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.
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 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al (US PG Pub. No. 2023/0048617).
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses, at least in figure 9, A display device (title) comprising: a substrate (110, ¶ [0147]) comprising a display region (DPA) displaying an image (¶ [0065]) using a plurality of subpixels (PX,¶ [0066])and a non-display region (NDA, see fig. 1) surrounding the display region; an undercut area disposed between the display region and the non-display region (in the NLA area of fig. 9) ; a metal layer (MTL1, ¶ [0163]) disposed on the substrate (110), wherein at least a part of the metal layer (MTL1, not labeled on the right undercut) is disposed in the undercut area (of NLA); and a protective layer (211, ¶ [0161]) disposed on the metal layer (MTL1), wherein at least a part of the protective layer (211) is disposed in the undercut area (NLA); wherein at least a portion of the protective layer (211, same layer called 261 in the undercut region) protrudes further than a side of the metal layer (MTL1) or a side of the protective layer below the portion of the protective layer to form an undercut structure, and wherein the undercut structure (of NLA) exposes a lower surface of the protruding portion of the protective layer (211/261)
Regarding Claim 2, Kim discloses in figure 9: wherein a metal pattern (MTL2) is disposed in a space formed by the lower surface of the protruding portion of the protective layer (211/261) and the side of the protective layer (211/261) below the protruding portion of the protective layer (211/261), and the protruding portion of the protective layer protrudes further than a side of the metal pattern (MTL2) to form the undercut structure.
Regarding Claim 7, Kim discloses in figure 9: comprising: a light emitting layer (230, ¶ [0160]) disposed on the protective layer(211), wherein a first portion of the light emitting layer (230) is in the undercut area (NLA), and a second portion of the light emitting layer is in an area (LA2) adjacent to the undercut area (NLA); and a second electrode (280, ¶ [0167]) disposed on the light emitting layer (230), wherein a first portion of the second electrode (280) is in the undercut area (NLA), and a second portion of the second electrode is in the area (LA2) adjacent to the undercut area (NLA), wherein the first portion of the light emitting layer (230) and the first portion of the second electrode (280) in the undercut area are electrically disconnected from the second portion of the light emitting layer and the second portion of the second electrode in the area adjacent to the undercut area by the undercut structure (¶ [0198])
Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses in figure 9: wherein a side face (top) of the second portion (in LA2) of the light emitting layer (230) is covered with the second portion of the second electrode (280).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses in figure 9: wherein the undercut area is in the non-display region (NLA, non light-emitting, ¶ [0086]))
Regarding Claim 10, Kim discloses in figure 9: A display device (title) comprising: a substrate (110) having a display region (LA1 or LA2); a plurality of subpixels (one in each of LA1 and LA2) on the substrate (110) in the display region,(LA1 or LA2) the plurality of subpixels (PX)including a plurality of light emission areas (LA1 and LA2) and a non-light emission area (NLA), each of the plurality of light emission areas corresponding to one of the plurality of subpixels (see fig. 9), and the non-light emission area (NLA) between the plurality of light emission areas (LA1 and LA2); a metal layer MTL1) disposed on the substrate (110) in the display region (LA2 and also in NLA); a protective layer (211) disposed on the metal layer (MTL1 in both areas); and wherein at least a portion of the protective layer (211 called 261 in NLA) protrudes further than a side of the metal layer (MTL1 in NLA) to form an undercut structure, and wherein the undercut structure exposes a lower surface of the protruding portion of the protective layer (211).
Regarding Claim 11, Kim discloses in figure 9: further comprising: a first electrode (215) of a subpixel disposed on the protective layer (211); a light emitting layer (230) of the subpixel disposed on the first electrode (215); and a second electrode (280) of the subpixel disposed on the light emitting layer (230), wherein the light emitting layer (230) of the subpixel and the second electrode (280) of the subpixel are disposed in an undercut area (NLA0, such that the light emitting layer (230) of the subpixel and the second electrode (280) of the subpixel are electrically disconnected from another light emitting layer (230) of another subpixel adjacent to the subpixel and another second electrode (280) of the another subpixel.(shown disconnected in fig. 9)
Regarding Claim 12, Kim discloses in figure 9: wherein a side face (top) of the light emitting layer (230) provided in the undercut area (NLA) is covered with the second electrode (280).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim discloses in paragraph [0197]) wherein the second electrode (280) and the metal layer (MTL1) in the undercut area (NLA) are electrically disconnected by the undercut structure.
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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (617) in view of Lin (WIPO Pub. NO. 2022047851).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim fails to disclose: comprising a planarization layer disposed on the protective layer; and a bank layer disposed on the planarization layer, wherein the bank layer covers the undercut structure.
Lin teaches in figure 9 (page 8, last 11 lines and pg. 9, first line): an electrode (110/12), a planarization layer (14, flat layer, pg. 8, 9 lines down) on a protective layer (113, layer with dots in it, identified in fig. 4 and pg. 3, half way down) on the electrode (110/12) and a bank (16, pg.3, 11 lines up from bottom) covering at least a part of the undercut structure.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to try the claimed structure, taught by Lin, in the device of Kim since it simply involves combining Prior Art elements according to known methods to achieve predictable results (MPEP 21431A) and to provide a flat surface for elements on top.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-20 are allowed.
Claims 3-5 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.
Regarding Claim 3, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in Claim 3, and specifically comprising the limitation of “wherein a second portion of the protective layer protrudes further than a second side of the metal layer” including the remaining limitations.
Claims 4-5 are allowable, at least, because of their dependencies on claim 3.
Regarding Claim 14, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in Claim 14, and specifically comprising the limitation of “a protective layer disposed on the auxiliary electrode in the undercut area, wherein at least a portion of the protective layer protrudes further than a side of the auxiliary electrode to form an undercut structure, wherein the undercut structure exposes a lower surface of the protruding portion of the protective layer” including the remaining limitations
Claims 15-20 are allowable, at least, because of their dependencies on claim 14.
Examiner Note: Lee et al (Korean Pub. No. 2022/0068748) in figure 2 shows a typical auxiliary electrode (210) of the Prior Art with the end of an organic layer (EL) and a second electrode (Com) on its surface without a protection layer protruding beyond it to form the undercut.
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/DONALD L RALEIGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875