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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I directed to claims 1-2, 4, 6-7, 10-12, 14, and 16-17 in the reply filed on July 9, 2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 6-7, 10-12, 14, and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (Pub. No. US 20200312932 A1), hereinafter referred to as Kim, in view of Murakami et al. (Pub. No. US 20030127651 A1), hereinafter referred to as Murakami.
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a display apparatus comprising: a display area and a peripheral area located adjacent to the display area (Fig. 4, display area DA, non-display area NDA; ¶56-64 & 115-161); a sub-pixel circuit on a substrate (Figs. 2, 4, & 6, pixel PX, substrate 101; ¶56-66 & 115-161); a light-emitting diode electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit and including a sub-pixel electrode (Fig. 6, anode electrode 151, organic light emitting layer EL, cathode electrode 161, second connection electrode 181, first connection electrode 141, first source electrode 131; ¶115-161); a first data line located in the display area and extending in a first direction (Fig. 4, data wiring 135, display area DA, first direction W1; ¶115-161); an input line located in the peripheral area and extending toward the display area from the peripheral area (Fig. 4, driving area 30, driving wiring 60; ¶64-66 & 115-161); and a connection wire located in the display area and transmitting a data signal input through the input line to the first data line (Fig. 4, connection lines 145; ¶115-161), wherein the connection wire includes: a first connection line extending in the first direction (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, connection lines first portion, first direction W1; ¶115-161); and a second connection line extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, connection lines second portion, second direction W2; ¶115-161), the first connection line overlaps the sub-pixel electrode in a plan view with an insulating layer interposed between the sub-pixel electrode and the first connection line (Figs. 2, 4, & 6, connection wiring 145, anode electrode 151, fifth insulating layer 175, sixth insulating layer 176; ¶115-161), the insulating layer includes: a first insulating layer (Fig. 6, fifth insulating layer 175; ¶115-161); and a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer (Fig. 6, sixth insulating layer 176; ¶115-161). However, Kim does not explicitly teach a dielectric constant of the first insulating layer and a dielectric constant of the second insulating layer are different from each other, and one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer includes benzocyclobutene (BCB).
Murakami teaches a dielectric constant of the first insulating layer and a dielectric constant of the second insulating layer are different from each other, and one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer includes benzocyclobutene (BCB); (Figs. 5A & 5B, second interlayer insulating film 646, third interlayer insulating film 647; ¶17-19 & 100-103).
Kim and Murakami are analogous art as they in the same field of endeavor of semiconductor devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the insulating layers of Kim with the teachings of Murakami such that a dielectric constant of the first insulating layer and a dielectric constant of the second insulating layer are different from each other, and one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer includes benzocyclobutene (BCB). For the purpose of having a low-k dielectric organic material for reducing parasitic capacitance while having an inorganic material with a higher dielectric constant to protect the device, as recognized by Murakami.
PNG
media_image1.png
795
549
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
768
700
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
404
1187
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 2, Kim does not explicitly teach the dielectric constant of the first insulating layer is lower than the dielectric constant of the second insulating layer, and the first insulating layer includes BCB.
Murakami teaches the dielectric constant of the first insulating layer is lower than the dielectric constant of the second insulating layer, and the first insulating layer includes BCB (Figs. 5A & 5B, second interlayer insulating film 646, third interlayer insulating film 647; ¶17-19 & 100-103).
Kim and Murakami are analogous art as they in the same field of endeavor of semiconductor devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the insulating layers of Kim with the teachings of Murakami such that the dielectric constant of the first insulating layer is lower than the dielectric constant of the second insulating layer, and the first insulating layer includes BCB. For the purpose of having a low-k dielectric organic material for reducing parasitic capacitance while having an inorganic material with a higher dielectric constant to protect the device, as recognized by Murakami.
Regarding claim 4, Kim further teaches a roughness of an upper surface of the second insulating layer is greater than a roughness of an upper surface of the first insulating layer (Fig. 6, fifth insulating layer 175, sixth insulating layer 176; ¶153).
Regarding claim 6, Kim further teaches the first connection line and the second connection line are integrally formed (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, connection lines first portion, connection lines second portion; ¶115-161).
Regarding claim 7, Kim further teaches a second data line spaced apart from the first data line, intersecting the second connection line, and extending in the first direction, wherein the second connection line passes above the second data line and is not connected with the second data line (Figs. 4 & 6, data wiring 135, data lines D8-D14, connection wiring 145, connection line second portion; ¶115-161).
Regarding claim 10, Kim further teaches the connection wire further includes a third connection line located in the display area and extending in the first direction, and the third connection line is connected to the first data line in the peripheral area located adjacent to the display area (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, connection lines third portion, through contact holes CNT; ¶115-161).
