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 .
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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) based on an application filed in the Republic of Korea on July 31, 2023, and receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. It should be noted that in order to effectively benefit from the foreign priority date, an English translation of the certified copy (of the foreign application as filed) filed together with a statement that the translation of the certified copy is accurate must be presented.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (Claims 1-14) in the reply filed on June 15, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 15-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Therefore, an examination on the merits of Claims 1-14 follows.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on March 4, 2024 and December 28, 2024 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Title
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. The following title is suggested:
--Display Device Including Fan-Out Lines And An Opening In A Substrate With A Metal Ink Deposited Within It--
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 1-2, 4-11, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (U.S. 2023/0143994), hereinafter Kim.
Regarding Claim 1, Kim teaches a display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) comprising:
-a first substrate ((SUB1); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0073]) including an open portion ((CNT1); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0074]));
-a first barrier insulating layer ((BIL1); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0072]) disposed on the first substrate (SUB1) and including a first contact hole ((CNT2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0074]) overlapping the open portion (CNT1);
-a first fan-out line ((FOL2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0142]) disposed on the first barrier insulating layer (BIL1);
-a pad part (bottom flat portion of (FOL2) within (CNT2), hereinafter ‘(PAD)’; Fig. 3) integrally formed with the first fan-out line (FOL2) and exposed through the open portion (CNT1) by being disposed within the first contact hole (CNT2);
-a second substrate ((SUB2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0080]) disposed on the first fan-out line (FOL2);
-a connection part (portion of (CWL2) within (CNT3), hereinafter ‘(CP)’; Fig. 3, Paragraph [0082]) disposed on the second substrate (SUB2) and connected to the first fan-out line (FOL2);
-a second fan-out line ((CWL2), specifically the top portion; Fig. 3, Paragraph [0144]) disposed on a layer (e.g. (BIL3), Fig. 3, Paragraph [0072]) located between (vertically between the top of (CP) and the top of (FOL2)) the first fan-out line (FOL2) and the connection part (CP) and connected to the connection part (CP);
-a data line ((VL1) ‘a data line’; Fig. 2, Paragraph [0086]) disposed on a same layer ((BIL2) Figs. 2 and 3, Paragraph [0072]) as the connection part (CP) and electrically connected to the second fan-out line (CWL2) to supply a data voltage (Paragraph [0144]);
-a flexible film ((FPCB2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0141]) disposed under the first substrate (SUB1) and including a lead electrode ((LDE); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0142]) disposed within the open portion (CNT1) of the first substrate (SUB1); and
-a contact part ((ACF); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0142]) electrically connecting the lead electrode (LDE) and the pad part (PAD) by contacting a lower surface of the lead electrode (bottom of (LDE); Specifically via the bulk of (LDE) as the limitation ‘contacting’ does not preclude intervening material) and a lower surface of the pad part (bottom of (PAD)).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 1, wherein:
-the lead electrode (LDE) protrudes (Merriam-Webster, intransitive verb, ‘to jut out from the surrounding surface’. In this case simply vertically expanding fulfills the limitation) from one side of the flexible film (top of (FPCB2)), and wherein the contact part (ACF) contacts a lower surface (e.g. the positive-X side, i.e. the right side, of (LDE); Fig. 3) of the lead electrode (LDE) protruding from the flexible film (FPCB2).
Regarding Claim 4, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 1, further comprising:
-a display area displaying an image ((DA); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0063]), and a non-display area ((NDA); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0063]) surrounding the display area (DA), wherein the flexible film (FPCB2) is disposed in the display area ((DA); Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 5, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 1, further comprising:
-a transistor ((TFT); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0078]) including a drain electrode ((DE); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0088]), a semiconductor area ((ACT); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0088]), a source electrode ((SE); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0088]), and a gate electrode ((GE); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0088]) disposed on an active layer of the first fan-out line ((GE) as part of (MTL3) is disposed over (FOL2) of (MTL1), Paragraphs [0083] and [0090]) , wherein the data line (VL1) supplies a data voltage to the transistor (Paragraph [0086]).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 5, further comprising:
-a power line ((VL2) ‘a driving voltage’; Fig. 2, Paragraph [0086]) disposed on a same layer (BIL2) as the data line (VL1) to supply a power voltage to the transistor (Paragraph [0086]).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 5, further comprising:
-a connection electrode ((CNE2); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0094]) disposed on a same layer (BIL2) as the data line (VL1) and electrically connected to the transistor (specifically (SE)); and a pixel electrode ((RME1); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0094]) disposed on the connection electrode (CNE2) and connected to the connection electrode to receive a driving current from the transistor (Paragraph [0099]).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 1, further comprising:
-a transistor layer ((TFTL); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0083]) including a transistor ((TFT); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0078]) electrically connected to the data line (VL1); a light emitting element layer (comprising (EML), (WLCL), and (CFL), hereinafter ‘(LED)’; Fig. 2, Paragraph [0083]) disposed on the transistor layer (TFTL) and including a light emitting element ((ED); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0097]); and an encapsulation layer ((TFE); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0136]) contacting an upper surface and side surfaces of the light emitting element layer (LED).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 1, wherein:
-the first substrate (SUB1) and the second substrate (SUB2) include a polyimide or a polymer resin (Paragraphs [0073] and [0080]).
