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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on September 19, 2023 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 8-12 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0069254 A1 (hereinafter “Liu”).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses in Fig. 3A (see annotated portion below) and related text a display apparatus ([0055]) comprising:
a transistor (TFT; [0167]);
an auxiliary electrode (121, 122, 125; [0061] and [0110]) including a first conductive layer (121; [0061]);
an insulating material portion (123; [0061]) on the auxiliary electrode; and
a light-emitting diode (13, 14, 16; [0056], [0077], [0080] and [0082]) including a first electrode (16; [0080]) electrically connected to the transistor (the first electrode 16 directly contacts the drain electrode 192 of the thin film transistor TFT; [0164]), a second electrode (13; [0077]) facing the first electrode and electrically connected to the auxiliary electrode (the second electrode 13 directly contacts the conductive pattern 125 of the auxiliary electrode), and an intermediate layer (14; [0082]) between the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein a width of a bottom surface of the insulating material portion is greater than a width of an upper surface of the first conductive layer, and the insulating material portion includes a protruding part (see annotated portion of Fig. 3A below) protruding from a position where the upper surface and a side surface of the first conductive layer meet.
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Regarding claim 2, Liu discloses an insulating layer (124; Fig. 3A; [0065]) having a portion interposed between the transistor and the first electrode of the light-emitting diode,
wherein the insulating layer includes a first opening (the opening having a width G2 in Fig. 3A; [0066]) and a second opening (the opening located in the frame region S; Fig. 3A; [0104]) respectively at opposite sides of the insulating material portion with the insulating material portion therebetween.
Regarding claim 4, Liu discloses an interlayer insulating layer (18; Fig. 17; [0168]-[0169]) below the insulating layer, and the auxiliary electrode is on the interlayer insulating layer (note: although the buffer layer is illustrated in Fig. 3A, the reference numeral 18 is omitted from Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 8, Liu discloses the second electrode extends toward the auxiliary electrode, and is separated from a dummy electrode (13 (portion thereof located in region L and covering the insulating pattern 123); Fig. 3A; [0075]) on the insulating material portion and including a same material as the second electrode ([0079]).
Regarding claim 9, Liu discloses the auxiliary electrode further includes a second conductive layer (122; Fig. 3A; [0061]) between the first conductive layer and the insulating material portion, the second conductive layer having a different etching selectivity than the first conductive layer ([0116]), and
the second conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode has a tip protruding from a position where the side surface of the first conductive layer meets the upper surface of the first conductive layer (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 10, Liu shows the insulating material portion overlaps the tip (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 11, Liu discloses the auxiliary electrode further comprises a third conductive layer (125; Fig. 3A; [0110]) below the first conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode.
Regarding claim 12, Liu discloses in Fig. 3A and related text a display apparatus ([0055]) comprising:
an interlayer insulating layer (18; [0168]-[0169]; see Fig. 17 where the buffer layer is pointed to by reference numeral 18) on a substrate (11; [0067]);
an auxiliary electrode (121, 122, 125; [0061] and [0110]) on the interlayer insulating layer, and including a first conductive layer (125; [0110]) and a second conductive layer (122; [0061]) on the first conductive layer;
a light-emitting diode (13, 14, 16; [0056], [0077], [0080] and [0082]) including a first electrode (16; [0080]), a second electrode (13; [0077]) facing the first electrode, and an intermediate layer (14; [0082]) between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
an insulating layer (123, 124; [0073]) between the interlayer insulating layer and the first electrode of the light-emitting diode, and including an insulating material portion (123; [0061]) located on the auxiliary electrode,
wherein the insulating layer includes a first opening (the opening having a width G2 as shown in Fig. 3A; [0066]) and a second opening (the opening located in frame region S as shown in Fig. 3A; [0104]) respectively at opposite sides of the insulating material portion, in a plan view, and
the second electrode of the light-emitting diode is in direct contact with a side surface of the first conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode through the first opening and/or the second opening.
Regarding claim 17, Liu discloses the second electrode extends toward the auxiliary electrode, and is separated from a dummy electrode (13 (portion thereof located in region L and covering the insulating pattern 123); Fig. 3A; [0075]) on the insulating material portion of the insulating layer and including a same material as the second electrode ([0079]).
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) 6 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of US 2017/0104043 A1 (hereinafter “Gao”).
Regarding claim 6, Liu discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulating material portion includes a positive photoresist material ([0123]).
Liu does not explicitly disclose the positive photoresist material is an organic insulating material.
Gao teaches a positive photoresist material as an example of an organic insulating material ([0050]).
Liu and Gao are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Liu with the specified features of Gao because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to utilize a positive photoresist material that is an organic insulating material, as taught by Gao, because of the generally lower dielectric constant of organic insulating materials compared to inorganic insulating materials, thereby reducing a parasitic capacitance of the display apparatus.
