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 .
Applicants’ election without traverse of group I in the reply filed on 08/27/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 17-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/27/26.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 9, line 4, the phrase “the first and second portions” lacks proper antecedent basis in view of other first and second portions claimed in claim 1 (such as first center portion or first end portion). For purpose of examination, the phrase “the first and second portions of the first end portion” is assumed.
Claim 12 contains the following trademarks/trade names: “Invar”. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982. The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe the “mask frame” is indefinite. For purpose of examination, the phrase “the mask frame comprising a metallic material” is assumed. 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 is currently called 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(s) 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR-20220048499A in view of Baek et al (US 10,741,763 B3).
As to claims 1-2 and 13-14, KR’499 teaches (see Fig 2a) a mask assembly comprising: a mask frame (FM) including a frame opening (OP-F); a first stick (ST1) disposed on the mask frame(FM), overlapping the frame opening (see Fig 2a), and extending in a first direction to have a first length; a second stick (ST2) disposed on the first stick, overlapping the frame opening (see Fig 2a), and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction to have a second length longer than the first length (see Fig 2a the length in DR2 direction is longer than the length in DR1 direction); and a mask (MSA) disposed on the second stick and including a mask opening (OP-M) overlapping the frame opening (see Fig 2a), the second stick (ST2) comprising: a first center portion crossing the frame opening; and a first end portion extending from the first center portion in the second direction (see Fig 2a for ST2 provided with different sections [including center portions] extending towards FM1 of the opening OP-F in parallel with FM3&FM4, having non-marked overlapping areas), wherein the end portion including a first notch portion wherein the first end portion includes a first notch concave portion in which a central portion of an outer side surface of the first end portion is recessed toward the first center portion when viewed in a plane (see Figs 2b and 3a for curved portions in the areas connecting sections of ST2 &FM1). KR’499 lacks specifically teaching a first stick and a second stick each having end portions extending in the directions and provided with notch concave portions as claimed and wherein a maximum width of the first notch concave portion is substantially equal to or greater than about 40% and smaller than about 80% of a width of the first end portion when viewed in the plane. However, in using a mask assembly having a frame opening and a stick with center and end portions, wherein the end portion including concave portions with is substantially equal to or greater than about 40% and smaller than about 80 % of a width of the first end portion is known in the art; for instance – Baek et al teaches (see Figs 1, 2 and 6) a stick with end and center portions (body 110, with clamping portion 120), wherein the end portion (122c, 122d) is provided with a first notch concave portion (curved edge of the first branch portion 122a) and a second notch concave portion (curved edge of the second branch portion 122b) are capable of having greater than about 40% or less than 80% of a width of the first/second end portion (since the branch portions having semi-circular or elliptical shape in decreasing each of the branch portions along the curve of the gap compared to the width of end portions 122c, 122d, see column 5, lines 45-47). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the end portion of the mask assembly of KR’499 including a concave portion with is substantially equal to or greater than about 40 or smaller than 80 % of a width of the first end portion in KR’499 to suppress the generation of waves and improving the patterning accuracy as taught by Baek et al (see column 5, lines 45-53).
As to claim 3, KR’499 lack teaching concave portions first and second notch concave portions and the first center portion having a width decreasing as a distance from the center portion. However, such features of first and second notch concave portions having a width decreasing as a distance from the center portion decrease are taught in Baek et al (see Fig 1 for curved section of branch portion 122 in which the width of the first branch portion 122a and the second branch portion 122b becomes smaller outwardly from the center of the semi-circle curve). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange concave portions first and second notch concave portions having a width decreasing as a distance from the center portion as claimed in KR’499 in order the tensile force acts uniformly on the right and left of the divided mask as taught by Baek et al (see column 5, lines 45-53).
As to different sizes of curvature of the notch concave portion and width of the first end and center portions of the stick described in claims 4-7, It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to size curvature of the notch concave portion and width of the first end and center portions as claimed in KR’499, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component depending the type of organic material deposited using the mask assembly. A change of size is generally recognized as being within the ordinary level of skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Regarding claim 8, KR’499 teaches different widths of the second stick but lacks teaching a width of the first center portion in the first direction decreases as a distance from the first end portion increases. However, Baek et al teaches (see Fig 6) the width that broadens at the end of the division mask 500, wherein the width of the first center portion (main body 510) in the first direction decreases as a distance from the first end portion (clamping portion 520) increases. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to size a width of the first center portion in the first direction decreases as a distance from the first end portion increases to improve patterning accuracy as taught by Baek et al (see column 5, lines 45-53).
As to claims 9-10 and 15-16, KR’499 lacks teaching first and second end portions protruding outward from the first and second center portions respectively as claimed. However, Baek et al teaches (see Fig 1) wherein the first and second end portions comprise first and second/ third and fourth portions protruding outward from the first/second center portions, the first/second notch concave portion is defined between the first and second portions, and thicknesses of each of the first and second/ fourth and fourth portions is substantially uniform in the second direction when viewed in the plane (see Fig 1 for curved section of branch portion 122 in which the first end portion 122c and second end portion 122b protruding outward, the first/second notch concave portions are defined between the first and second portions of the first/second end portions (see Fig 1), wherein the thickness of each of the first and second portions the branch portion are uniform (see Fig 1) . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange teaching first and second portions protruding outward from the first center portion, the notch concave portion is defined between the first and second portions and wherein the first portion is substantially equal to the thickness of the second portion as claimed in KR’499 in order the tensile force acts uniformly on the right and left of the divided mask as taught by Baek et al (see column 5, lines 45-53).
As to claim 11, KR’499 teaches (see Fig 2a) the mask include a plurality of masks, the first stick include a plurality of first sticks (ST1), the second stick include a plurality of second sticks (ST2), the first sticks are arranged in the second direction(DR1), the second sticks are arranged in the first direction, and the masks are arranged in the second direction(DR2).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the mask and the mask frame comprise metallic material (see column 3, lines 56-60).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lee (US 2017/0110661A1) teaches (see Figs 2-3) a mask assembly having a mask frame (110) including a frame opening(112), a first stick(124) disposed on the mask frame, overlapping the frame opening and a second stick (123) disposed on the first stick overlapping the frame opening and a mask disposed on the second stick including a mask opening overlapping the frame opening.
Kim (US 2017/0222145A1) teaches (see Fig 1) a mask assembly (1000) having a mask frame (100) including a frame opening(120), a first stick (310) disposed on the mask frame, overlapping the frame opening and a second stick (320) disposed on the first stick overlapping the frame opening and a mask disposed on the second stick including a mask opening overlapping the frame opening.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEWEBDAR T TADESSE whose telephone number is (571)272-1238. The examiner can normally be reached 7.00-3:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dah-Wei Yuan can be reached at 571-272-1295. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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YEWEBDAR T. TADESSE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717
/YEWEBDAR T TADESSE/
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