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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 4, 7, 13, and 14 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 19 March 2026. The election requirement is deemed proper and made final.
Response to Amendment
The Office acknowledges Applicants’ amendment submitted 19 March 2026 in which claims 4, 7, 13, and 14 are withdrawn.
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) 1-3, 5, 6, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai et al. (US20200350466A1) in view of Lim et al. (US20220020734A1) and Huang et al. (US20170294421A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lai teaches in Figs. 1B and 1D a micro light-emitting diode display device, comprising:
a circuit substrate (210) having a first contact pad (leftmost 212 in SPR1), a second contact pad (rightmost 212 in SPR1), and a third contact pad (212 in SPR2) {Fig. 1B; [0054]};
a first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1) disposed on the circuit substrate (210) and having a first electrode (130a) and a second electrode (120), wherein the first electrode (130a) of the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1) is electrically connected to the first contact pad (leftmost 212 in SPR1) {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0058]};
a second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) disposed on the circuit substrate (210) and having a first electrode (130b) and a second electrode (120), wherein the first electrode (130b) of the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) is electrically connected to the second contact pad (rightmost 212 in SPR1), and the second electrode (120) of the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1) and the second electrode (120) of the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) are continuous {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0058]};
a third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) disposed on the circuit substrate (210) and having a first electrode (130b) and a second electrode (120), wherein the first electrode (130b) of the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) is electrically connected to the third contact pad (212 in SPR2), and the second electrode (120) of the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) is separated from the second electrode (120) of the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1) and the second electrode (120) of the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0058]}.
Lai does not teach the second electrode of the first light-emitting element and the second electrode of the second light-emitting element are a semiconductor material layer.
In an analogous art, Lim teaches in Fig. 7 and paragraph [0105] an electrode (37) of a light-emitting element (30) made of a semiconductor material layer. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device based on the teachings of Lim – such that Lai’s second electrode of the first light-emitting element and Lai’s second electrode of the second light-emitting element are a semiconductor material layer – because all the claimed elements (e.g., light-emitting elements, electrode, semiconductor material layer) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Lim) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A). Moreover, [t]he selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Lai as modified by Lim does not teach a conductive layer electrically connected to the second electrode of the first light-emitting element, the second electrode of the second light-emitting element, and the second electrode of the third light-emitting element.
In an analogous art, Huang teaches in Fig. 6 and paragraph [0034] a conductive layer (630) electrically connected to a second electrode (624) of a first light-emitting element (leftmost 620), a second electrode (624) of a second light-emitting element (second from leftmost 620), and a second electrode (624) of a third light-emitting element (third from leftmost 620). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device as modified by Lim based on the teachings of Huang – such that a conductive layer electrically connects to the upper electrodes (e.g., 120) of Lai’s sub-pixel regions (e.g., SPR1, SPR2, SPR3, etc.) – to reduce the manufacturing resources (e.g., materials, operations, time, etc.) for connecting the light-emitting elements to a common potential of a power source. Moreover, all the claimed elements (e.g., light-emitting elements, electrodes, conductive layer) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Huang) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A). Furthermore, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Regarding claim 2, Lai as modified by Lim and Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 1, and Lai further teaches wherein the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1), the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1), and the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) have a first semiconductor layer (respectively 1161/1162/1162), a second semiconductor layer (respectively 1121/1122/1122), and an active layer (respectively 1141/1142/1142) disposed between the first semiconductor layer (respectively 1161/1162/1162) and the second semiconductor layer (respectively 1121/1122/1122), respectively, and the second semiconductor layer (1122 of SPR2) of the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) is separated from the second semiconductor layer (1121 of SPR1) of the first light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) and the second semiconductor layer (1122 of SPR1) of the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0070]}.
Lai does not teach in a single embodiment the second semiconductor layer of the first light-emitting element and the second semiconductor layer of the second light-emitting element are a continuous semiconductor material layer.
