DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the communication filed 25 March 2026.
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
Acknowledgment is made of Applicant' s Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS). The IDS(es) has/have been considered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the Invention I Species 1 (FIG. 6) embodiment in the reply filed on 25 March 2026 is acknowledged.
Accordingly, claims 8-10 and 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected embodiment, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 5-7, and 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Publication No. 2024/0260438 (effectively filed Jan. 31, 2023) (hereinafter “Yoo”) in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2024/0379631 (filed Oct. 22, 2021) (hereinafter “Yao”).
Regarding independent claim 1, Yoo discloses: A display device (FIG. 1, display device 100, [0044]) comprising:
a substrate (FIG. 4, substrate 101, [0044]);
a metal layer (FIG. 4, depicting a metal layer comprising, e.g., pad PD1, [0090]) on the substrate and comprising titanium (Ti) and aluminum (Al) (FIG. 4, depicting wherein the pad PD1 is on the substrate 101; [0090]: “For example, each of the plurality of input pads PD1 and the plurality of output pads PD2 may have a Ti/Al/Ti stacked structure.”).
Yoo does not specifically disclose an alloy layer on the metal layer and comprising molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), and niobium (Nb).
In the same field of endeavor, Yao discloses a display device (FIG. 1, depicting a light emitting substrate, [0044]) including a metal layer (FIG. 1, e.g., pads 2, [0044]) and an alloy layer (FIG. 1, oxidation protection layer 3, [0044]) on the metal layer and comprising molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), and niobium (Nb) (FIG. 1, depicting wherein the oxidation protection layer 3 is on the pad 2; [0048]: “X includes one or any combination of Al, Sn, Pb, Au, Ag, In, Zn, Bi, Mg, Ga, V, W, Y, Zr, Mo, Nb, Pt, Co, or Sb. Ni and X have the oxidation resistance, so as to prevent a surface of the oxidation protection layer from being oxidized. In addition, in embodiments of the present disclosure, the oxidation resistance can be achieved by adding an anti-oxidation CuNiX alloy film layer on the first pads without an additional anti-oxidation process, which greatly simplifies the process flow and reduces the mass production cost.”). Regarding the oxidation protection layer, in [0004], Yao states: “The light-emitting substrate can avoid oxidation of pads in the light-emitting region, ensuring the reliable electrical connection between the light-emitting units and the light-emitting substrate, and improving the product yield.”
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the disclosed display device of Yoo by adding the oxidation protection layer of Yao in order to avoid oxidation of the pad electrodes and improve product yield. See Yao [0004].
Regarding claim 2, Yoo in view of Yao further discloses wherein the alloy layer (FIG. 1, oxidation protection layer 3) overlaps the metal layer and contacts an upper surface of the metal layer (Yao FIG. 1; Yoo FIG. 4; depicting wherein the oxidation protection layer 3, added to the display device 100 of Yoo, would result in a configuration wherein the oxidation protection layer 3 overlaps the pad PD1 and contacts an upper surface of the pad PD1).
Regarding claim 5, Yoo in view of Yao further discloses wherein the metal layer (FIG. 4, e.g., pad PD1) comprises: a first metal layer comprising titanium (FIG. 4; [0090]: “For example, each of the plurality of input pads PD1 and the plurality of output pads PD2 may have a Ti/Al/Ti stacked structure.”); a second metal layer on the first metal layer and comprising aluminum (FIG. 4; [0090]: “For example, each of the plurality of input pads PD1 and the plurality of output pads PD2 may have a Ti/Al/Ti stacked structure.”); and a third metal layer on the second metal layer and comprising titanium (FIG. 4; [0090]: “For example, each of the plurality of input pads PD1 and the plurality of output pads PD2 may have a Ti/Al/Ti stacked structure.”).
Regarding claim 6, Yoo in view of Yao further discloses wherein the third metal layer directly contacts the alloy layer (Yao FIG. 1; Yoo FIG. 4; [0090]: “For example, each of the plurality of input pads PD1 and the plurality of output pads PD2 may have a Ti/Al/Ti stacked structure.”; depicting wherein the oxidation protection layer 3, added to the display device 100 of Yoo, would result in a configuration wherein the oxidation protection layer 3 directly contacts the pad PD1 and contacts an upper surface of the pad PD1, which would be the titanium layer).
Regarding claim 7, Yoo in view of Yao further discloses wherein a thickness of the alloy layer is about 50 Å to about 100 Å (Yao FIG. 1; [0009]: “Optionally, in the above light-emitting substrate according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a thickness of the oxidation protection layer is in a range of 10 nm to 100 nm.”).
Regarding claim 11, Yoo in view of Yao further discloses wherein the substrate (FIG. 4, substrate 101) comprises a display area (FIG. 1, display area AA, [0044]) and a pad area adjacent to the display area (FIG. 1, pad area PA1 adjacent to the display area AA), the metal layer comprises a pad electrode in the pad area (FIGS. 1/4, depicting wherein the metal layer comprises a pad PD1 in the pad area PA1) and a line in the display area (FIGS. 1/4, depicting wherein the metal layer comprises a connection electrode 155), and the alloy layer overlaps an entirety of the metal layer in a plan view of the display device (Yao FIG. 1; Yoo FIG. 4; depicting wherein the oxidation protection layer 3, added to the display device 100 of Yoo, would result in a configuration wherein the oxidation protection layer 3 overlaps the pad PD1 and the connection electrode 155, just as the oxidation protection layer 3 overlaps the pads 2 and the pads 4 and the wiring layer 5).
