Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter 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 pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claims 1-13 and 15- 26 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Byun et al. (U.S. 2021/0066419 A1, hereinafter refer to Byun) in view of Bang et al. (U.S. 2018/0366524 A1, hereinafter refer to Bang).
Regarding claim 1: Byun discloses a display apparatus (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown below and ¶ [0005]) comprising:
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a substrate (100) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 as shown above);
at least one thin-film transistor (T) disposed on the substrate (100) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 as shown above);
a pixel electrode layer (310) disposed on the at least one thin-film transistor (T) and including at least one pixel electrode (310) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 as shown above);
a pixel-defining layer (113) disposed on the pixel electrode layer (310) and covering edges of the at least one pixel electrode (310) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 as shown above);
a spacer (115) disposed on the pixel-defining layer (113) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 as shown above); and
a first protective layer (320) disposed on the spacer (115) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 as shown above),
wherein the pixel-defining layer (113) includes a trench arranged around the spacer (115) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Byun is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein at least a portion of the trench covering the edges of the at least one pixel electrode.
For support see Bang, which teaches wherein at least a portion of the trench covering the edges of the at least one pixel electrode (210) (see Bang, Figs.7 and 11 as shown below and ¶ [0007]).
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Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Byun and Bang to determine the location of the trench wherein at least a portion of the trench to cover the edges of the at least one pixel electrode as taught by Bang in order to improve display quality without emitting light between pixels in a non-uniform manner.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of making semiconductor devices to determine the workable or optimal value for the location of the trench wherein at least a portion of the trench to cover the edges of the at least one pixel electrode through routine experimentation and optimization to obtain optimal or desired display quality because the location of the trench wherein at least a portion of the trench to cover the edges of the at least one pixel electrode is a result-effective variable and there is no evidence indicating that it is critical or produces any unexpected results and it has been held that it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges of a result-effective variable within given prior art conditions by routine experimentation. See MPEP § 2144.05
Regarding claim 2: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein an opposite electrode layer (330) disposed on the pixel-defining layer (113) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above); and
a second protective layer (330) disposed on the first protective layer (320) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 3: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the second protective layer (330) and the opposite electrode layer (330) include a same material, the second protective layer (330) being separated from the opposite electrode layer (330) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 4: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein an encapsulation layer (430) disposed on the opposite electrode layer (330) and the second protective layer (330) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above); and
a filler (420/410) disposed between the opposite electrode layer (330) and the encapsulation layer (430) and disposed between the second protective layer (330) and the encapsulation layer (430) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 5: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 4 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the first protective layer (320) covers an upper surface of the spacer (115) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 6: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein at least a portion of lateral surfaces of the spacer (115) is in contact with the filler (410/420), between the opposite electrode layer (330) and the second protective layer (330) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 7: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 6 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein, in a plan view, the spacer (115) is surrounded by the trench (TH) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above, Fig.3, and ¶ [0108]- ¶ [0112]).
Regarding claim 8: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the opposite electrode layer (330) covers an inner surface and a bottom surface of the trench (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 9: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the pixel electrode layer (310) includes a first pixel electrode (310) and a second pixel electrode (310) apart from the first pixel electrode (310) (note: each pixels in Fig.3 necessarily have the second pixel electrode) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above, Fig.3, and ¶ [0108]- ¶ [0112]).
Regarding claim 10: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 9 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein, in a plan view, the spacer (115) is arranged between the first pixel electrode (310) and the second pixel electrode (310) (note: each pixels in Fig.3 necessarily have the second pixel electrode) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above, Fig.3, and ¶ [0108]- ¶ [0112]).
Regarding claim 11: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 9 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the pixel-defining layer (113) covers edges of the first pixel electrode (310), includes a first opening above at least a central portion of the first pixel electrode (310), covers edges of the second pixel electrode (310), and includes a second opening above at least a central portion of the second pixel electrode (310) (note: each pixels in Fig.3 necessarily have the second pixel electrode) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above, Fig.3, and ¶ [0108]- ¶ [0112]).
Regarding claim 12: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 11 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein, in a plan view, the spacer (115) is arranged between the first opening and the second opening (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above, Fig.3, and ¶ [0108]- ¶ [0112]).
