DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the election of claims filed on June 15, 2026. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Acknowledgements
Applicant's election without traverse of Group I, Species 1 (Claims 1-2, 6-8 and 17-19) in the reply filed on June 15, 2026, is acknowledged. The present office action is made with all the suggested amendments being fully considered. Accordingly, claims 1-19 are currently pending in this application. Claims 3-5, 9-16 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/27/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of the priority documents have been received.
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 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hwang (US 2022/0013400).
With respect to Claim 17, Hwang shows (Fig. 28-31) all aspects of the current invention including a display device comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises:
a pair of first type pads (2131 left and 2131 right) configured to serve as contact points for a pair of micro-semiconductor chips, individually;
a second type pad (2132) that serves as a contact portion for both of the pair of micro-semiconductor chips,
wherein the second type pad is positioned between the pair of first type pads,
wherein the pair of first type pads are symmetrically arranged with respect to the second type pad, such that a recessed portion on one of the first type pads directly faces a recessed portion on another one of the first type pads
With respect to Claim 18, Hwang shows (Fig. 28-31) wherein the pair of first type pads are P-type contact pads, and the second type pad is an N-type contact pad.
With respect to Claim 19, Hwang shows (Fig. 28-31,39-41) wherein each of the first type pads has a circular shape with a rectangular-shaped recess, a rectangular shape with a rectangular-shaped recess, a C shape, or a semicircular shape (See Fig 39-41)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
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.
Claims 1, 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang (US 2022/0013400) in view of Hong (US 2022/0077120).
With respect to Claim 1, Hwang shows (Fig. 35-36) most aspects of the current invention including a display device comprising:
a display substrate (3200) including wiring
a first pad (3210) provided on the display substrate and connected to the wiring;
a second pad (3220) provided on the display substrate, spaced apart from the first pad, and connected to the wiring;
a micro-semiconductor chip (3130) including:
a first electrode (3131)
a second electrode (3132)
a p-type semiconductor layer (3135), an active layer (3134), and an n-type semiconductor layer (3133) that are provided between the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein the micro-semiconductor chip has a perpendicular electrode structure, in which the first electrode (3131) is connected to the first pad (3210), and the second electrode (3132) is connected to the second pad (3220)
wherein the second electrode (3132) is not in contact with the first pad at a position where the micro-semiconductor chip is absent (see Fig 36)
Furthermore, although Hwang discloses the display substrate (3200) is a driving circuit substrate that includes wiring, Hwang does not explicitly depict the display substrate including wiring therein.
On the other hand, and in the same field of endeavor, Hong teaches (Fig 6a) a display device comprising a display substrate (210) including wiring (211) therein, a first pad (225) provided on the display substrate and connected to the wiring. Hong teaches the display substrate is a driving circuit substrate that includes wiring configured to drive the micro-LED (par 59).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the arrangement of the display substrate including wiring therein in the device of Hwang, as taught by Hong because the display substrate is a driving circuit substrate that includes wiring configured to drive the micro-LED.
With respect to Claim 6, Hwang shows (Fig. 35-36, 39-41) wherein the first pad has a circular shape with a rectangular-shaped recess, a rectangular shape with a rectangular-shaped recess, a C shape, or a semicircular shape (See Fig 39-41)
With respect to Claim 7, Hwang shows (Fig. 29-30) wherein the micro-semiconductor chip (2130) includes a first micro-semiconductor chip (2130 left) and a second micro-semiconductor chip (2130 middle), which are provided in one pixel constituting the display device, the first pad includes a pair of pads (2131 left and 2131 right) that are connected to the first micro-semiconductor chip and the second micro-semiconductor chip, respectively, and the second pad (2132) is connected to both of the first micro-semiconductor chip and the second micro-semiconductor chip.
With respect to Claim 8, Hwang shows (Fig. 29-30) wherein the pair of pads of the first pad have symmetrical shapes and an symmetrical arrangement with respect to the second pad.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2023/0005898) in view of Hong (US 2022/0077120).
With respect to Claim 1, Lee shows (Fig. 7-9) most aspects of the current invention including a display device comprising:
a display substrate (SUB/PCL) including wiring
a first pad (ALE1) provided on the display substrate and connected to the wiring;
a second pad (ALE2) provided on the display substrate, spaced apart from the first pad, and connected to the wiring;
a micro-semiconductor chip (LD2) including:
a first electrode (CTE1 connected at EP1)
a second electrode (CTE2 connected at EP2)
a p-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer that are provided between the first electrode and the second electrode (LD2 comprising a light emitting device composed of an active layer between a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer)
wherein the micro-semiconductor chip has a perpendicular electrode structure, in which the first electrode (CTE1 connected at EP1) is connected to the first pad (ALE1), and the second electrode (CTE2 connected at EP2) is connected to the second pad (ALE2)
wherein the second electrode is not in contact with the first pad at a position where the micro-semiconductor chip is absent (see Fig 9; the second electrode at the position further right is not is contact with the pad, only in contact where the micro-semiconductor chip is present)
Furthermore, although Lee discloses the display substrate is a driving circuit substrate that includes wiring, Lee does not explicitly depict the display substrate including wiring therein.
On the other hand, and in the same field of endeavor, Hong teaches (Fig 6a) a display device comprising a display substrate (210) including wiring (211) therein, a first pad (225) provided on the display substrate and connected to the wiring. Hong teaches the display substrate is a driving circuit substrate that includes wiring configured to drive the micro-LED (par 59).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the arrangement of the display substrate including wiring therein in the device of Lee, as taught by Hong because the display substrate is a driving circuit substrate that includes wiring configured to drive the micro-LED.
With respect to Claim 2, Lee shows (Fig. 7-9) wherein the first pad is arranged not to overlap the second electrode or has a shape not to overlap the second electrode (see Fig 9; there is no overlap)
Conclusion
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/Q.A.B/ Examiner, Art Unit 2814
/WAEL M FAHMY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2814
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