Regarding claim 12, Yoo in view of Yao further discloses wherein at least a portion of an upper surface of the alloy layer on the pad electrode is exposed (Yao FIG. 1; Yoo FIG. 4; depicting wherein the oxidation protection layer 3, added to the display device 100 of Yoo, would result in a configuration wherein at least a portion of the oxidation protection layer 3 is exposed, just as the oxidation protection layer 3 is exposed in Yao).
Regarding claim 13, Yoo in view of Yao further discloses an integrated circuit (FIG. 4, data driver chip D-IC, [0048]) connected to the pad electrode (FIG. 4, depicting wherein the data driver chip D-IC is connected to the pad PD1); and a conductive ball connecting the integrated circuit and the pad electrode (FIG. 4, conductive balls CBL connecting the data driver chip D-IC and the pad PD1).
Regarding claim 14, Yoo in view of Yao wherein the conductive ball penetrates the alloy layer and contacts the pad electrode (Yoo FIG. 4; Yao FIG. 1, depicting wherein the conductive balls CBL would penetrate the oxidation protection layer 3, and wherein the conductive balls CBL would contact the pad PD1).
Claims 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo in view of Yao, and further in view of WIPO Publication No. WO2009119804A1 (filed Mar. 27, 2009) (hereinafter “Murata”) (translation attached).
Regarding claim 3, Yoo in view of Yao does not specifically disclose wherein an amount of niobium in the alloy layer is about 5 at% to about 15 at% with respect to a total amount of elements in the alloy layer.
In the same field of endeavor, Murata discloses a device including an interconnect including an alloy layer (“That is, in the present invention, in a thin film wiring in which a metal film is formed on a substrate, the metal film contains 2 to 15 atomic% of Nb as the additional element, and 2 to 15 atomic% of W when the total amount of Mo and additional elements is 100 atomic% 2 to 20 atomic%, Nb + W at 30 atomic% or less, the balance being Mo and unavoidable impurities.” Translation of WO2009119804A1 at 1), wherein a composition of the alloy layer may include an amount of niobium ranging from about 5 at% to about 15 at% with respect to a total amount of elements in the alloy layer (“In addition, the present invention is characterized in that it contains 2 to 15 atomic% of Nb, 2 to 20 atomic% of W, and 30 atomic% or less of Nb + W as the additional element when the total amount of Mo and the additional element is 100 atomic% Mo and inevitable impurities for forming a thin film wiring.” Translation of WO2009119804A1 at 1). Regarding the content of the layer, Murata states: “By selecting the Mo alloy film of the present invention, it is possible to have low resistance, excellent heat resistance, corrosion resistance and adhesion to the substrate, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of warpage to a large substrate, so that thin film wiring for electronic parts It is a technology that can not be missed.” Translation of WO2009119804A1 at 1.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the disclosed display device of Yoo by substituting the alloy layer composition of Murata in order to improve electrical resistance, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, adhesion, and to suppress warpage. See Translation of WO2009119804A1 at 1.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo in view of Yao and Murata, and further in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0213959 (filed July 30, 2014) (hereinafter “Gibson”).
Regarding claim 4, Yoo in view of Yao and Murata does not specifically disclose wherein an amount of molybdenum in the alloy layer is about 45 at% to about 55 at%, an amount of tungsten in the alloy layer is about 36 at% to about 44 at%.
In the same field of endeavor, however, Gibson discloses a device including an electrode including an alloy layer (FIG. 1, e.g., electrode 110, [0050]), wherein a composition of the alloy layer may include an amount of molybdenum ranging from about 45 at% to about 55 at% (FIG. 1, [0050]: “For example, an amorphous electrode can be a combination of three components, including: about 5 to 90 atomic percent (at %) of a first metal (first component) that can be titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, iridium, or platinum.”), and an amount of tungsten ranging from about 36 at% to about 44 at% (FIG. 1, [0050]-[0051]: “[A]bout 5 to 90 at % of a second metal (second component) that can be titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, iridium, or platinum; . . . . In this example, the second metal is different than the first metal.. . . . Optionally, from 5 to 85 at % of a third metal can be present as well, and can include metals such as titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, iridium, or platinum. In this example, the third metal is different than the first metal and the second metal.”). Regarding the content of the layer, in [0054], Gibson states that “As discussed herein, the present amorphous electrodes can have exceptional properties including thermal stability, oxidative stability, and surface roughness.”
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the disclosed display device of Yoo substituting the molybdenum and tungsten composition of Gibson in order to improve oxidating stability, thermal stability, and surface roughness. See Gibson [0054].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021/0384156 (disclosing a pad area configuration similar to that of the instant application); 2021/0375804 (disclosing a pad area configuration similar to that of the instant application).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM D WEILAND whose telephone number is (703)756-4760. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Gauthier can be reached at (571)270-0373. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM D WEILAND/Examiner, Art Unit 2813
/STEVEN B GAUTHIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2813
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