorescent powder, phosphor powder) disposed on the second pixel electrode (150), the color conversion particles converting a wavelength band of light emitted from the light emitting element (130) (See Fig. 9, ¶ 0053, ¶ 0062). As to claim 14, Lee discloses further comprising: a color filter (¶ 0062) disposed on the color conversion particles (quantum dot, fluorescent powder, phosphor powder) (See Fig. 9, ¶ 0053, ¶ 0062) (Notes: the arrangement is commonly known as evidenced by FIG. 14 of Pak et al. (US 2022/0173160 A1)).
As to claim 15, Lee further discloses wherein the first pixel electrode (120) includes a first sub-pixel electrode (120) and a second sub-pixel electrode (120), spaced apart from each other with the second electrode (AM2”) disposed between the first sub-pixel electrode (120) and the second sub-pixel electrode (120) in a plan view and electrically connected with each other, and the first electrode (AM1”) includes a first sub-electrode (AM1”) spaced apart from the second electrode (AM2”) with the first sub-pixel electrode (120) disposed between the first sub-electrode (AM1”) and the second electrode (AM2”) in a plan view and a second sub-electrode (AM2”) spaced apart from the second electrode (AM2”) with the second sub-pixel electrode (120) disposed between the second sub-electrode (AM2”) and the second electrode (AM2”) (See Fig. 2, ¶ 0054) (Notes: the sub-pixel electrodes are electrically connected when the display units are all turned on).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7438. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-6.
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/DAVID CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815