DETAILED ACTION
This Office action responds to Applicant’s invention filed on 05/17/2024.
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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for a rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Amendment Status
The present Office action is made with all previously suggested amendments being fully considered. Accordingly, pending in this Office action are claims 1-21.
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)
Acknowledgement is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. The IDSes have been considered.
Specification Objection
The specification has been checked to the extend necessary to determine the presence of possible minor errors. However, the Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which Applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2020/0234654).
Regarding claim 1, Kim shows (see, e.g., Kim: fig. 7) all aspects of a display device, comprising:
A substrate 101 on which a plurality of sub-pixels is disposed, the plurality of sub-pixels including an emitting area and a non-emitting area surrounding or adjacent to the emitting area
A planarization layer 170 disposed in the emitting area and the non-emitting area
A first bank 180 disposed on the planarization layer 170 in the non-emitting area
A first electrode 191 disposed on the planarization layer 170 in the emitting area
A second bank disposed 195 on the first bank 180
wherein:
A trench CNT is disposed in an upper surface of the first bank 180
The first electrode extends 191 to the upper surface of the first bank and is disposed in the trench CNT
Regarding claim 2, Kim shows (see, e.g., Kim: fig. 7) that the first electrode 191 covers a part of one side surface of the trench CNT.
Regarding claim 3, Kim shows (see, e.g., Kim: fig. 7) that the first electrode 191 covers the entire one side surface of the trench CNT and extends to a lower surface of the trench CNT.
Regarding claim 4, Kim shows (see, e.g., Kim: fig. 7) that the first electrode 191 is disposed between the first bank 180 and second banks 195 in the non-emitting area.
Regarding claim 5, Kim shows (see, e.g., Kim: fig. 7) that the trench CNT exposes a part of an upper surface of the planarization layer 170.
Claims 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim’608 (US 2023/0207608).
Regarding claim 12, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) all aspects of a display device, comprising:
A substrate 11 on which a plurality of sub-pixels is disposed, the plurality of sub-pixels including an emitting area and a non-emitting area surrounding or adjacent to the emitting area
A bank 40 disposed in the non-emitting area
A first electrode 22 disposed in the emitting area
wherein:
The bank includes a trench surrounding the emitting area of each of the plurality of sub-pixels
Regarding claim 13, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) that the plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel adjacent to each other, and the trench disposed in the first sub-pixel is spaced apart from the trench disposed in the second sub-pixel.
Regarding claim 14, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) that the plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel adjacent to each other, and the trench is disposed in a boundary area between the first and second sub-pixels.
Regarding claim 15, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) that the first electrode 22 extends to the non-emitting area between the emitting area and the trench from the emitting area.
Regarding claim 16, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) that the first electrode 22 overlaps the trench.
Regarding claim 17, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) a protective layer 51 surrounding the first electrode 22, and wherein the protective layer 51 is in contact with an edge of the first electrode 22.
Regarding claim 18, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) that the protective layer 51 is disposed in the non-emitting area between the edge of the first electrode 22 and the trench, and overlaps the trench.
Regarding claim 19, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) that a protective layer 51 disposed in a boundary area between the first and second sub-pixels, and wherein the protective layer 51 overlaps the trench.
Regarding claim 20, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) that he protective layer 51 includes an inorganic insulating material (see, e.g., Kim’608: par. [0104]).
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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Han (US 2025/0062301).
Regarding claim 6, Kim shows (see, e.g., Kim: fig. 7) most aspects of a display device, comprising:
A substrate 101 on which a plurality of sub-pixels is disposed, the plurality of sub-pixels including an emitting area and a non-emitting area surrounding or adjacent to the emitting area
A planarization layer 170 disposed in the emitting area and the non-emitting area
A first bank 180 disposed on the planarization layer 170 in the non-emitting area
a first electrode 191 disposed on the planarization layer 170 in the emitting area
However, Kim fails (see, e.g., Kim: fig. 7) to show that a protective layer disposed on the first bank 180. Han, in a similar device to Kim, shows (see, e.g., Han: fig. 5) a protective layer PAS1 on the first bank VIA. Han also shows (see, e.g., Han: fig. 5) that protective layer PAS1 protects the plurality of electrodes RME and insulates different electrodes RME from each other, and also prevents or reduces damage to the electrode RME during the process of forming the bank layer BNL (see, e.g., Han: par. [0125]).
