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 with traverse of Species III in the reply filed on July 16, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the device 100”of Species III is similar to the device 100 of Species I in that it further includes a conductive adhesion layer 120 and metallic adhesion layer 130. This is not found persuasive because the device of Fig. 3 (Species I) shows direct contact between second contacts 1052 and a metallic reflection layer 106 while the device of Fig. 20 (Species III) shows a metallic adhesion layer 130 between the metallic reflection layer and second contacts. Additionally, the device 100’ of Species II has a different electrode configuration in region D than Species I and III (as shown in Figs. 1 and 12 respectively) where a metal mesh 109 is implemented instead of finger electrodes 1053.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 5-6 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Species II (device 100’), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on July 16, 2026.
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 (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 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, 4, 7-8 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu (CN 210182405 U).
Regarding Claim 1, Liu teaches a flip-chip light-emitting device (see Figs. 6, 7 and 10) comprising:
a transparent substrate (100, which “may be a sapphire or GaN-based substrate”);
an epitaxial structure (101, 102 and 103) formed on said transparent substrate that includes a first type semiconductor layer (101, an n-type layer), an active layer (102), and a second type semiconductor layer (103, a p-type layer) sequentially stacked in a laminating direction from an upper surface of said transparent substrate (shown Fig. 7);
a transparent dielectric layer (104, which may be silicon dioxide, a known transparent material) formed on said upper surface of said epitaxial structure (shown Fig. 7);
a plurality of first contact electrodes (portions of 105 which is a “metal reflective layer” disposed in trench 106, shown Fig. 7) embedded in said transparent dielectric layer (shown Fig. 7), and electrically connected to said first type semiconductor layer (shown Fig. 7);
a plurality of second contact electrodes (1031, shown Fig. 7) embedded in said transparent dielectric layer (shown Fig. 7), and electrically connected to said second type semiconductor layer (shown Fig. 7);
a metallic reflection layer (portions of 105 formed above the second type semiconductor layer, shown Fig. 7) formed on said transparent dielectric layer (shown Fig. 7);
a first insulating layer (203, shown Fig. 10 which implements the flip-chip LED of Fig. 7 in final package form) covering said metallic reflection layer and side walls of said epitaxial structure (shown Fig. 10);
an electrode pad region (corresponding to pads 108 and 109) located on said first insulating layer (shown being in contact with the insulating layer in Fig. 10), and including a first pad (109) that is electrically connected to said first type semiconductor layer (shown Fig. 10), and a second pad (108) that is connected to said second type semiconductor layer (shown Fig. 10);
wherein said second contact electrodes are arranged and said first contact electrodes are arranged in an array manner (shown Fig. 6); and
wherein at least some of said second contact electrodes disposed in a region (C) perpendicularly below said first pad are distributed along at least one circular ring that is centered on one of said first contact electrodes (shown Fig. 6, wherein the ring of portions 104 corresponding to second contact electrodes 1031 is centered on trench 106 which comprises the first contact electrode).
Regarding Claim 4, Liu teaches the flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metallic reflection layer is an Ag reflector (implicitly described as “flip-chip mainly adopts Ag or DBR as the reflecting layer”, Ag being commonly selected as it has a reflectivity of about 95% which is difficult to further improve).
Regarding Claim 7, Liu teaches the flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent electrically conductive adhesion layer (1032, a “second transparent conductive layer” which may be made of ITO) located between said transparent dielectric layer and said metallic reflection layer (shown Fig. 7), said transparent electrically conductive adhesion layer is distributed in a spotted manner (shown Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 8, Liu teaches the flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said transparent electrically conductive adhesion layer is a spotted transparent ITO layer (“the second transparent conductive layer 1032 and the first transparent conductive layer 1031 may be the same material, such as ITO”).
Regarding Claim 12, Liu teaches a light emitting module comprising a circuit board (200), and said flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 1 being mounted on said circuit board (shown Fig. 10).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN 210182405 U) in further view of Lin (CN 112823427 B). Lin (US 20230100353 A1) is referenced herein as it is deemed an equivalent disclosure to Lin (CN 112823427 B).
