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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Elections/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (Claims 15-24) in the reply filed on 04/22/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) based upon an application filed in GERMANY on 06/22/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/21/2023, 03/12/2024 and 01/06/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 15-24 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 15, line 3: “…comprising a substrate” should read “…comprising the substrate” since line 2 already introduced “a substrate” of the display.
Claim 15, line 6: “a multiplicity of micro-functional elements” should read “the multiplicity of micro-functional elements” since line 2 already introduced “a multiplicity of micro-functional elements”.
Claims 16-24 are objected at least by virtue of their dependency on claim 15.
Claim 17, lines 2 and 5: “an adhesive layer” should read “the adhesive layer” since claim 15, upon which claim 17 depends, line 15 already introduced “an adhesive layer” attached to the dicing tape.
Claim 17, lines 6 and 7: “a first adhesion force” and “a second adhesion force” should read “the first adhesion force”/ “a third adhesion force” and “the second adhesion force”/ “a fourth adhesion force” respectively since lines 3 and 4 already introduced “a first adhesion force” and “a second adhesion force”.
Claim 19, line 2: “the composite arrangement” should read “a composite arrangement formed of the transfer substrate connecting to the first substrate” or similar, since neither claim 19 nor claim 15, upon which claim 19 depends, previously introduce “a composite arrangement”.
Claim 20 is objected by virtue of its dependency on claim 19.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 15-19, 21 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20220216087A1; Brand et al.; (hereinafter “Brand”) in view of US20180190530A1, Thomas Fischer; (hereinafter “Fischer”).
Regarding Claim 15, Brand teaches a method of producing a microstructured component ([0004]) comprising a multiplicity of micro-functional elements (#11-13, Figure 1A) on a substrate (#10) for producing a micro-LED display comprising a substrate that carries an array of pixel-forming micro-light-emitting diodes on an electrical supply structure (Figures 4A-B, [0062-0064], screen display #50 comprises micro-LEDs #11 on a substrate and electrodes #30e to form electrical connection), wherein laser processing is carried out in at least one method stage in a laser processing station under control of a control unit ([0021] and [0103], components are detached from carrier substrate using laser system), the method comprising:
providing a first substrate (#10, Figure 1A) that carries a multiplicity of micro-functional elements (#11-13) arranged on a first side of the first substrate (#10) in a first spatial arrangement ([0043]);
transferring micro-functional elements in a first transfer step from the first substrate to a transfer substrate (Figures 1B-C, components #11-13 transfer from substrate #10 to #20); and
transferring micro-functional elements in a second transfer step from the transfer substrate to a second substrate (Figures 1C-D, #11-13 transfer from substrate #20 to #30) such that the micro-functional elements are arranged on the second substrate in a second spatial arrangement (Figures 11A-C, [0043]), wherein
the transfer substrate comprises a base film (#20) with an adhesive layer (#20a) attached to the base film to temporarily fix micro-functional units (#11-13) to the transfer substrate.
Brand does not explicitly teach the transfer substrate is a dicing tape clamped in stretched fashion in a clamping frame and comprises an elastically stretchable base film under surface tension with an adhesive layer attached to the base film to temporarily fix micro-functional units to the dicing tape.
However, Fischer teaches a method of manufacturing a microstructured component (Figure 4, [0016]), comprising a transfer substrate that is a dicing tape (#104, dicing foil) clamped in stretched fashion in a clamping frame (Figure 1, [0008] or [0065], mechanism #112 clamps and stretch foil #104) and comprises an elastically stretchable base film under surface tension ([0058], elastic expanded foil #104) with an adhesive layer (#189) attached to the base film ([0059]) to temporarily fix micro-functional units to the dicing tape.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Brand with the teaching of Fischer in order to provide a highly reliable and reproducible support substrate that prevents undesired warpage, wrinkling or tearing according to Fischer, [0008].
Regarding Claim 16, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches the first substrate is a growth substrate ([0002] and [0088], the substrate can be a sapphire growth substrate) and the micro-functional elements (#11-13) are produced on the first substrate and/or the second substrate (#30) is the substrate of the microstructured component.
Regarding Claim 17, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches the dicing tape (see rejection of claim 15, dicing tape as transfer substrate) is a UV-sensitive dicing tape ([0030], UV dicing tape can be used as a substrate) comprising an adhesive layer (#20a), an adhesion force of which vis-à-vis solid bodies can be lowered by way of irradiation by ultraviolet light from a first adhesion force present in the unirradiated state to a second adhesion force reduced compared to the first adhesion force (Figure 1B-C, [0027], radiating UV light on substrate #20 lowers the adhesion between the components and the adhesive layer), or the dicing tape is a thermal release dicing tape comprising an adhesive layer, the adhesion force of which vis-à-vis solid bodies can be lowered by way of heating from a first adhesion force present at room temperature to a second adhesion force reduced compared to the first adhesion force ([0026]).
Regarding Claim 18, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches during the first transfer step, in a bonding step, the transfer substrate is connected to the first substrate carrying the micro-functional elements to form a composite arrangement by free surfaces of the micro-functional elements facing away from the first substrate being brought into adhesion contact with the adhesive layer of the dicing tape under action of a press-on force (Figure 1A-B, [0027], substrate #10 with components #11-13 is in adhesion contact with adhesive layer #20a of substrate #20).