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches a display apparatus comprising: a display area and a peripheral area located adjacent to the display area (Fig. 4, display area DA, non-display area NDA; ¶56-64 & 115-161); a sub-pixel circuit on a substrate (Figs. 2, 4, & 6, pixel PX, substrate 101; ¶56-66 & 115-161); a light-emitting diode electrically connected to the sub-pixel circuit and including a sub-pixel electrode (Fig. 6, anode electrode 151, organic light emitting layer EL, cathode electrode 161, second connection electrode 181, first connection electrode 141, first source electrode 131; ¶115-161); a first data line and a second data line located in the display area, extending in a first direction, and spaced apart from each other (Fig. 4, data wiring 135, data lines D1-D7, data lines D8-D14, display area DA, first direction W1; ¶115-161); an input line located in the peripheral area and extending toward the display area from the peripheral area (Fig. 4, driving area 30, driving wiring 60; ¶64-66 & 115-161); and a connection wire having an end electrically connected to the input line and another end electrically connected to the first data line, and passing through a portion of the display area located adjacent to the peripheral area (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, first driving wiring group 60a, through contact holes CNT, data wiring 135, display area DA; ¶115-161), wherein the connection wire includes: a first connection line extending in the first direction (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, connection lines first portion, first direction W1; ¶115-161); and a second connection line extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and intersecting the second data line (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, connection lines second portion, second direction W2, data wiring 135, data lines D8-D14; ¶115-161), the first connection line overlaps the sub-pixel electrode in a plan view with an insulating layer interposed between the sub-pixel electrode and the first connection line (Figs. 2, 4, & 6, connection wiring 145, anode electrode 151, fifth insulating layer 175, sixth insulating layer 176; ¶115-161), the insulating layer includes: a first insulating layer (Fig. 6, fifth insulating layer 175; ¶115-161); and a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer (Fig. 6, sixth insulating layer 176; ¶115-161). However, Kim does not explicitly teach a dielectric constant of the first insulating layer and a dielectric constant of the second insulating layer are different from each other, and one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer includes benzocyclobutene (BCB).
Murakami teaches a dielectric constant of the first insulating layer and a dielectric constant of the second insulating layer are different from each other, and one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer includes benzocyclobutene (BCB); (Figs. 5A & 5B, second interlayer insulating film 646, third interlayer insulating film 647; ¶17-19 & 100-103).
Kim and Murakami are analogous art as they in the same field of endeavor of semiconductor devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the insulating layers of Kim with the teachings of Murakami such that a dielectric constant of the first insulating layer and a dielectric constant of the second insulating layer are different from each other, and one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer includes benzocyclobutene (BCB). For the purpose of having a low-k dielectric organic material for reducing parasitic capacitance while having an inorganic material with a higher dielectric constant to protect the device, as recognized by Murakami.
Regarding claim 12, Kim does not explicitly teach the dielectric constant of the first insulating layer is lower than the dielectric constant of the second insulating layer, and the first insulating layer includes BCB.
Murakami teaches the dielectric constant of the first insulating layer is lower than the dielectric constant of the second insulating layer, and the first insulating layer includes BCB (Figs. 5A & 5B, second interlayer insulating film 646, third interlayer insulating film 647; ¶17-19 & 100-103).
Kim and Murakami are analogous art as they in the same field of endeavor of semiconductor devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the insulating layers of Kim with the teachings of Murakami such that the dielectric constant of the first insulating layer is lower than the dielectric constant of the second insulating layer, and the first insulating layer includes BCB. For the purpose of having a low-k dielectric organic material for reducing parasitic capacitance while having an inorganic material with a higher dielectric constant to protect the device, as recognized by Murakami.
Regarding claim 14, Kim further teaches a roughness of an upper surface of the second insulating layer is greater than a roughness of an upper surface of the first insulating layer (Fig. 6, fifth insulating layer 175, sixth insulating layer 176; ¶153).
Regarding claim 16, Kim further teaches the first connection line and the second connection line are integrally formed (Fig. 4, connection lines 145, connection lines first portion, connection lines second portion; ¶115-161).
Regarding claim 17, Kim further teaches the second connection line is insulated from the second data line and passes above the second data line (Figs. 4 & 6, data wiring 135, data lines D8-D14, connection wiring 145, connection line second portion, fourth insulating layer 174; ¶115-161).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ETHAN ALEXANDER TUTTLE whose telephone number is (571)272-7055. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fernando Toledo can be reached at 571-272-1867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/FERNANDO L TOLEDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/E.A.T./ Examiner, Art Unit 2897
Prosecution Insights