Regarding Claim 9, Liu teaches the flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 1 but is silent regarding a wavelength or color of light emitted from the device.
Lin teaches a flip-chip light-emitting device (shown Lin: Fig. 2) wherein a material of an active layer (Lin: 104) may be selected to accommodate a desired color of emitted light (see Lin: [0020]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant application to select a material of the active layer of Liu to accommodate a desired color as suggested by Lin, wherein the material may be selected such that the flip-chip light-emitting device emits red light or infrared light (as described in Lin: [0020]).
Regarding Claim 10, Liu teaches the flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 1 but does not explicitly teach a transparent bonding layer that bonds said epitaxial structure to said transparent substrate.
Lin teaches a flip-chip light-emitting device (shown Lin: Fig. 2) wherein a transparent bonding layer (Lin: 102) is disposed between a transparent substrate (101) and an epitaxial structure (1, shown Fig. 2).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant application to implement a transparent bonding layer as suggested by Lin to the flip-chip light-emitting device of Liu as this would aid in current spreading, such that uniformity of current distribution in the epitaxial structure may be improved (see Lin: [0024]).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN 210182405 U) in further view of Zhu (US 20230024651 A1).
Regarding Claim 11, Liu teaches the flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 1, but does not explicitly teach a metallic adhesion layer located between said metallic reflection layer and said first insulating layer.
Zhu teaches a flip-chip light emitting device (see Zhu: Figs. 1 and 2b) wherein a metal adhesive layer (151f) is used to adhere a metallic reflection layer (151a-e) to the semiconductor layers below (shown Figs. 1 and 2b).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant application to implement a metal adhesive layer as suggested by Zhu as this would further provide good adhesion to the device while minimizing impact on reflectivity (see Zhu: [0028]).
Specifically, this modification would teach the metallic reflection layer of Liu being a multilayer structure including a metallic adhesive layer at a bottom surface of the metallic reflection layer wherein the metallic adhesion layer is located between said metallic reflection layer and said first insulating layer (see also Fig. 7 of Zhu).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 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:
Regarding Claim 2, Liu teaches the flip-chip light-emitting device as claimed in claim 1 but does not explicitly teach a region (D) wherein said first contact electrodes located perpendicularly below said second pad are formed as a plurality of fingers and said second contact electrodes located in said region (D) are interspersed between said fingers in an array manner.
Jeon (US 20160260869 A1) teaches a flip-chip light-emitting device (see embodiments shown in Figs. 32-35 and the array shown in Fig. 46) wherein first contact electrodes (see connected between 81 and 82 in Fig. 32) are formed as a plurality of fingers (including an n-side finger electrode 81, see also [0162]).
Fig. 46 of Jeon further shows an array wherein a first region (left side) comprises a plurality of first ohmic contact pads (89) dispersed around second ohmic contact pads (79) and a second region (right side) comprising p-side finger electrodes (88) with each of said fingers is connected with a corresponding one of said first ohmic contact pads located in said first region, and the second ohmic contact pads are interspersed between the p-side finger electrodes.
The prior art does not explicitly teach or suggest in any combination at least some of said second contact electrodes disposed in a region (C) perpendicularly below said first pad are distributed along at least one circular ring that is centered on one of said first contact electrodes and said first contact electrodes located in a region (D) perpendicularly below said second pad, are formed as a plurality of fingers, and said second contact electrodes located in said region (D) are interspersed between said fingers in an array manner;
each of said fingers is connected with a corresponding one of said first contact electrodes located in said region (C).
The above electrode configuration may reduce loss of effective light emitting area as described in paragraph [0025] of the instant application.
Claim 3 would further be allowable as it requires all limitations of claim 2.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Kageyama (US 20160315225 A1) teaches a flip-chip mounted light-emitting device (see Fig. 6) wherein a first area in plan-view (left side as shown in Fig. 6) has a different electrode configuration than a second area (right side as shown in Fig. 6).
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/C.P.B./Examiner, Art Unit 2893 /Britt Hanley/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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