U 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 Amendment
Applicant’s amendment and remarks received 08 July 2026 have been entered and overcome the claim objections cited in the previous Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-16, and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bang (US 2018/0366524).
Regarding independent claim 1, Bang teaches a light-emitting element (Fig. 11) comprising a bank including a base portion (Fig. 6, Element 180; ¶ [0055]) and a first protruding portion (Fig. 6, Element 182; ¶ [0056]) protruding from an upper face of the base portion; and a first function layer (Fig. 6, Element 221B; ¶ [0094]), wherein at least a part of an end portion of the first function layer is located above the upper face of the base portion and adjacent to a side face of the first protruding portion (Fig. 6), and wherein the end portion of the first function layer is thicker than a portion of the first function layer formed in an opening of the bank.
Regarding claim 2, Bang teaches at least a part of the first function layer formed extending over the first protruding portion (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 3, Bang teaches an inclination angle of the side face of the first protruding portion being less than 90 degrees (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 4, Bang teaches a step between the upper face of the base portion and an upper face of the first protruding portion being less than 10 µm (¶ [0084]).
Regarding claim 5, Bang teaches the part of the end portion of the first function layer located above the upper face of the base portion (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 7, Bang teaches the first function layer including at least one of a light-emitting layer, a charge transport layer, and a charge injection layer (¶ [0094]).
Regarding claim 8, Bang teaches the bank including a second protruding portion (Fig. 7, Element 181; ¶ [0056]) protruding from the upper face of the base portion, and the part of the end portion of the first function layer is located between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 9, Bang teaches a step between the upper face of the base portion and the upper face of the first protruding portion being larger than a thickness of the part of the end portion of the first function layer, and a step between the upper face of the base portion and the upper face of the second protruding portion is larger than the thickness of the at least a part of the end portion of the first function layer (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10, Bang teaches an entirety of the part of the end portion of the first function layer being located above the upper face of the base portion and adjacent to the side face of the first protruding portion (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 11, Bang teaches the first protruding portion not surrounding the opening of the bank (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 12, Bang teaches at least one side face (Fig. 17; upper side face) of the first protruding portion including a meandering shape or a zigzag shape
Regarding claim 13, Bang teaches the first function layer including a plurality of layers (Fig. 6; ¶ [0094]).
Regarding claim 14, Bang teaches an insulating layer (Fig. 6, Element 170; ¶ [0050]); and an island-shaped electrode (Fig. 6, Element 210B; ¶ [0050]) located on the insulating layer, wherein the bank covers an end portion of the island-shaped electrode, a distance from an upper face of the insulating layer to the upper face of the base portion is equivalent to a distance from a surface of the end portion of the island-shaped electrode to an upper face of the first protruding portion, the island-shaped electrode has a uniform thickness, and the first protruding portion is located above the end portion of the island-shaped electrode (Fig. 13B; ¶ [0084]).
Regarding claim 15, Bang teaches an insulating layer (Fig. 6, Element 170; ¶ [0050]); and an island-shaped electrode (Fig. 6, Element 210B; ¶ [0050]) located on the insulating layer, wherein the bank covers an end portion of the island-shaped electrode, a distance from an upper face of the insulating layer to the upper face of the base portion is equivalent to a distance from an upper face of the island-shaped electrode to the upper face of the first protruding portion, at least a part of the end portion of the island-shaped electrode is thicker than a central portion of the island-shaped electrode corresponding to an opening of the bank, and the first protruding portion is located above the part of the end portion of the island-shaped electrode (Fig. 13B; ¶ [0084]).
Regarding claim 16, Bang teaches an insulating layer (Fig. 6, Element 170; ¶ [0050]) including a flat portion and a depressed portion depressed from the flat portion, wherein the bank covers the depressed portion, and the first protruding portion is located above the flat portion (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 18, Bang teaches a display device comprising the light-emitting element according to claim 1, the light-emitting element according to claim 1 further comprising a second function layer (Fig. 6, Element 220A; ¶ [0078]) that includes an end portion formed above the bank and that is located on a side opposite to the first function layer with respect to the bank, wherein at least a part of the second function layer is located above the upper face of the base portion and adjacent to the side face of the first protruding portion (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 19, Bang teaches a display device comprising the-light emitting element according to claim 1, the light-emitting element according to claim 1 further comprising a second function layer (Fig. 6, Element 220A; ¶ [0078]) that includes an end portion formed above the bank and located on a side opposite to the first function layer with respect to the bank, wherein the bank further includes a second protruding portion (Fig. 7, Element 181; ¶ [0056]) protruding from the upper face of the base portion, and at least a part of an end portion of the second function layer is located between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 20, Bang teaches the display device according to claim 19, wherein the bank includes a third protruding portion (Fig. 17, central Element 2181; ¶ [0128]) protruding from the upper face of the base portion and located between the first protruding portion (Fig. 17, right Element 2181; ¶ [0128]) and the second protruding portion (Fig. 17, left Element 2181; ¶ [0128]), at least a part of the first function layer (Fig. 17, Element 2220A; ¶ [0129]) is formed extending over the first protruding portion, at least a part of the second function layer (Fig. 17, Element 2230A; ¶ [0129]) is formed extending over the second protruding portion, the part of the end portion of the first function layer is located between the first protruding portion and the third protruding portion (Fig. 17), and the part of the end portion of the second function layer is located between the second protruding portion and the third protruding portion (Fig. 17).
Regarding claim 21, Bang teaches the display device according to claim 19, wherein the bank includes a third protruding portion (Fig. 17, central Element 2181; ¶ [0128]) protruding from the upper face of the base portion and located between the first protruding portion (Fig. 17, right Element 2181; ¶ [0128]) and the second protruding portion (Fig. 17, left Element 2181; ¶ [0128]), at least a part of the first function layer (Fig. 17, Element 2230A; ¶ [0129]) is formed extending over the first protruding portion and the third protruding portion, at least a part of the second function layer (Fig. 17, Element 2220A; ¶ [0129]) is formed extending over the second protruding portion and the third protruding portion, the part of the end portion of the first function layer is located between the second protruding portion and the third protruding portion (Fig. 17), and the part of the end portion of the second function layer is located between the first protruding portion and the third protruding portion (Fig. 17).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08 July 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s argument, in regard to independent claim 1, that Bang does not teach the end portion of the first function layer being thicker than a portion of the first function layer formed in an opening of the bank, the Examiner notes that the “end portion” is broadly recited in the claim. Giving the claim its broadest reasonable interpretation, the Examiner interprets the “end portion” of the function layer to include portions extending from the center of the function layer. Fig. 6 of Bang shows the end portion of the function layer of Bang including a thicker portion extending from the center of the function layer being thicker than a portion of the function layer formed in an opening of the bank. Thus, Bang teaches the claimed invention, as discussed earlier in this Office Action.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Quarterman whose telephone number is (571)272-2461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kevin Quarterman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 19 September 2026
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