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 .
Response to Election/Restrictions
1. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-9 & 19-22), Species I, Fig. 1, claims 1-3, 5-9, 19, 20 & 22 in the reply filed on 3/16/2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
2. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
3. Claims 1, 5, 7-9, 19 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huitema et al. (US 2019/0096864).
Re claim 1, Huitema teaches, under BRI, Figs. 19 & 23-27, [0094, 0103, 0105, 0106], a display apparatus comprising:
-an adhesive layer (die attach film 270) disposed on a substrate (600) (Fig. 23);
-a pixel driver chip (left 200) disposed on the adhesive layer (270) and including a plurality of pads (metal pads 230, Fig. 19) disposed on an upper surface thereof;
-a planarization layer (insulator 104, Fig. 24) surrounding side surfaces of the pixel driver chip (left chip 200);
-a plurality of pad contact layers (consider bumps 250 & lines 112 in RDL 110, Figs. 19 & 26) disposed on the plurality of pads (230) of the pixel driver chip (200); and
-a plurality of first wires (lines 112 outside left chip 200) disposed on the planarization layer (104) (Figs. 26 & 27),
wherein the plurality of pad contact layers (250 & 112) and the plurality of first wires (lines 112 outside left chip 200) have a same thickness (of lines 112) and are made of a same conductive material layer (e.g., copper, [0106]).
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Re claim 5, Huitema teaches, Fig. 27, [0106, 0108], an insulating layer (114) covering portions of the plurality of pad contact layers (250, 112) and the plurality of first wires (112); and a plurality of second wires (ground line 116) respectively connected to the plurality of pad contact layers (250, 112) and the plurality of first wires (112).
Re claim 7, Huitema teaches, Fig. 1, [0141], a plurality of light emitting elements (102) electrically connected with the pixel driver chip (200).
Re claim 8, Huitema teaches, [0077], wherein the plurality of the light emitting elements are inorganic light emitting diodes.
Re claim 9, Huitema teaches, [0127, 0141], wherein the plurality of the light emitting elements are organic light emitting diodes.
Re claim 19, Huitema teaches, under BRI, Figs. 1, 2, 19 & 23-27, [0082, 0083, 0094, 0103, 0105, 0106], a display apparatus comprising:
-at least one pixel (190) including a plurality of light emitting elements (102) disposed on a substrate (600);
-a pixel driver chip (200) disposed on the substrate (600), and configured to drive the plurality of light emitting elements (102), wherein the pixel driver chip (200) includes:
an element layer (layer of chip 200) disposed on the substrate (600) and including at least one circuit element (circuit in chip 200) used to drive at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements (102), and
a plurality of pads (230) disposed on the element layer (200);
a plurality of pad contact layers (250, 112) disposed on the plurality of pads (230), and corresponding to the plurality of pads (230);
a plurality of first conductive patterns (112 outside chip 200) disposed adjacent to the plurality of pad contact layers (250, 112), and being made of a same material as the plurality of pad contact layers (250, 112) (e.g. copper); and
a plurality of second conductive patterns (116, 118) connected to the plurality of first conductive patterns (112 outside of 200) and the plurality of pad contact layers (250, 112) for providing electrical connection between the pixel driver chip (200) and the plurality of light emitting elements (102).
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Re claim 22, Huitema teaches, Fig. 26, wherein the plurality of first conductive patterns (112) and the plurality of pad contact layers (112 of 250, 112) are formed simultaneously by patterning (*) the same material covering the pixel driver chip (200).
Further, the limitation "formed simultaneously by patterning" is merely a product-by-process limitation. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process. In re Thorpe, 227 USPQ 964, 966.
4. Claims 1, 5, 7-9, 19 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Edzer Ayco Huitema et al. (US 2021/0272510,”Edzer”).
Re claim 1, Edzer teaches, under BRI, Fig. 7, [0045-0046], a display apparatus comprising:
-an adhesive layer (202) disposed on a substrate (200);
-a pixel driver chip (102) disposed on the adhesive layer (202) and including a plurality of pads (180) disposed on an upper surface thereof;
-a planarization layer (passivation layer 204) surrounding side surfaces of the pixel driver chip (102);
-a plurality of pad contact layers (lines 224 on 180) disposed on the plurality of pads (180) of the pixel driver chip (102); and
-a plurality of first wires (lines 224 outside 102) disposed on the planarization layer (204),
wherein the plurality of pad contact layers (224) and the plurality of first wires (224 outside 102) have a same thickness (of lines 224) and are made of a same conductive material layer (e.g., Cu).
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Re claim 5, Edzer teaches, Fig. 7, [0046], an insulating layer (226) covering portions of the plurality of pad contact layers (224 on 180) and the plurality of first wires (224); and a plurality of second wires (lines connected 224) respectively connected to the plurality of pad contact layers (lines 224 on 180) and the plurality of first wires (224).
