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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Elections/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I and Species A (Claims 1-14) in the reply filed on 05/01/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) based upon an application filed in JAPAN on 01/31/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/26/2023 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 § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 and 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable over US20130001620A1; Sugisawa et al.; (hereinafter “Sugisawa”).
Regarding Claim 1, Sugisawa teaches a mother substrate (#801, Figure 9) for a display device ([0004]), comprising:
a plurality of panel portions each of which includes a display area (Figures 1A-B, #160-161R/G/B) in which a plurality of display elements (#130) are provided;
a margin area around the panel portions (non-emission regions between adjacent units #160-161R/G/B); and
a first partition (#150) provided in the margin area, wherein
each of the display elements (#130) includes a lower electrode (#118), an upper electrode (#122) which faces the lower electrode, and an organic layer (#120) which is provided between the lower electrode (#118) and the upper electrode (#122) and emits light based on a potential difference between the lower electrode (#118) and the upper electrode (#122), and
the first partition (#150) includes a first lower portion (Figure 1D, #150a) formed of an organic insulating material ([0068]), and a first upper portion (#150b) comprising an end portion which protrudes from a side surface of the lower portion (Figure 1D, #150b has a larger width than #150a).
Regarding Claim 2, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1, wherein Sugisawa further teaches the panel portion comprises an organic insulating layer (#116, Figure 5A) formed of the same organic insulating material as the first lower portion (#150a, [0068] & [0121]) and provided in the display area (#160-161R/G/B), and
the lower electrode (#118) is provided above the organic insulating layer (#116).
Regarding Claim 3, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1, wherein Sugisawa further teaches the panel portion comprises a rib (#124, Figure 1B) comprising a pixel aperture (#160R/G/B) overlapping the lower electrode (#118),
the organic layer (#120) is in contact with the lower electrode (#118) through the pixel aperture, and
the rib (#124) and the first upper portion (#150b) are formed of a same inorganic insulating material ([0070] & [0122], for instance, silicon oxide).
Regarding Claim 4, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1, wherein Sugisawa further teaches the lower electrode (#118) and the first upper portion (#150b) are formed of a same conductive material ([0070] & [0123], for instance, aluminum).
Regarding Claim 6, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1, wherein Sugisawa further teaches the first partition comprises a plurality of linear portions provided parallel to each other (Figure 1A, partitions #150 are parallel to each other), and
the linear portions are arranged at intervals less than or equal to 200 μm (Figure 13A, [0262], interval between partitions #150 can be less than or equal to a total of length/width #L3 and #L5 which is less than 200 μm).
Regarding Claim 8, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1, wherein Sugisawa further teaches each of the panel portion comprises a second partition (#150, Figure 1B, partition structures) provided between the display elements (#130) in the display area, and
the second partition (#150) includes a second lower portion (#150a, Figure 1D), and a second upper portion (#150b) comprising an end portion which protrudes from a side surface of the second lower portion (#150b has a larger width than #150a).
Regarding Claim 9, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1, wherein Sugisawa further teaches an insulating layer (#114-124, Figure 5A) located under the first partition (#150) in the margin area;
a stacked film (#130) which includes the organic layer (#120) and the upper electrode (#122) and covers the insulating layer (#114-124) and the first partition (#150); and
a sealing layer (#168) which covers the stacked film (#130), wherein
the stacked film is divided into a plurality of portions by the first partition (portions of layer #120 and electrode #122 are separated by partition #150), and
the sealing layer continuously covers the plurality of portions (coat layer #168 covers #120 and #122).
Regarding Claim 10, Sugisawa teaches a display device ([0004]), comprising:
a display area (Figures 1A-B, #160-161R/G/B) in which a plurality of display elements (#130) are provided;
a surrounding area around the display area (non-emission regions between adjacent units #160-161R/G/B); and
a first partition (#150) provided in the surrounding area, wherein
each of the display elements (#130) includes a lower electrode (#118), an upper electrode (#122) which faces the lower electrode, and an organic layer (#120) which is provided between the lower electrode (#118) and the upper electrode (#122) and emits light based on a potential difference between the lower electrode (#118) and the upper electrode (#122), and
the first partition (#150) includes a first lower portion (Figure 1D, #150a) formed of an organic insulating material ([0068]), and a first upper portion (#150b) comprising an end portion which protrudes from a side surface of the lower portion (Figure 1D, #150b has a larger width than #150a).
Regarding Claim 11, Sugisawa teaches the display device as described in claim 10, wherein Sugisawa further teaches an organic insulating layer (#116, Figure 5A) formed of the same organic insulating material as the first lower portion (#150a, [0068] & [0121]) and provided in the display area (#160-161R/G/B), and
the lower electrode (#118) is provided above the organic insulating layer (#116).
Regarding Claim 12, Sugisawa teaches the display device as described in claim 10, wherein Sugisawa further teaches a rib (#124, Figure 1B) comprising a pixel aperture (#160R/G/B) overlapping the lower electrode (#118),
the organic layer (#120) is in contact with the lower electrode (#118) through the pixel aperture, and
the rib (#124) and the first upper portion (#150b) are formed of a same inorganic insulating material ([0070] & [0122], for instance, silicon oxide).
Regarding Claim 13, Sugisawa teaches the display device as described in claim 10, wherein Sugisawa further teaches the lower electrode (#118) and the first upper portion (#150b) are formed of a same conductive material ([0070] & [0123], for instance, aluminum).
Regarding Claim 14, Sugisawa teaches the display device as described in claim 10, wherein Sugisawa further teaches a second partition (#150, Figure 1B, partition structures) provided between the display elements (#130) in the display area, and
the second partition (#150) includes a second lower portion (#150a, Figure 1D), and a second upper portion (#150b) comprising an end portion which protrudes from a side surface of the second lower portion (#150b has a larger width than #150a).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugisawa in view of US20190288231A1; He et al.; (hereinafter “He”).
Regarding Claim 5, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1, wherein Sugisawa further teaches the first partition (#150) is provided in the margin area.
Sugisawa does not explicitly teach each of the panel portions further comprises a surrounding area around the display area, and the first partition is provided in the margin area and the surrounding area.
However, He teaches a similar mother substrate ([0004]), comprising each of panel portions further comprises a surrounding area around the display area, and the first partition is provided in the margin area and the surrounding area (Figure 6 of He annotated, spacer components #9 dispose in non-display regions separating by cutting lines #S around display areas #Q11-12).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Sugisawa with the teaching of He in order to prevent cracks in encapsulation layer resulted from cutting process and improve the reliability of the display according to He, [0101].
Regarding Claim 7, Sugisawa teaches the mother substrate as described in claim 1.
Sugisawa does not explicitly teach the first partition forms a plurality of closed areas as seen in plan view.
However, He teaches the first partition forms a plurality of closed areas as seen in plan view (Figure 6, spacer components #9 form closed spaces).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Sugisawa with the teaching of He as it would be a simple substitution of one known element (partition structure of Sugisawa) for another (spacer component of He) in comparable structures to obtain predictable results (formation of insulating structures in regions surrounding display areas). See MPEP 2143(I)(B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US20230061457A1 – Figures 1A-D
US20080074041A1 – Figures 1B and 7-8
US20090009069A1 – Figure 1
US20130248867A1 – Figures 6-9
US20160351636A1 – Figures 2-3, 7-8
US20190081117A1 – Figures 2-4
US20130049184A1 – Figure 5
US20200274097A1 – Figures 15-17
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/TIEN TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/CHRISTINE S. KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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