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 .
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) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Komatsu et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2013/0056719 A1; hereinafter Komatsu)
With respect to claim 1, Komatsu discloses a display device comprising a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element adjacent to the first light-emitting element, wherein the first light-emitting element comprises a first pixel electrode [20], a first EL layer [40] over the first pixel electrode, and a common electrode [90] over the first EL layer (See Figure 1B), wherein the second light-emitting element comprises a second pixel electrode [20], a second EL layer [40] over the second pixel electrode, and the common electrode [90] over the second EL layer (See Figures 1A-1B), wherein each of an end portion of the first pixel electrode and an end portion of the second pixel electrode has a tapered shape (See Figure 1B), wherein the first EL layer covers the end portion of the first pixel electrode (See Figure 1B), wherein the second EL layer covers the end portion of the second pixel electrode (see Figure 1B), and wherein the first EL layer comprises a region where a thickness is less than or equal to 150 nm (See ¶[0155]; 30 nm).
With respect to claim 2, Komatsu discloses wherein the first light-emitting element comprises a common layer [80] between the first EL layer and the common electrode, wherein the second light-emitting element comprises the common layer [80] between the second EL layer and the common electrode, and wherein a region between a top surface of the first pixel electrode and a bottom surface of the common layer comprises a portion having a distance less than or equal to 150 nm (see ¶[0174]; [60] is 20 nm and [70] is 70 nm, combined 90 nm).
With respect to claim 3, Komatsu discloses a display device comprising a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element adjacent to the first light-emitting element, wherein the first light-emitting element comprises first pixel electrode [20], a first EL layer [40] over the first pixel electrode, and a common electrode [90] over the first EL layer (See Figure 1B), wherein the second light-emitting element comprises a second pixel electrode [20], a second EL layer [40] over the second pixel electrode, and the common electrode [90] over the second EL layer (See Figures 1A-1B), wherein an end portion of the first pixel electrode and an end portion of the second pixel electrode each have a tapered shape (see Figure 1B), wherein the first EL layer covers the end portion of the first pixel electrode (see Figure 1B), wherein the second EL layer covers the end portion of the second pixel electrode (See Figure 1B), and wherein a region between a thickness of the first EL layer and a thickness of the second EL layer comprises a portion having a distance less than or equal to 100 nm (See ¶[0155]; 30 nm).
With respect to claim 4, Komatsu discloses wherein the first light-emitting element comprises a common layer [80] between the first EL layer and the common electrode, wherein the second light-emitting element comprises the common layer [80] between the second EL layer and the common electrode, and wherein the display device comprises a region where a difference between a distance between a top surface of the first pixel electrode and a bottom surface of the common layer and a distance between a top surface of the second pixel electrode and the bottom surface of the common layer is less than or equal to 100 nm (see ¶[0174]; [60] is 20 nm and [70] is 70 nm, combined 90 nm).
With respect to claim 5, Komatsu discloses wherein the common layer comprises a carrier-injection layer (See ¶[0147]).
With respect to claim 6, Komatsu discloses wherein an insulating layer [50] is provided in a region between the first EL layer and the second EL layer (see Figure 1A-1B).
With respect to claim 7, Komatsu discloses wherein the insulating layer comprises an organic material (see ¶[0173]).
With respect to claim 8, Komatsu discloses a pixel portion [45] and a connection portion [35], wherein the pixel portion comprises the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element (see Figure 1A; array of light-emitting elements), wherein the connection portion comprises a connection electrode [30] and the common electrode [90] which is over the connection electrode and electrically connected to the connection electrode, wherein a third EL layer [80] is in a region between the pixel portion and the connection portion, and wherein an end portion of the connection electrode and an end portion of the third EL layer are covered with a protective layer [50] (See Figure 1B; “an end portion” is not structurally defined within the claim. Bottom exposed surfaces can be considered “end portions”).
With respect to claim 9, Komatsu discloses a display module comprising: the display device according to claim 1; and at least one of a connector and an integrated circuit (see Figure 2; ¶[0181]). With respect to claim 10, Komatsu discloses an electronic device comprising: the display module according to claim 9; and at least one of a battery, a camera, a speaker and a microphone (see ¶[0537; mobile phones].
With respect to claim 11, Komatsu discloses a method for manufacturing a display device, comprising: forming a first pixel electrode [20] and a second pixel electrode [20] adjacent to the first pixel electrode so as to have tapered end portions (see Figure 1A and Figure 3A); forming a first EL film [40] over the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode (see Figure 3B); forming a first sacrificial film [50A] over the first EL film; forming a first EL layer [40] covering the end portion of the first pixel electrode and comprising a region where a thickness is less than or equal to 150 nm (See ¶[0155]; 30 nm), and a first sacrificial layer [50] over the first EL layer by processing the first EL film and the first sacrificial film (See Figure 3D and ¶[0189-0190]; processing the second EL film and the second sacrificial film do not constitute a specific process; as the photomasks are placed above, they can be considered “processed”); forming a second EL film [40] over the first sacrificial layer and over the second pixel electrode; forming a second sacrificial film [50A] over the second EL film; forming a second EL layer [40] covering the end portion of the second pixel electrode, and a second sacrificial layer [50] over the second EL layer by processing the second EL film and the second sacrificial film (See Figure 3D and ¶[0189-0190]; processing the second EL film and the second sacrificial film do not constitute a specific process; as the photomasks are placed above, they can be considered “processed”); removing at least a part of the first sacrificial layer and at least a part of the second sacrificial layer (see Figure 3E see ¶[0191]); and forming a common electrode [90] over the first EL layer and over the second EL layer (see Figure 1A and 4D).