Re claims 7-9, Edzer teaches, Fig. 7, [008], a plurality of light emitting elements (150) electrically connected with the pixel driver chip (102), wherein the plurality of the light emitting elements are inorganic light emitting diodes (e.g., micro LED), wherein the plurality of the light emitting elements are organic light emitting diodes (e.g., OLED).
Re claim 19, Edzer teaches, under BRI, Figs. 4A & 7, [0020, 0024, 0027, 0045-0046], a display apparatus comprising:
-at least one pixel (154) including a plurality of light emitting elements (150) disposed on a substrate (200);
-a pixel driver chip (102) disposed on the substrate (200), and configured to drive the plurality of light emitting elements (150), wherein the pixel driver chip (102) includes:
an element layer (layer of chip 102) disposed on the substrate (200) and including at least one circuit element (circuit in chip 102) used to drive at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements (150), and
a plurality of pads (180) disposed on the element layer (102);
a plurality of pad contact layers (lines 224 on 180) disposed on the plurality of pads (180), and corresponding to the plurality of pads (180);
a plurality of first conductive patterns (lines 224 outside chip 102) disposed adjacent to the plurality of pad contact layers (lines 224 on 180), and being made of a same material as the plurality of pad contact layers (224) (e.g. Cu); and
a plurality of second conductive patterns (lines connect to 224) connected to the plurality of first conductive patterns (224) and the plurality of pad contact layers (224 on 180) for providing electrical connection between the pixel driver chip (102) and the plurality of light emitting elements (150).
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Re claim 22, Edzer teaches, Fig. 7, wherein the plurality of first conductive patterns (224) and the plurality of pad contact layers (224 on 180) are formed simultaneously by patterning (*) the same material covering the pixel driver chip (102).
Further, the limitation "formed simultaneously by patterning" is merely a product-by-process limitation. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process. In re Thorpe, 227 USPQ 964, 966.
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.
5. Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huitema in view of Kim et al. (US 2023/0320136).
The teachings of Huitema have been discussed above.
Re claim 2, Huitema teaches the plurality of pad contact layers and first wires (112) (Fig. 26).
Huitema does not teach wherein each of at least one of the plurality of pad contact layers and the first plurality of first wires has a Ti/Al/Ti multi-layer structure.
Kim teaches each of at least one of the plurality of pad contact layers and the first plurality of first wires (wirings 130, 140) has a Ti/Al/Ti multi-layer structure (Ti/Al/Ti) ([0099] Fig. 17A).
As taught by Kim, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching into Huitema to obtain Ti/Al/Ti multi-layer structure as claimed, because it aids in improving electrical performance and heat resistance.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Kim in combination Huitema due to above reason.
6. Claims 3 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huitema in view of Wang et al. (US 219/0013302).
The teachings of Huitema have been discussed above.
Re claim 3, Huitema teaches, Figs. 19 & 26 the plurality of contact pad layers (250, 112) and the plurality of pads (230).
Huitema does not explicitly teach wherein at least one of the plurality of pad contact layers has a same size as at least one of the plurality of pads.
Wang teaches, Fig. 9, [0122], at least one of the plurality of pad contact layers (portion of 131 within layer 122) has a same size as at least one of the plurality of pads (204).
As taught by Wang, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain at least one of the plurality of pad contact layers has a same size as at least one of the plurality of pads as claimed, because it aids in achieving desired uniform dimension(s) of elements within the formed device. Further, a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Wang in combination Huitema due to above reason.
Re claim 20, in combination cited above, Wang teaches, Fig. 9, wherein a width of at least one of the plurality of pad contact layers (portion of 131 within layer 122) corresponds to a width of at least one of the plurality of pads (204) and/or a bottom width of at least one of the plurality of second conductive patterns.
7. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huitema.
The teachings of Huitema have been discussed above.
Re claim 6, Huitema teaches, Fig. 27, a sum of thicknesses of the plurality of pad contact layers (250, 112) and the plurality of second wires (116) disposed on each pad (230).
Huitema does not explicitly teach wherein the sum of thicknesses is about 1,000 nm to about 1,800 nm.
Huitema does teach, Fig. 27, [0112], “the front side RDL 110 has a thickness of 5-50 μm” & lines 112 & 116 included in the RDL 110.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ & modify the teaching as taught by Huitema to obtain the sum of thicknesses is about 1,000 nm to about 1,800 nm as claimed, because thickness of claimed elements is known to affect device properties and would depend on the desired device density and the desired device characteristics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to the recited thickness through routine experimentation to achieve desired characteristics of the formed device.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUY T.V. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7431. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, alternative Friday off.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, EVA MONTALVO can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DUY T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 5/4/26
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