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
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4 – 8 and 13 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Feng et al. (US 2020/0119120).
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(Claim 1) Feng et al. teach a display device comprising:
a substrate (10);
a first metal layer (19/20) disposed on the substrate;
an active layer A1/A2/A3) disposed on the first metal layer;
a second metal layer (11) disposed on the active layer;
a third metal layer (12) disposed on the second metal layer;
a fourth metal layer (D1) disposed on the third metal layer; and
a transistor (TFT1) and a capacitor (Cs, paragraph 60) disposed on the substrate,
wherein the transistor comprises:
a gate electrode (G1) disposed in at least any one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer; and
a drain electrode (a1), a source electrode (a1) and an active region (a2) disposed in the active layer (A1), and
wherein the capacitor comprises:
a first capacitor comprising a first electrode (19) disposed in the first metal layer (15) and a second electrode (11) disposed in the second metal layer (13);
a second capacitor comprising the second electrode (11) and a third electrode (12) disposed in the third metal layer (lower portion of #14 covering #12); and
a third capacitor comprising the third electrode (12) and a fourth electrode (D1) disposed in the fourth metal layer (17).
(Claim 2) Feng et al. teach the display device, further comprising:
a first connection electrode (D3) disposed in the fourth metal layer (17) and electrically connected to at least any one of the drain electrode (a1) and the source electrode (a1); and
a light emitting element (30, paragraph 77) disposed on the fourth metal layer (17) and connected to the first connection electrode (D3).
(Claim 5) Feng et al. teach wherein the light emitting element (30) comprises a pixel electrode (18) connected to the first connection electrode (D3), and the pixel electrode comprises a different material (paragraph 135) from at least any one of the first through fourth electrodes (paragraphs 117, 123).
(Claim 6) Feng et al. teach wherein electrical conductivity of at least any one of the first through fourth electrodes (paragraph 117, 123, Mo) is higher than electrical conductivity of the pixel electrode (paragraph 135, ITO).
(Claim 7) Feng et al. teach wherein the pixel electrode comprises at least any one of indium-tin-oxide (ITO), indium-zinc-oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium oxide (In2O3) and at least any one of silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), lead (Pb), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), lithium (Li) and calcium (Ca), and at least any one of the first through fourth electrodes comprises at least any one of molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd) and copper (Cu) (paragraph 136).
(Claim 8) Feng et al. teach the display device, further comprising a first via layer (upper portion of #14) disposed between the third metal layer (12) and the fourth metal layer (D1),
wherein the first via layer comprises an opening or a groove overlapping the capacitor, and the fourth electrode (D1) is disposed in the opening or the groove.
(Claim 12) wherein the via layer comprises the groove, the first via layer comprises a valley which is a lowest surface disposed within the groove and a crest which is a highest surface disposed outside the groove, and the fourth electrode is disposed in the valley.
(Claim 13) Feng et al. teach the display device, further comprising a third connection electrode (electrode between VS1 and VS2) disposed in the third metal layer (14),
wherein the third connection electrode (electrode between VS1 and VS2) is disposed between the fourth electrode (D1) and the second electrode (11).
(Claim 14) Feng et al. teach wherein the third connection electrode (electrode between VS1 and VS2) electrically connects the fourth electrode (D1) and the second electrode (11) to each other.
(Claim 15) Feng et al. teach wherein the second electrode (11) and the fourth electrode (D1) are electrically connected (V3) to each other, and the first electrode (19) and the third electrode (12) are electrically connected (V1, D2, V2) to each other.
Claims 19 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al. (TW 1152322).
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(Claim 19) Huang et al. teach a display device comprising:
a substrate (100);
a first metal layer (440) disposed on the substrate;
a second metal layer (600f) disposed on the first metal layer (440);
a third metal layer (800) disposed on the second metal layer;
a first via layer (1100) disposed on the third metal layer (800) and comprising a valley and a crest;
a fourth metal layer (1000) disposed on the first via layer; and
a capacitor disposed on the substrate, wherein the capacitor comprises:
a first electrode (1300) disposed in the first metal layer (440);
a second electrode (450b) disposed in the second metal layer;
a third electrode (744g) disposed in the third metal layer; and
a fourth electrode (900) disposed in the fourth metal layer (1000), and
wherein the fourth electrode (900) is disposed in the valley of the first via layer (1200).
(Claim 20) Huang et al. teach wherein the second electrode (540b) and the fourth electrode (900) are electrically connected to each other, and the first electrode (1300) and the third electrode (744g) are electrically connected to each other.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2022/0077267).
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(Claim 20) Kim et al. teach a method of manufacturing a display device which comprises:
a substrate,
a first metal layer (1120/BFR) disposed on the substrate,
a second metal layer (1330/G12) disposed on the first metal layer,
a third metal layer (1420/PVX) disposed on the second metal layer,
a first via layer (VIA) disposed on the third metal layer (PVX), and
a capacitor (CST1/CST2/CST3) disposed on the substrate, the method comprising:
forming a groove (fig. 15 #CNT, paragraph 123) in the first via layer; and
forming a fourth metal layer (1540/PDL) on the first via layer (VIA),
wherein the capacitor comprises:
a first electrode (1120) disposed in the first metal layer (BFR);
a second electrode (1300) disposed in the second metal layer (G12);
a third electrode (1420) disposed in the third metal layer (PVX); and
a fourth electrode (1540) disposed in the fourth metal layer, and the fourth electrode is formed in the groove (fig. 15 #CNT, paragraphs 123, 124).
Kim et al. lack forming the groove (fig. 15 #CNT, paragraph 123) in the first via layer using a halftone mask.
However, Kim et al. teach forming a groove using a halftone mask for the benefit of simultaneously forming openings of different depths (fig. 6 #TH1, #TH2, paragraph 114).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a half tone mask to simultaneously forming openings of different depths.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 9 – 11, 16 – 18 and 22 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon, considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure are listed in PTO – 892 Form.
Contact Information
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/IGWE U ANYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891
June 10, 2026
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