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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on July 13, 2026 was 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-11 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contain subject matter which were not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 1 has been amended to add a new limitation “a liner disposed on the second portion of the film, wherein an upper surface of the liner is higher than a lower surface of the first portion of the film and lower than an upper surface of the first portion of the film”. The Examiner could not find any mention of the height / thickness of the liner, let alone the mention of the upper surface of the liner is higher than a lower surface of the first portion of the film and lower than an upper surface of the first portion of the film. It is clear that for the upper surface of the liner (143) to be higher than the lower surface of the first portion (171) of the film, the combined thickness of the second portion of the film (172) and the liner (143) has to be greater than the combined thickness of the electrode 141, light emitting structure 150 and electrode 142. Additionally, for the upper surface of the liner (143) to be lower than the upper surface of the first portion (171) of the film, the combined thickness of the second portion of the film (172) and the liner (143) has to be less than the combined thickness of the electrode 141, light emitting structure 150, electrode 142 and first portion of the film 171 (Fig. 1B of the instant application). However, there has been no mention of the thicknesses of any of the layers In other words, claim 1 contains subject matters which were not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Appropriate correction/clarification is requested.
Claims 2-11 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112, 1st paragraph (pre-AIA ) rejections based on their dependencies on claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-11 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Claim 1 has been amended to add a new limitation “a liner disposed on the second portion of the film, wherein an upper surface of the liner is higher than a lower surface of the first portion of the film and lower than an upper surface of the first portion of the film”. The specification does not define what is meant by a liner other than to call a metallic trace (143), which has been formed over a conduction via (132), and film (172) as the liner (Fig. 1B). This goes against the conventional understanding of a liner being a thin conformal layer lining the sidewalls of a via or a trench. The Examiner is not clear about what the Applicant means by the word liner. In other words, the Examiner is not clear about the metes and bounds of the term “liner” Appropriate correction/clarification is requested. Claims 2-11 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112, 2nd paragraph (pre-AIA ) rejections based on their dependencies on claim 1.
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.
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (Pub. No.: US 2021/0050555 A1).
Regarding Claim 12, Lee et al. discloses a method for forming a display device, comprising: providing a substrate comprising an active region and a peripheral region (Par. 0041-0045; Figs. 1-2 & 3A – active region DA; peripheral region NDA); forming an interconnection conductive layer on the substrate and in the active region (Par. 0041-0045; Figs. 1-2 & 3A – interconnection conductive layer 152); forming a bonding pad on the substrate and in the peripheral region (Par. 0041-0045; Figs. 1-2 & 3A – bonding pad 400); forming a passivation layer on the interconnection conductive layer and the bonding pad Par. 0041-0050; Figs. 1-2 & 3A – passivation layer 160); forming a first through via passing through the passivation layer and electrically connected to the interconnection conductive layer (Par. 0041-0050; Figs. 1-2 & 3B – via between electrode 200 and interconnection conductive layer 152); forming a light emitting structure on the first through via (Par. 0050-0051; Figs. 1-2 –light emitting structure comprising first electrode 200, emission layer 220 and second electrode 230);
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forming a film on the light emitting structure and covering the active region and the peripheral region of the substrate (Par. 0050-0051; Figs. 1-2 and 3C –film comprising first encapsulation layer 310 covering the active region DA and the peripheral region NDA); and forming a cover plate over the active region of the substrate (Par. 0057-0061; Figs. 1-2 and 3C-3D – cover plate comprising planar top portion of layer 330/340); removing at least a portion of the passivation layer and the film of the peripheral region to expose the bonding pad after forming the cover plate (Par. 0050-0051; Figs. 1-2 and 3D).
Regarding Claim 13, Lee et al., as applied to claim 12 discloses
the method, further comprising: forming an opening passing through the film and the passivation layer to expose the bonding pad (Par. 0050-0051; Figs. 1-2 and 3D); and filling the opening by a conductive layer to form a second through via (not stated explicitly but implied) .
Regarding Claim 14, Lee et al., as applied to claim 13, discloses
the method, wherein forming of the opening is after forming of the cover plate (Par. 0057-0061; Figs. 1-2 and 3C-3D – cover plate comprising layer 330/340).
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed on 06/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are moot because of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by amendments made to the claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Britt Hanley, can be reached at telephone number (571)270-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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07/21/2026
/SYED I GHEYAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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