Regarding Claim 10, Kim teaches a display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) comprising:
-a first substrate ((SUB1); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0073]) including an open portion ((CNT1); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0074]));
-a first barrier insulating layer ((BIL1); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0072]) disposed on the first substrate (SUB1) and including a first contact hole ((CNT2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0074]) overlapping the open portion (CNT1);
-a pad part (bottom flat portion of (FOL2) within (CNT2), hereinafter ‘(PAD)’; Fig. 3) disposed within the first contact hole (CNT2) and exposed through the open portion (CNT1);
-a first fan-out line ((FOL2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0142]) disposed on the first barrier insulating layer (BIL1) and integrally formed with the pad part (PAD);
-a second substrate ((SUB2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0080]) disposed on the first fan-out line (FOL2);
-a second fan-out line ((CWL2), specifically the top portion; Fig. 3, Paragraph [0144]) disposed on the second substrate (SUB2) and electrically connected to the first fan-out line (FOL2) (Paragraph [0144]);
-a transistor ((TFT); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0078]) disposed on the first fan-out line (FOL2) and electrically connected to the second fan-out line (CWL2) (Paragraph [0147])
-a flexible film ((FPCB2); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0141]) disposed under the first substrate (SUB1) disposed within the open portion (CNT1) of the first substrate (SUB1); and
-a lead electrode ((LDE); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0142]) protruding from one side of the flexible film (top of (FPCB2)) and including a portion that does not overlap the flexible film (In this case, there is no overlap for the entirety of (LDE) when viewed from the Y-Direction as in Fig. 3)
Regarding Claim 11, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 10, further comprising:
-a contact part ((ACF); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0142]) electrically connecting the lead electrode (LDE) and the pad part (PAD) by contacting a portion of the flexible film that does not overlap the flexible film (e.g. the top surface of (LDE) of Fig. 3) and one surface of the pad part (bottom surface of (PAD)).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 10, further comprising:
-a data line ((VL1) ‘a data line’; Fig. 2, Paragraph [0086]) disposed on the transistor (TFT) to supply a data voltage (Paragraph [0144]) to the transistor (via (CNE1); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0086]); and
-a power line ((VL2) ‘a driving voltage’; Fig. 2, Paragraph [0086]) disposed on a same layer ((BIL2) Figs. 2 and 3, Paragraph [0072]) as the data line (VL1) to supply a power voltage to the transistor (Paragraph [0086]).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 13, further comprising:
-a connection electrode ((CNE2); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0094]) disposed on a same layer (BIL2) as the data line (VL1) and electrically connected to the transistor (specifically (SE)); and a pixel electrode ((RME1); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0094]) disposed on the connection electrode (CNE2) and connected to the connection electrode to receive a driving current from the transistor (Paragraph [0099]).
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.
Claims 3 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Jang et al. (U.S. 2022/0328724), hereinafter Jang.
Regarding Claim 3, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose:
-the contact part is formed by sintering conductive ink, metal paste, or metal organic decomposition ink including silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or chromium (Cr).
Jang teaches a display device ((10); Figs. 1-4, Paragraph [0061]) comprising a contact part ((SDB); Fig. 4, Paragraph [0073]), electrically connecting a lead electrode ((LDE); Fig. 4, Paragraph [0143]) and a pad part ((SCM); Fig. 4, Paragraph [0073]) by contacting a lower surface of the lead electrode (bottom of (LDE)) and a lower surface of the pad part (bottom of (SCM)), wherein:
-the contact part (SDB) is formed by sintering conductive ink, metal paste, or metal organic decomposition ink (Paragraph [0171]) including silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or chromium (Cr) (Paragraph [0145]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Jang into the device of Kim such that the contact part is formed by sintering conductive ink, metal paste, or metal organic decomposition ink including silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or chromium (Cr). This would be due to the fact that doing so would incorporate a contact part formation method which avoids risking deteriorating visibility (Jang, Paragraph [0194]).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim teaches the display device ((TD); Figs. 1-3, Paragraph [0060]) of Claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose:
-the contact part is formed by sintering conductive ink, metal paste, or metal organic decomposition ink including silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or chromium (Cr).
Jang teaches a display device ((10); Figs. 1-4, Paragraph [0061]) comprising a contact part ((SDB); Fig. 4, Paragraph [0073]), electrically connecting a lead electrode ((LDE); Fig. 4, Paragraph [0143]) and a pad part ((SCM); Fig. 4, Paragraph [0073]), wherein:
-the contact part (SDB) is formed by sintering conductive ink, metal paste, or metal organic decomposition ink (Paragraph [0171]) including silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or chromium (Cr) (Paragraph [0145]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Jang into the device of Kim such that the contact part is formed by sintering conductive ink, metal paste, or metal organic decomposition ink including silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or chromium (Cr). This would be due to the fact that doing so would incorporate a contact part formation method which avoids risking deteriorating visibility (Jang, Paragraph [0194]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DMITRI MIHALIOV whose telephone number is (571)270-5220. The examiner can normally be reached weekdays 7:30 - 17:30 US Eastern Time.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davienne Monbleau can be reached at (571) 272-1945. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DMITRI MIHALIOV/ Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/SUE A PURVIS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
Prosecution Insights