However, Lai teaches in an embodiment illustrated by Fig. 2B and discussed in paragraph [0070, 0071] a second semiconductor layer (112) of a first light-emitting element (110a) and a second semiconductor layer (112) of a second light-emitting element (110b) are a continuous semiconductor material layer. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the embodiment of Lai’s display device illustrated by Fig. 1B as modified by Lim and Huang based on the embodiment of Lai’s Fig. 2B – such that the second semiconductor layer of the first light-emitting element and the second semiconductor layer of the second light-emitting element are a continuous semiconductor material layer – to reduce the manufacturing resources (e.g., materials, operations, time, etc.) for creating the semiconductor layer for the adjacent light-emitting elements. Moreover, all the claimed elements (e.g., light-emitting elements, semiconductor material, electrode, active layer) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Lai) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A). Furthermore, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Regarding claim 3, Lai as modified by Lim and Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 2, and Lai further teaches wherein the first semiconductor layer (1161) of the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1), the first semiconductor layer (1162 of SPR1) of the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1), and the first semiconductor layer (1162 of SPR2) of the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) comprise one of an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer (1121) of the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1), the second semiconductor layer (1122 of SPR1) of the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1), and the second semiconductor layer (1122 of SPR2) of the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) comprise the other of the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer {Fig. 1B; [0062]}.
Regarding claim 5, Lai as modified by Lim and Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 1, and Lai further teaches further comprising a contact pad (second rightmost 212) disposed outside the circuit substrate (210), wherein the conductive layer (630 as modified by Huang) is electrically connected (indirectly through rightmost 120, 110a, 130a) to the contact pad (second rightmost 212) to form an electrical contact {Fig. 1B; [0054]}.
Regarding claim 6, Lai as modified by Lim and Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 1, but Lai does not teach further comprising a planarization layer disposed between the circuit substrate and the conductive layer and laterally surrounding the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element.
Huang teaches in Figs. 1A and 6 and paragraph [0026] an insulation layer (150/650) disposed between a circuit substrate (110/610) and a conductive layer (130/630) and laterally surrounding a first light-emitting element (e.g., {leftmost 120a}/{leftmost 626}), a second light-emitting element (e.g., {leftmost 120b}/{second leftmost 626}), and a third light-emitting element (e.g., {second leftmost 120a}/{third leftmost 626}). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device as modified by Lim and Huang based on the further teachings of Huang – to include an insulation layer disposed between the circuit substrate and the conductive layer and laterally surrounding the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element – to electrically isolate[] the circuit structure … of the substrate … and the conductive layer … thereby preventing a short circuit in the semiconductor light emitting device. Huang [0026].
Lai as modified by Lim and Huang does not expressly teach the insulation layer is a planarization layer.
Lim teaches in paragraph [0071] an insulation layer is a planarization layer (19). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device as modified by Lim and Huang based on the further teachings of Lim – such that Huang’s insulation layer is a planarization layer – because [t]he selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07. Moreover, all the claimed elements (e.g., insulation layer, planarization layer) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Lim) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A).
Regarding claim 8, Lai as modified by Lim and Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 6, and Lai further teaches further comprising a contact pad (second rightmost 212) disposed outside the circuit substrate (210), wherein the conductive layer (630 as modified by Huang) is electrically connected (indirectly through rightmost 120, 110a, 130a) to the contact pad (second rightmost 212) to form an electrical contact {Fig. 1B; [0054]}.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai in view of Lim and Huang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Li et al. (US20220392952A1).
Regarding claim 9, Lai as modified by Lim and Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 1, but Lai does not teach wherein a lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the first light-emitting element and the lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the second light-emitting element.
In an analogous art, Li teaches in Fig. 4 and paragraph [0044] that a lateral width of a third light-emitting element (01) is greater than a lateral width of a first light-emitting element (02/03) and the lateral width of the third light-emitting element (01) is greater than a lateral width of a second light-emitting element (03/02). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device as modified by Lim and Huang based on the teachings of Li – such that a lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the first light-emitting element and the lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the second light-emitting element – so as to affect the combined and desired color (e.g., white) of light created by the three light-emitting elements. Li [0044].
Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai in view of Lim, Huang, and Li as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Chuang et al. (US20200075821A1).
Regarding claim 10, Lai as modified by Lim, Huang, and Li teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 9, but Lai does not teach wherein the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element comprise indium gallium nitride.
In an analogous art, Chuang teaches in Fig. 1B and paragraph [0049] that a light-emitting element (EL) comprises indium gallium nitride. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device as modified by Lim, Huang, and Li based on the teachings of Chuang – such that the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element comprise indium gallium nitride – because [t]he selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07. Moreover, all the claimed elements (e.g., light-emitting elements, indium gallium nitride) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Chuang) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A).
Regarding claim 11, Lai as modified by Lim, Huang, and Li teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 9, but Lai does not teach wherein the third light-emitting element comprises aluminum indium gallium phosphide.
Chuang teaches in Fig. 1B and paragraph [0049] that a light-emitting element (EL) comprises aluminum indium gallium phosphide. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device as modified by Lim, Huang, and Li based on the teachings of Chuang – such that the third light-emitting element comprises aluminum indium gallium phosphide – because [t]he selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07. Moreover, all the claimed elements (e.g., light-emitting elements, aluminum indium gallium phosphide) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Chuang) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A).
Claim(s) 12, 15, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai in view of Huang.
Regarding claim 12, Lai teaches a micro light-emitting diode display device, comprising:
a circuit substrate (210) having a first contact pad (leftmost 212 in SPR1), a second contact pad (rightmost 212 in SPR1), and a third contact pad (212 in SPR2) {Fig. 1B; [0054]};
a first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1) disposed on the circuit substrate (210) and having a first electrode (130a), a first semiconductor layer (1161) disposed on the first electrode (130a), and an active layer (1141) disposed on the first semiconductor layer (1161), wherein the first semiconductor layer (1161) is electrically connected to the first contact pad (leftmost 212 in SPR1) through the first electrode (130a) {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0058]};
a second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) disposed on the circuit substrate (210) and having a second electrode (130b in SPR1), a second semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR1) disposed on the second electrode (130b in SPR1), and an active layer (1142 in SPR1) disposed on the second semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR1), wherein the second semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR1) is electrically connected to the second contact pad (rightmost 212 in SPR1) through the second electrode (130b in SPR1) {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0058]};
a third electrode (120 in SPR1) covering the active layer (1141) of the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1) and the active layer (1142 in SPR1) of the second light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR1) {Fig. 1B; [0056]};
a third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) disposed on the circuit substrate (210) and having a fourth electrode (130b in SPR2), a third semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR2) disposed on the fourth electrode (130b in SPR2), an active layer (1142 in SPR2) disposed on the third semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR2), and a fifth electrode (120 in SPR2) disposed over the active layer (1142 in SPR2) of the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2), wherein the third semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR2) is electrically connected to the third contact pad (212 in SPR2) through the fourth electrode (130b in SPR2) and the fifth electrode (120 in SPR2) is separated from the third electrode (120 in SPR1) {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0058]}.
Lai does not teach a conductive layer electrically connected to the third electrode and the fifth electrode.