With respect to claim 12, Komatsu discloses comprising the steps of: forming a common layer [80] over the first EL layer and over the second EL layer after at least the part of the first sacrificial layer and at least the part of the second sacrificial layer are removed (see Figure 1A and 4C); and forming the common electrode over the common layer, wherein a region between a top surface of the first pixel electrode and a bottom surface of the common layer comprises a portion having a distance less than or equal to 150 nm (see ¶[0174]; [60] is 20 nm and [70] is 70 nm, combined 90 nm).
With respect to claim 13, Komatsu discloses a method for manufacturing a display device, comprising: forming a first pixel electrode [20] and a second pixel electrode [20] adjacent to the first pixel electrode so as to have tapered end portions (see Figure 1A and Figure 3A); forming a first EL film [40] over the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode (see Figure 3B); forming a first sacrificial film [50A] over the first EL film; forming a first EL layer [40] covering the end portion of the first pixel electrode, and a first sacrificial layer [50] over the first EL layer by processing the first EL film and the first sacrificial film (See Figure 3D and ¶[0189-0190]; processing the second EL film and the second sacrificial film do not constitute a specific process; as the photomasks are placed above, they can be considered “processed”); forming a second EL film [40] over the first sacrificial layer and over the second pixel electrode; forming a second sacrificial film [50A] over the second EL film; forming a second EL layer [40] covering the end portion of the second pixel electrode and comprising a region where a difference from a thickness of the first EL layer is less than or equal to 100 nm (See ¶[0155]; 30 nm), and a second sacrificial layer [50] over the second EL layer by processing the second EL film and the second sacrificial film (See Figure 3D and ¶[0189-0190]; processing the second EL film and the second sacrificial film do not constitute a specific process; as the photomasks are placed above, they can be considered “processed”); removing at least a part of the first sacrificial layer and at least a part of the second sacrificial layer (see Figure 3E see ¶[0191]); and forming a common electrode [90] over the first EL layer and over the second EL layer (see Figure 1A and 4D).
With respect to claim 14, Komatsu discloses the steps of: forming a common layer [80] over the first EL layer and the second EL layer after at least the part of the first sacrificial layer and at least the part of the second sacrificial layer are removed (see Figure 1A and 4C); and forming the common electrode over the common layer, wherein a region where a difference between a distance between a top surface of the first pixel electrode and a bottom surface of the common layer and a distance between a top surface of a second pixel electrode and the bottom surface of the common layer is less than or equal to 100 nm is included in the display device (see ¶[0174]; [60] is 20 nm and [70] is 70 nm, combined 90 nm).
With respect to claim 15, Komatsu discloses wherein the common layer comprises a carrier-injection layer (See ¶[0147]).
With respect to claim 16 Komatsu discloses the step of forming an insulating layer [50] in a region between the first EL layer and the second EL layer after the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer are formed and before said at least part of the first sacrificial layer and said at least part of the second sacrificial layer are removed (see Figures 3C-3E; 50A transitions into 50 once portions are removed).
With respect to claim 17, Komatsu discloses wherein the insulating layer is formed using a spin coating method, a spraying method, a screen printing method or a painting method (see ¶[0194]; spin coating and inject methods are commonly utilized).
With respect to claim 18, Komatsu discloses the step of forming a conductive film [30], wherein the first pixel electrode, the second pixel electrode, and a connection electrode is formed so as to have tapered end portions by processing the conductive film (see Figure 3A), wherein the first sacrificial film is formed so as to cover an end portion of the first EL film after the first EL film is formed (see Figure 3C), wherein a third EL layer [80] and a third sacrificial layer [50] that covers an end portion of the connection electrode and an end portion of the third EL layer is formed in a region between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode and the connection electrode by processing the first EL film and the first sacrificial film, wherein at least a part of a region of the third sacrificial layer that overlaps with the connection electrode is removed in parallel with a removal of at least the part of the first sacrificial layer and at least the part of the second sacrificial layer (see ¶[0149]; [80] may be excluded within regions to prevent electrons from flowing from [30] to [90]), and wherein the common electrode is formed over the connection electrode (See Figure 4D).
With respect to claim 19, Komatsu discloses wherein the common electrode is not electrically connected to the third EL layer (See ¶[0149]).
Conclusion
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/JONATHAN HAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818