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
Claims 22-30 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on May 12, 2026.
Accordingly, the requirement is made FINAL.
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 31-43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ju (US20200044010) in view of Mauger (US4919749).
Regarding claim 31, Ju taches a method of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) panel manufacturing by forming patterned OLED evaporation on a substrate through a high-precision shadow mask (paragraphs 0002 and 0046) (a method comprising directly patterning an organic material layer on a substrate). Ju teaches to position the shadow mask between evaporation source 11 and the base plate 301 (substrate), wherein the shadow mask includes a handle substrate 101 with a cavity 111, and a grid film layer 202 that is disposed on the handle substrate (paragraphs 0167-0172, figure 33), wherein the grid film layer further combined with a bond layer 103 and mesh shaped support layer 122 (paragraph 0141-144, figure 26), which forms the composite layer (composite layer is disposed on the handle substate). Ju teaches the composite layer having a first region that is disposed over the cavity 111 and defines a membrane that includes at least one aperture 204 that extends completely through the membrane (figures 26 and 33, paragraphs 0139, 0142-0144, 0167-0172). Ju teaches deformation can be caused by the own weight of the grid film layer (paragraph 0055). thus, Ju teaches the shadow mask is subject to gravity-induced sag. Ju teaches evaporating an organic material at the source (paragraphs 0171-0172). Ju teaches enabling the evaporated organic material to pass though the at least one aperture (paragraphs 0167-0172). Ju teaches the plurality of layer of the composite layer (grid film layer 202, bond layer 103 and the mesh shaped support layer 122) and bonded together (immovable with respect to one another (paragraphs 0136-0138 and 0142). Ju teaches the grid film layer has tensile stress (paragraph 0049). Ju teaches the plurality of layers includes at least two layers, which are silicon nitride grid film layer 202 (paragraph 0081) and silicon oxide bond layer (pargraph 0108), which are the same as the claimed invention, it is known that different membrane layers have different residual stresses stress as evidenced by Mauger (column 3 lines 5-50). Thus, Ju’s plurally of layers have a least a different magnitude and/or a different sign, which provide a stress gradient to the composite layer. Since Ju teaches the finished composite layer is not deformed by its own weight (paragraphs 0050-0051), the gravity-induced sag is mitigated. Ju’s mitigation of the gravity-induced sag being caused by the stress gradient that gives rise to a mechanical pre-bias is intrinsic given that the composite layer membrane (silicon nitride and silicon oxide) and the resulting of mitigated gravity-inducted sag on the claimed invention and Ju are the same.
Nevertheless, Mauger teaches a method of forming a shadow mask (abstract) and discloses the distortion causes by the internal stress of the individual layer in a composite (multiple layers) can be controlled together to achieve the desired stress level to mitigate the distortion (column 2 lines 55-68). Therefore, it would have been within the skill of the ordinary artisan to adjust and optimize the internal stress of each layer, which includes the result of forming stress gradient in the composite layers that give rise to a mechanical prebias, in the process to achieve the desired level of mitigation of the distortion (sagging). Discovery of optimum value of result effective variable in known process is ordinarily within skill of art. In re Boesch, CCPA 1980, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ215.
Regarding claim 32, Ju teaches to provide the organic material such that it is an OLED material (paragraphs 0002-009 and 0167-0172).
Regarding claim 33, Ju teaches forming a first OLED on the substrate, the first OLED including the organic-material layer (paragraphs 0002-009 and 0167-0172).
Regarding claim 34, Ju teaches forming an OLED display that includes the first OLED (paragraphs 0003-0006).
Regarding claim 35, Ju teaches the membrane has a first lateral dimension and the plurality of layers includes a grid layer (first layer) that comprises silicon nitride (paragraph 0081) (first material) wherein the first layer having a first thickness and a first residual stress (paragraph 0049), and a bond layer (second layer) that comprises silicon oxide (paragraph 0108), wherein the second layer have a second thickness (see figure 26) and a second residual stress. Ju’s layers in the membrane is not fractured (figures 26 and 33), thus the composite layer is characterized by an effective residual stress that is lower than the fracture stress. Mauger teaches the distortion causes by the internal stress of the individual layer in a composite (multiple layers) can be controlled together to achieve the desired stress level to mitigate the distortion (column 2 lines 55-68). Therefore, it would have been within the skill of the ordinary artisan to adjust and optimize the internal stress of each layer (which includes the first residue stress being greater that the fracture stress and the second residue stress at least partially compensate the firs residual stress) in the process to achieve the desired level of mitigation of the distortion (sagging). Discovery of optimum value of result effective variable in known process is ordinarily within skill of art. In re Boesch, CCPA 1980, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ215.
