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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed July 8, 2026 is acknowledged.
Non-elected claims 11-20 were canceled by Applicant in the reply filed July 8, 2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on March 19, 2024 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2021/0408490 A1 (hereinafter “Zhang”).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses in Fig. 5 and related text a mask device (30; [0047]), comprising:
a light-passing substrate (34; [0047]); and
a patterned opaque layer (35; [0047]) disposed on the light-passing substrate, wherein the patterned opaque layer comprises a light-modulating region (32; [0050]) with elongate features (“stripes d”; [0050] and [0066]) consecutively disposed at increasing distances from one another ([0062] and [0065]).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang discloses each of the elongate features corresponds to an opaque area of the patterned opaque layer ([0072]).
Regarding claim 8, Zhang discloses one or more of the elongate features have a width that is different than a width of one or more of the other elongate features ([0062]).
Regarding claim 9, Zhang discloses at least one pair of the elongate features has a non-uniform pitch therebetween ([0065]).
Regarding claim 10, Zhang discloses the light-passing substrate comprises a material including at least one of quartz, fused silica, and glass ([0073]); and
opaque areas of the patterned opaque layer comprise a material including at least one of chrome, chromium, and metal oxide ([0072]).
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.
Claim(s) 4, 5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang.
Regarding claim 4, Zhang discloses, in the embodiment of Fig. 5, the mask device of claim 1.
Zhang does not disclose, in the embodiment of Fig. 5, each of the elongate features further comprises: a first feature portion extending in a first dimension of a feature area; a second feature portion extending in a second dimension of the feature area; and a corner feature portion disposed between the first feature portion and the second feature portion.
Zhang teaches, in the embodiment of Fig. 7, each of the elongate features (stripes d in half-shadow area 32; [0084]) further comprises:
a first feature portion (lower portion in the top view shown in the upper right corner of Fig. 7) extending in a first dimension (horizontal dimension in the top view) of a feature area;
a second feature portion (right portion in the top view shown in the upper right corner of Fig. 7) extending in a second dimension (vertical dimension in the top view) of the feature area; and
a corner feature portion disposed between the first feature portion and the second feature portion.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form each of the elongate features to further comprise: a first feature portion extending in a first dimension of a feature area; a second feature portion extending in a second dimension of the feature area; and a corner feature portion disposed between the first feature portion and the second feature portion, as taught by Zhang in the embodiment of Fig. 7, in order to form an opening in a planarization layer (or a pixel definition layer) having a sloped sidewall, thereby preventing the subsequent formation of a metal layer with a non-uniform thickness (Zhang: [0027] and [0081]).
Regarding claim 5, Zhang discloses the mask device of claim 4.
Zhang does not disclose, in the embodiment of Fig. 5, the corner feature portion comprises a rounded corner.
Zhang teaches, in the embodiment of Fig. 7, the corner feature portion (e.g., the stripes d located in the lower right corner of half-shadow area 32 in the top view shown in the upper part of Fig. 7) comprises a rounded corner.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the corner feature portion to comprise a rounded corner, as taught by Zhang in the embodiment of Fig. 7, in order to form an opening in a planarization layer (or a pixel definition layer) having a sloped sidewall, thereby preventing the subsequent formation of a metal layer with a non-uniform thickness (Zhang: [0027] and [0081]).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang discloses the mask device of claim 4.
Zhang does not disclose, in the embodiment of Fig. 5, each of the elongate features further comprises: a third feature portion extending parallel to the first feature portion; and another corner feature portion disposed between the third feature portion and the second feature portion.
Zhang teaches, in the embodiment of Fig. 7, each of the elongate features (stripes d in half-shadow area 32; [0084]) further comprises:
a third feature portion (upper portion in the top view shown in the upper right corner of Fig. 7) extending parallel to the first feature portion (lower portion in the top view shown in the upper right corner of Fig. 7); and
another corner feature portion disposed between the third feature portion and the second feature portion (right portion in the top view shown in the upper right corner of Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form each of the elongate features to further comprise: a third feature portion extending parallel to the first feature portion; and another corner feature portion disposed between the third feature portion and the second feature portion, as taught by Zhang in the embodiment of Fig. 7, in order to form an opening in a planarization layer (or a pixel definition layer) having a sloped sidewall, thereby preventing the subsequent formation of a metal layer with a non-uniform thickness (Zhang: [0027] and [0081]).
Claim(s) 3 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of US 2012/0145668 A1 (hereinafter “Riege”).
Regarding claim 3, Zhang discloses the mask device of claim 1.
Zhang does not disclose each of the elongate features corresponds to an open area of the patterned opaque layer.
Riege teaches in Fig. 9 and related text each of the elongate features (906; [0060]) corresponds to an open area of the patterned opaque layer.
Zhang and Riege are analogous art because they both are directed to photomasks (reticles) for photolithography and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Zhang with the specified features of Riege because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form each of the elongate features to correspond to an open area of the patterned opaque layer, as taught by Riege, in order to enable the fabrication of an etched contact via opening with a gradual slope to assist with depositing an even metal film during subsequent metal contact formation (Riege: [0006] and [0031]).
Regarding claim 6, Zhang discloses the mask device of claim 4.
Zhang does not disclose the corner feature portion comprises a squared corner.
Riege teaches in Fig. 9 and related text the corner feature portion (of opaque bands 904 and transparent bands 906; [0060]) comprises a squared corner (any one of the six corners shown in the top view of Fig. 9).
Zhang and Riege are analogous art because they both are directed to photomasks (reticles) for photolithography and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Zhang with the specified features of Riege because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the corner feature portion to comprise a squared corner, as taught by Riege, in order to enable the fabrication of an etched contact via opening with a gradual slope to assist with depositing an even metal film during subsequent metal contact formation (Riege: [0006] and [0031]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M ALBRECHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (CT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynne Gurley can be reached at (571) 272-1670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER M ALBRECHT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
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