Regarding claim 13: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the opposite electrode layer (330) and the second protective layer (330) include a same material and have a same layered structure (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 15: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein a material forming the first protective layer (320) has an etching selectivity different from an etching selectivity of a material forming the pixel-defining layer (113) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 16: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the first protective layer (320) has a convex shape facing upward (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 17: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the second protective layer (330) exposes at least a central portion of the first protective layer (320) to outside (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 18: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 17 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein an upper surface of at least a central portion of the first protective layer (320) is flat (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 19: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the spacer (115) and the pixel-defining layer (113) include a same material (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above, Fig.3, and ¶ [0108]- ¶ [0112]).
Regarding claim 20: Byun discloses a display apparatus (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above and ¶ [0005]) comprising:
a substrate (100) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above);
at least one thin-film transistor (T) disposed on the substrate (100) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above);
a pixel electrode layer (310) disposed on the at least one thin-film transistor (T) and including at least one pixel electrode (310) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above); and
a pixel-defining layer (113) disposed on the pixel electrode layer (310) and covering edges of the at least one pixel electrode (310) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above);
wherein the pixel-defining layer (113) comprises:
a spacer region (115) having a first thickness (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above);
a protrusion region having a second thickness less than the first thickness (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above); and
a trench region (TH/UC) arranged between the spacer region (115) and the protrusion region, in a plan view, and having a third thickness less than the second thickness (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above and Fig.3), and
wherein a first protective layer (320) is disposed on the pixel-defining layer (113) in the spacer region (115) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Byun is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein at least a portion of the trench region covering the edges of the at least one pixel electrode.
For support see Bang, which teaches wherein at least a portion of the trench region covering the edges of the at least one pixel electrode (210) (see Bang, Figs.7 and 11 as shown above and ¶ [0007]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Byun and Bang to determine the location of the trench wherein at least a portion of the trench region to cover the edges of the at least one pixel electrode as taught by Bang in order to improve display quality without emitting light between pixels in a non-uniform manner.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of making semiconductor devices to determine the workable or optimal value for the location of the trench wherein at least a portion of the trench to cover the edges of the at least one pixel electrode through routine experimentation and optimization to obtain optimal or desired display quality because the location of the trench wherein at least a portion of the trench to cover the edges of the at least one pixel electrode is a result-effective variable and there is no evidence indicating that it is critical or produces any unexpected results and it has been held that it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges of a result-effective variable within given prior art conditions by routine experimentation. See MPEP § 2144.05
Regarding claim 21: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 20 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein an opposite electrode layer (330) on the pixel-defining layer (113) in the protrusion region and the trench region (TH/UC) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above); and
a second protective layer (330) disposed on the first protective layer (320) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 22: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 21 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the second protective layer (330) and the opposite electrode layer (330) include a same material, the second protective layer (330) being separated from the opposite electrode layer (330) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 23: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 21 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein an encapsulation layer (430) disposed on the opposite electrode layer (330) and the second protective layer (330) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above); and
a filler (410/420) disposed between the opposite electrode layer (330) and the encapsulation layer (410/420) and disposed between the second protective layer (330) and the encapsulation layer (430) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 24: Byun discloses a display apparatus as set forth in claim 20 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein, in a plan view, the spacer region (115) is surrounded by the trench region (TH/UC) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above, Fig.3, and ¶ [0108]- ¶ [0112]).
Regarding claim 25: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 21 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein the second protective layer (330) exposes at least a central portion of the first protective layer (320) (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Regarding claim 26: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as set forth in claim 25 as above. The combination of Byun and Bang further teaches wherein an upper surface of at least a central portion of the first protective layer (320) is flat (see Byun, Figs.4-5 and 6F as shown above).
Claim(s) 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Byun et al. (U.S. 2021/0066419 A1, hereinafter refer to Byun) and Bang et al. (U.S. 2018/0366524 A1, hereinafter refer to Bang) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sugisawa et al. (U.S. 2023/0116067 A1, hereinafter refer to Sugisawa).
Regarding claim 14: Byun as modified teaches a display apparatus as applied to claim 1 above. The combination of Byun and Bang is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein the first protective layer includes indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO).
For support see Sugisawa, which teaches wherein the first protective layer (131) includes indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) (see Sugisawa, Fig.1 and ¶ [0240]).
Byun discloses the claimed invention except for the material of first protective layer. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Byun, Bang, and Sugisawa to enable the protective layer material as taught by Sugisawa in order to obtain a higher resistance than the second protective layer, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the base of its suitability, for its intended use involves only ordinary skill in the art. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BITEW A DINKE whose telephone number is (571)272-0534. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 a.m. - 5 p.m..
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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.
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/BITEW A DINKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