Regarding claim 36, Ju teaches the first layer is silicon nitride (paragraph 00081) and the second layer is silicon oxide (paragraph 0108).
Regarding claim 37 Ju teaches the first layer has tensile stress (pargraph 0049). Ju teaches the second layer is silicon oxide (paragraph 0108) and Mauger teaches silicon oxide has compressive stress as deposit (column 4 lines 60 to column 5 line 5).
Regarding claim 38, Mauger teaches a method of forming a shadow mask (abstract) and discloses the distortion causes by the internal stress of the individual layer in a composite (multiple layers) can be controlled together to achieve the desired stress level to mitigate the distortion (column 2 lines 55-68). Therefore, it would have been within the skill of the ordinary artisan to adjust and optimize the internal stress of each layer, in the process to achieve the desired level of mitigation of the distortion (sagging). Discovery of optimum value of result effective variable in known process is ordinarily within skill of art. In re Boesch, CCPA 1980, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ215.
Regarding claim 39, Ju teaches the shadow mask is provided such that the plurality of layers includes at least three layers (figure 26, pargraph 0142).
Regarding claim 40, Ju taches a method of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) panel manufacturing by forming patterned OLED evaporation on a substrate through a high-precision shadow mask (paragraphs 0002 and 0046) (a method comprising directly patterning an organic material layer on a substrate). Ju teaches to provide vaporized organic material (paragraphs 0167-0172). Ju teaches to position the shadow mask between evaporation source 11 and the base plate 301 (substrate), wherein the shadow mask includes a handle substrate 101 with a cavity 111, and a grid film layer 202 that is disposed on the handle substrate (paragraphs 0167-0172, figure 33), wherein the grid film layer further combined with a bond layer 103 and mesh shaped support layer 122 (paragraph 0141-144, figure 26), which forms the composite layer (composite layer is disposed on the handle substate). Ju teaches the composite layer having a first region that is disposed over the cavity 111 and defines a membrane that includes at least one aperture 204 that extends completely through the membrane (figures 26 and 33, paragraphs 0139, 0142-0144, 0167-0172). Ju teaches deformation can be caused by the own weight of the grid film layer (paragraph 0055). thus, Ju teaches the shadow mask is subject to gravity-induced sag. Ju teaches evaporating an organic material at the source (paragraphs 0171-0172). Ju teaches enabling the evaporated organic material to pass though the at least one aperture (paragraphs 0167-0172). Ju teaches the plurality of layer of the composite layer (grid film layer 202, bond layer 103 and the mesh shaped support layer 122) and bonded together (immovable with respect to one another (paragraphs 0136-0138 and 0142). Ju teaches the grid film layer (first layer) has tensile stress (paragraph 0049). Ju teaches the plurality of layers includes at least two layers, which are silicon nitride grid film layer 202 with the first thickness (paragraph 0081) and silicon oxide bond layer with a second thickness (pargraph 0108), which are the same as the claimed invention, it is known that different membrane layers have different residual stresses stress as evidenced by Mauger (column 3 lines 5-50). Thus, Ju’s plurally of layers have a least a different magnitude and/or a different sign, which provide a stress gradient to the composite layer. Since Ju teaches the finished composite layer is not deformed by its own weight (paragraphs 0050-0051), the gravity-induced sag is mitigated. Ju’s mitigation of the gravity-induced sag being caused by the stress gradient that gives rise to a mechanical pre-bias is intrinsic given that the composite layer membrane (silicon nitride and silicon oxide) and the resulting of mitigated gravity-inducted sag on the claimed invention and Ju are the same.
Nevertheless, Mauger teaches a method of forming a shadow mask (abstract) and discloses the distortion causes by the internal stress of the individual layer in a composite (multiple layers) can be controlled together to achieve the desired stress level to mitigate the distortion (column 2 lines 55-68). Therefore, it would have been within the skill of the ordinary artisan to adjust and optimize the internal stress of each layer, which includes the result of forming stress gradient in the composite layers that give rise to a mechanical prebias, in the process to achieve the desired level of mitigation of the distortion (sagging). Discovery of optimum value of result effective variable in known process is ordinarily within skill of art. In re Boesch, CCPA 1980, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ215.
Regarding claim 41, Ju teaches to provide the organic material such that it is an OLED material (paragraphs 0002-009 and 0167-0172).
Regarding claim 42, Ju teaches forming a first OLED on the substrate, the first OLED including the organic-material layer (paragraphs 0002-009 and 0167-0172).
Regarding claim 43, Ju teaches forming an OLED display that includes the first OLED (paragraphs 0003-0006).
Conclusion
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/NGA LEUNG V LAW/ Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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