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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention I (Claims 1-11) in the reply filed on 4/1/2026 is acknowledged.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US Pub. No. 2022/0131045 A1), hereafter referred to as Lee.
As to claim 1, Lee discloses a display device (figs 7-9; [0043]), comprising:
a first electrode (fig 9, EL1) above a surface of a substrate (SUB);
light-emitting elements (LD1, LD2, LD3) comprising:
a first end portion (bottom portion of 16) above, contacting, and electrically connected to, the first electrode (EL1);
a second end portion (top end portion) opposite to the first end portion (bottom portion of 16) with respect to a direction that is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (SUB);
a bonding electrode (16);
a second layer (15);
an active layer (13; [0059]);
a first layer (12); and
a third layer (11) having conductivity by doping an impurity into an intrinsic semiconductor layer ([0061]; n-type semiconductor layer 11 includes n-type impurities);
an intermediate layer (INS1) over the light-emitting elements (LD), and exposing the second end portion (top end portion); and
a second electrode (EL2) above the intermediate layer (INS1), and contacting and electrically connected to the second end portion (top end portion of LD).
As to claim 2, Lee discloses the display device of claim 1 (paragraphs above),
wherein the bonding electrode (16) is at the first end portion (bottom end portion), and electrically connected to the first electrode (EL1), and
wherein the third layer (11) is at the second end portion (top end portion), and electrically connected to the second electrode (EL2).
As to claim 3, Lee discloses the display device of claim 2 (paragraphs above),
wherein the first layer comprises an n-type semiconductor layer, and the second layer comprises a p-type semiconductor layer ([0065]-[0066]).
As to claim 4, Lee discloses the display device of claim 3 (paragraphs above),
wherein the intermediate layer comprises an organic layer ([0169]).
As to claim 5, Lee discloses the display device of claim 4 (paragraphs above),
a first bank (BNK) defining an opening (EMA) above the first electrode (EL1) to expose an area of the first electrode (EL1); and
a cover layer (CTL) above the second electrode (EL2).
As to claim 6, Lee discloses the display device of claim 5 (paragraphs above),
wherein the intermediate layer (INS1) is between the first bank (BNK) and the light-emitting elements (LD) in the opening of the first bank in plan view, thereby fixing the light-emitting elements (LD), and has a flat surface (flat surface of INS1).
As to claim 7, Lee discloses the display device of claim 5 (paragraphs above),
a color conversion layer (LCP) comprising a color conversion pattern (CCL1) above the cover layer (CTL) and corresponding to the light-emitting elements (LD), and a second bank (LBP1) adjacent to the color conversion pattern (CCL1), above the cover layer (CTL), and corresponding to the first bank (BNK); and
a color filter layer (CF1) above the color conversion layer (CCL1), and configured to selectively transmit light emitted from the color conversion layer ([0189]).
As to claim 9, Lee discloses a display device (figs 7-9; [0043]) comprising:
a substrate (SUB) comprising an emission area (EMA) and a non-emission area (NEMA);
a passivation layer (PSV) above a surface of the substrate (SUB);
a (1-1)th electrode, a (1-2)th electrode, and a (1-3)th electrode (electrodes EL1 corresponding to PXL1-3) above the passivation layer (PSV), and spaced apart (spaced apart pixel electrodes EL1 for PXL1-3);
a first bank (BNK) above the (1-1)th electrode, the (1-2)th electrode, the (1-3)th electrode (EL1), and the passivation layer (PSV), and defining an opening exposing respective areas of the (1-1)th electrode, the (1-2)th electrode, and the (1-3)th electrode (openings in BNK);
first light-emitting elements (LD1) comprising a first end portion (16) above, contacting, and electrically connected to the (1-1)th electrode (EL1), and a second end portion (top portion) opposite to the first end portion in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (SUB);
second light-emitting elements (LD2) comprising a first end portion (16) above, contacting, and electrically connected to the (1-2)th electrode (EL1), and a second end portion (top) opposite to the first end portion in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (SUB);
third light-emitting elements (LD3) each comprising a first end portion (16) above, contacting, and electrically connected to the (1-3)th electrode (EL1), and a second end portion (top portion) opposite to the first end portion in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (SUB);
an intermediate layer (INS1) over the first light-emitting elements (LD), the second light-emitting elements (LD), the third light-emitting elements (LD), and the first bank (BNK), and exposing the second end portions (top portion) of the first light-emitting elements, the second light-emitting elements, and the third light-emitting elements (LDs); and
a second electrode (EL2) above the intermediate layer (INS1), contacting the second end portions of the first light-emitting elements (LD1), the second light-emitting elements (LD2), and the third light-emitting elements (LD3), and electrically connected to the first light-emitting elements, the second light-emitting elements, and the third light-emitting elements ([0116]),
wherein the first light-emitting elements (LD1), the second light-emitting elements (LD2), and the third light-emitting elements (LD3) comprise a bonding electrode (16), a second layer (15), an active layer (13), a first layer (12), and a third layer (11), which has conductivity by doping an impurity into an intrinsic semiconductor layer ([0061]; n-type semiconductor layer 11 includes n-type impurities), that are sequentially arranged toward the second electrode (EL2).
As to claim 10, Lee discloses the display device of claim 9 (paragraphs above),
wherein the bonding electrode (16) is at the first end portion (bottom portion), and is electrically connected to a respective one of the (1-1)th electrode, the (1-2)th electrode, and the (1-3)th electrode (EL1), and
wherein the third layer (11) is at the second end portion (top portion), and is electrically connected to the second electrode (EL2).
As to claim 11, Lee discloses the display device of claim 9 (paragraphs above),
wherein the first layer comprises an n-type semiconductor layer, and the second layer comprises a p-type semiconductor layer ([0065]-[0066]).
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 (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 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.
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.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Sakariya et al. (US Pub. No. 2014/0159064 A1), hereafter referred to as Sakariya.
As to claim 8, Lee discloses the display device of claim 1 (paragraphs above).
Lee does not disclose a conductive pattern between the first electrode and the first end portion of the light-emitting elements.
Nonetheless, Sakariya discloses a conductive pattern (fig 3W, 132) between a first electrode (116) and a first end portion (bottom portion) of light-emitting elements (400).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to include the conductive pattern of Sakariya in the display device of Lee since this will improve the light emission efficiency of the pixels by improving reflection of the pixel emission region.
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 8,987,765 B2.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAUN M CAMPBELL whose telephone number is (571)270-3830. The examiner can normally be reached on MWFS: 7:30-6pm Thurs 1-2pm.
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/SHAUN M CAMPBELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893 5/11/2026
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