Huang teaches in Fig. 6 and paragraph [0034] a conductive layer (630) electrically connected to a third electrode (e.g., leftmost 624) and a fifth electrode (e.g., 3rd leftmost 624). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device based on the teachings of Huang, as identified above, to reduce the manufacturing resources (e.g., materials, operations, time, etc.) for connecting the light-emitting elements to a common potential of a power source. Moreover, all the claimed elements (e.g., light-emitting elements, electrodes, conductive layer) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Huang) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A). Furthermore, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Regarding claim 15, Lai as modified by Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 12, and Lai further teaches further comprising a fourth semiconductor layer (1121) disposed between the active layer (1141) of the first light-emitting element (110a, 130a, 120 of SPR1) and the third electrode (120 in SPR1), the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) further comprises a fifth semiconductor layer (1122 in SPR2) disposed between the active layer (1142 in SPR2) of the third light-emitting element (110b, 130b, 120 of SPR2) and the fifth electrode (120 in SPR2), wherein the fourth semiconductor layer (1121) is electrically connected to the conductive layer (630 as modified by Huang) through the third electrode (120 in SPR1), the fifth semiconductor layer (1122 in SPR2) is electrically connected to the conductive layer (630 as modified by Huang) through the fifth electrode (120 in SPR2), and the fourth semiconductor layer (1121) is separated from the fifth semiconductor layer (1122 in SPR2) {Fig. 1B; [0056, 0058]}.
Lai does not necessarily teach in a single embodiment a unitary semiconductor layer electrically disposed between active layers of adjacent light-emitting elements and an electrode.
However, Lai teaches in an embodiment illustrated by Fig. 2B and discussed in paragraph [0070, 0071] a unitary semiconductor layer (112) electrically disposed between active layers (1141, 1142) of adjacent light-emitting elements (110a, 110b) and an electrode (120). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the embodiment of Lai’s display device illustrated by Fig. 1B as modified by Huang based on the embodiment of Lai’s Fig. 2B – to include a fourth semiconductor layer disposed between the active layer of the first light-emitting element and the third electrode and between the active layer of the second light-emitting element and the third electrode – to reduce the manufacturing resources (e.g., materials, operations, time, etc.) for creating the semiconductor material electrically disposed between active layers of adjacent light-emitting elements and an electrode. Moreover, all the claimed elements (e.g., light-emitting elements, semiconductor material, electrode, active layer) were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods (e.g., as taught by Lai) with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielding nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP §2143(I)(A). Furthermore, [t]he selection of a known … [structure] based on its suitability for its intended use [is] … prima facie obviousness. MPEP §2144.07.
Regarding claim 16, Lai as modified by Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 15, and Lai further teaches wherein the first semiconductor layer (1161), the second semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR1), and the third semiconductor layer (1162 in SPR2) comprise one of an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer, and the fourth semiconductor layer (1121) and the fifth semiconductor layer (1122 in SPR2) comprise the other of the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer {Fig. 1B; [0062]}.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai in view of Huang as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Li.
Regarding claim 17, Lai as modified by Huang teaches the micro light-emitting diode display device of claim 12, but Lai does not teach wherein a lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the first light-emitting element and the lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the second light-emitting element.
Li teaches in Fig. 4 and paragraph [0044] that a lateral width of a third light-emitting element (01) is greater than a lateral width of a first light-emitting element (02/03) and the lateral width of the third light-emitting element (01) is greater than a lateral width of a second light-emitting element (03/02). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai’s display device as modified by Huang based on the teachings of Li – such that a lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the first light-emitting element and the lateral width of the third light-emitting element is greater than a lateral width of the second light-emitting element – so as to affect the combined and desired color (e.g., white) of light created by the three light-emitting elements. Li [0044].
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chang et al. (US20180261583A1) teaches a method for manufacturing a display device includes: forming at least two bottom conductive lines on an array substrate; disposing at least four micro light emitting devices respectively on the bottom conductive lines; forming at least one filling material covering the micro light emitting devices; forming at least four openings in the filling material by photolithography, such that the micro light emitting devices are respectively exposed by the openings; and forming at least two upper conductive lines on the filling material, wherein the upper conductive lines are electrically connected to the micro light emitting devices through the openings, and the upper conductive lines and the bottom conductive lines cross at the micro light emitting devices.
Conclusion
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/D.W.W./Examiner, Art Unit 2891
/MATTHEW C LANDAU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2891
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