Regarding Claim 19, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches the first transfer step comprises an irradiation of the composite arrangement with laser radiation in a laser processing station (Figures 1B-C, [0027], UV light is radiated on substrates #10-20), an adhesion force between the first substrate and the micro-functional elements to be transferred is reduced by spatially selective or area-covering laser radiation ([0032], laser beams can selectively transfer multiple components simultaneously), the laser irradiation is carried out such that as a result the adhesion force acting between the first substrate and the micro-functional elements to be transferred becomes less than the adhesion force acting between the micro-functional elements to be transferred and the adhesive layer (Figures 1B-C, [0030], radiating UV light on the substrates #10-20 lowers the adhesion between the component #11-13 and substrate #10) and/or ultraviolet laser radiation having a wavelength of less than 360 nm or laser radiation of a 248 nm excimer laser is used ([0041], light #L comprises a 355nm UV laser).
Regarding Claim 21, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches at a conclusion of the first transfer step, the transfer substrate provided with transferred micro-functional units is detached from the first substrate and possibly from micro-functional units remaining thereon with separation of the connection between the transferred micro-functional units and the first substrate (Figure 1C, [0030], substrate #20 with stronger adhesion force to the attached components is detached from substrate #10).
Regarding Claim 23, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches transferring micro-functional elements in the second transfer step from the transfer substrate to the second substrate is carried out in a laser processing station under action of laser radiation (Figure 2B or 3A, [0043] & [0048-0049], UV light is projected onto substrate #20 to release/transfer components to substrate #30), and a method comprising:
(i) a laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is utilized by way of individual or all micro-functional units carried by the transfer substrate being transferred from the transfer substrate via a flight path to the second substrate, provided with an adhesion layer, by laser radiation, ([0005-0006] & [0020-0021], components adhered to the adhesive layer of the second substrate, without contacting the third substrate, can be released by UV light induced forward transfer method) or
(ii) a laser lift-off transfer (LLO) is utilized by way of the micro-functional units carried by the transfer substrate first being bonded onto the second substrate and by way of the adhesion force of individual or all micro-functional units carried by the transfer substrate to the transfer substrate being reduced by UV laser radiation such that the transfer substrate can be removed with little force action,
is selected.
Regarding Claim 24, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches transferring micro-functional elements in the second transfer step from the transfer substrate to the second substrate is carried out in a processing station by way of the micro-functional units carried by the transfer substrate first being bonded onto the second substrate and by way of the adhesion force of the micro-functional units carried by the transfer substrate to the transfer substrate being reduced by UV radiation or a UV lamp, or a temperature increase, or by contact heating or thermal radiators such that the transfer substrate can be removed with little force action ([0005-0006] & [0020-0021], components adhered to the adhesive layer of the second substrate, without contacting the third substrate, can be released by UV light radiation or heating at high temperature).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brand in view of Fischer, and further in view of US20220254673A1; Min et al.; (hereinafter “Min”).
Regarding Claim 20, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 19, wherein Brand further teaches the composite arrangement is subjected to a thermal treatment, and a temperature profile and a duration of the thermal treatment are designed such that the adhesion force acting between the first substrate and the micro-functional elements to be transferred is reduced by the thermal treatment (Figure 1B, [0027-0028], heat is applied to substrates #10-20/adhesive layer #20a to reduce the adhesive strength to ease component transfer).
Brand in view of Fischer does not explicitly teach in addition to the laser irradiation, the composite arrangement is subjected to a thermal treatment.
However, Min teaches a method of manufacturing a microstructured component ([0002]) comprising in addition to a laser irradiation, the composite arrangement is subjected to a thermal treatment (Figures 12-13, [0171-0177], substrates #210-220 are exposed to UV radiation and thermal treatment).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Brand in view of Fischer with the teaching of Min in order to effectively reduce/remove the adhesion force of the LED chips adhered to the carrier substrate for transferring according to Min, [0177-0178].
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brand in view of Fischer, and further in view of US20240088323A1; Jan Brune; (hereinafter “Brune”)
Regarding Claim 22, Brand in view of Fischer teaches the method as described in claim 15, wherein Brand further teaches the first spatial arrangement and the second spatial arrangement of the micro-functional elements differ from one another (Figures 2A or 11A-C, [0043-0044], arrangement of components on substrate #20 transferred from substrate #10 is different from the components on substrate #30).
Brand in view of Fischer does not explicitly teach the first transfer step is carried out by a LIFT method without touching contact between the micro-functional elements of the first substrate and the transfer substrate.
However, Brune teaches a method of manufacturing a microstructured component ([0009]), comprising a first transfer step is carried out by a LIFT method without touching contact between the micro-functional elements of the first substrate and the transfer substrate (Figures 3-4, [0043], transferring of microelectronic devices from first to second substrate utilizes laser process such as laser induced forward transfer/LIFT).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Brand in view of Fischer with the teaching of Brune by known methods to yield predictable results (implementation of known laser processing methods to release/transfer microelectronic devices from donor to receiver substrate, see also [0007] & [0043] of Brune). See MPEP 2143(I)(A).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US20190273009A1 – Figures 3, 6 and 8-9
US20200150341A1 – [0011] and Figures 6-7
US20180166429A1 – Figures 2A-F and 3A-D
US20220319902A1 – [0077] and Figures 1 and 2a-f
US20210111148A1 – Figures 1 and 2A-G
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/TIEN TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/CHRISTINE S. KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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