Regarding claim 20, Liu discloses the display apparatus of claim 12, wherein the insulating layer includes a positive photoresist material ([0123]).
Liu does not explicitly disclose the positive photoresist material is an organic insulating material.
Gao teaches a positive photoresist material as an example of an organic insulating material ([0050]).
Liu and Gao are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Liu with the specified features of Gao because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to utilize a positive photoresist material that is an organic insulating material, as taught by Gao, because of the generally lower dielectric constant of organic insulating materials compared to inorganic insulating materials, thereby reducing a parasitic capacitance of the display apparatus.
Claim(s) 7 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of US 2012/0205678 A1 (hereinafter “Ikeda”).
Regarding claim 7, Liu discloses the display apparatus of claim 1.
Liu does not disclose the intermediate layer includes a plurality of sub-layers, and at least one of the plurality of sub-layers extends toward the auxiliary electrode, and is separated from a dummy sub-layer on the insulating material portion and including a same material as the at least one sub-layer.
Ikeda teaches in Figs. 1B, 9A and related text the intermediate layer (105; [0061]) includes a plurality of sub-layers (701, 702, 703, 704, 705; [0224]-[0226]), and at least one of the plurality of sub-layers extends toward the auxiliary electrode (111; [0061] and Abstract, lines 10-11), and is separated from a dummy sub-layer on the insulating material portion (113; [0066]) and including a same material as the at least one sub-layer ([0067] and [0073].
Liu and Ikeda are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Liu with the specified features of Ikeda because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the intermediate layer to include a plurality of sub-layers, wherein at least one of the plurality of sub-layers extends toward the auxiliary electrode, and is separated from a dummy sub-layer on the insulating material portion and including a same material as the at least one sub-layer, as taught by Ikeda, in order to provide a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a layer containing a light emitting organic compound, an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer, thereby improving a light emission efficiency of the light-emitting diode (Ikeda: [0226]).
Regarding claim 16, Liu discloses the display apparatus of claim 12.
Liu does not disclose the intermediate layer includes a plurality of sub-layers, and at least one of the plurality of sub-layers extends toward the auxiliary electrode, and is separated from a dummy sub-layer on the insulating material portion and including a same material as the at least one sub-layer.
Ikeda teaches in Figs. 1B, 9A and related text the intermediate layer (105; [0061]) includes a plurality of sub-layers (701, 702, 703, 704, 705; [0224]-[0226]), and at least one of the plurality of sub-layers extends toward the auxiliary electrode (111; [0061] and Abstract, lines 10-11), and is separated from a dummy sub-layer on the insulating material portion (113; [0066]) and including a same material as the at least one sub-layer ([0067] and [0073].
Liu and Ikeda are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Liu with the specified features of Ikeda because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the intermediate layer to include a plurality of sub-layers, wherein at least one of the plurality of sub-layers extends toward the auxiliary electrode, and is separated from a dummy sub-layer on the insulating material portion and including a same material as the at least one sub-layer, as taught by Ikeda, in order to provide a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a layer containing a light emitting organic compound, an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer, thereby improving a light emission efficiency of the light-emitting diode (Ikeda: [0226]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record, individually or in combination, does not teach or suggest “the second electrode of the light-emitting diode is in direct contact with the side surface of the first conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode through the first opening and/or the second opening,” as recited in claim 3, in combination with “a width of a bottom surface of the insulating material portion is greater than a width of an upper surface of the first conductive layer,” as recited in independent claim 1.
Claims 5 and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record, individually or in combination, does not teach or suggest “in a plan view, a first width of a first part of the insulating material portion is greater than a second width of a second part of the insulating material portion,” as recited in claim 5, and “in a plan view, a first width of a first part of the insulating material portion between the first opening and the second opening is greater than a second width of a second part of the insulating material portion between the first opening and the second opening,” as recited in claim 15.
Claims 13, 14, 18 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record, individually or in combination, does not teach or suggest “a width of a bottom surface of the insulating material portion is greater than a width of an upper surface of the first conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode,” as recited in claim 13, “the second conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode has a tip protruding from a position where a bottom surface of the second conductive layer meets the side surface of the first conductive layer,” as recited in claim 14, and “the auxiliary electrode further comprises a third conductive layer below the first conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode,” as recited in claim 18, in combination with “the second electrode of the light-emitting diode is in direct contact with a side surface of the first conductive layer of the auxiliary electrode through the first opening and/or the second opening” as recited in independent claim 12. Claim 19 depends from claim 18 and therefore would be allowable at least by virtue of its dependency.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M ALBRECHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (CT).
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/PETER M ALBRECHT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811