It would have been obvious at the time of filing the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the protective layer of Han in the device of Kim in order to protect the plurality of electrodes RME and insulate different electrodes RME from each other, and also prevent or reduce damage to the electrode RME during the process of forming the bank layer BNL.
Kim in view of Han shows:
A second bank BNL disposed on the protective layer PAS1
Wherein:
A trench CTD is disposed in an upper surface of the first bank VIA and the protective layer PAS1 is disposed in the trench CTD
Claims 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Han in further view of Hong (US 2022/0271201).
Regarding claim 7, Kim in view of Han shows (see, e.g., Han: fig. 5) most aspects of the display device, including the first bank VIA and the planarization layer IL1.
However, Kim in view of Han fails (see, e.g., Han: fig. 5) to show that the first bank VIA exposes an upper surface of the planarization layer IL1 corresponding to the emitting area. Hong, in a similar device to Kim in view of Han, shows (see, e.g., Hong: fig. 4) that the first bank BNL1/BNL2/BNL3 exposes an upper surface of the planarization layer VIA corresponding to the emitting area. Hong also shows (see, e.g., Hong: fig. 4) that the first bank BNL1/BNL2/BNL3 exposes an upper surface of the planarization layer VIA corresponding to the emitting area in order to have the light emitting elements ED intensively disposed between the electrodes or inside the first bank BNL1/BNL2/BNL3 in the emission area (see, e.g., Hong: par. [0170]).
It would have been obvious at the time of filing the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the first bank of Hong that exposes an upper surface of the planarization layer corresponding to the emitting area in the device of Kim in view of Han in order to have the light emitting elements intensively disposed between the electrodes or inside the first bank in the emission area.
Kim in view of Han in view of Hong shows (see, e.g., Hong: fig. 4) that:
The first electrode RME2/RME3 extends to un upper surface of the first bank BNL1/BNL2/BNL3 from the upper surface of the planarization layer VIA corresponding to the emitting area
Regarding claim 8, Kim in view of Han in view of Hong shows (see, e.g., Hong: fig. 4) that an end of the first electrode RME2/RME3 is in contact with an end of the protective layer PAS1 on the upper surface of the first bank BNL1/BNL2/BNL3.
Regarding claim 9, Kim in view of Han in view of Hong shows (see, e.g., Hong: fig. 4) that the first electrode RME2/RME3 covers a partial area of the upper surface of the first bank BNL1/BNL2/BNL3, and the protective layer PAS1 covers a remaining area of the upper surface of the first bank BNL1/BNL2/BNL3.
Regarding claim 10, Kim in view of Han in view of Hong shows (see, e.g., Hong: fig. 4) that the protective layer PAS1 covers a part of one side surface of the trench.
Regarding claim 11, Kim in view of Han in view of Hong shows (see, e.g., Hong: fig. 4) that the protective layer PAS1 covers an entire one side surface of the trench and extends to a lower surface of the trench.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim’608 in view of Satou (US 2007/0145894).
Regarding claim 21, Kim’608 shows (see, e.g., Kim’608: figs. 2 and 4) most aspects of a display device (see paragraphs 13 and 21), including the inorganic protective layer 51 (see, e.g., Kim’608: par. [0104]).
Kim’608, however, fails to show that the materials of the inorganic protective layer include a material that absorbs moisture. Satou, in a similar device to Kim’608, also teaches that the material of a protective layer has a material that absorbs moisture (see, e.g., par. [0072]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time of the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to use either the inorganic protective layer of Kim’608 or the moisture-absorbing protective layer of Satou because these were recognized in the semiconductor art for their use as protective layers in light-emitting elements, as taught by Kim’608 and Satou, and selecting between known equivalents would be within the level of ordinary skill in the art. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S.--,82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIBERIU DAN ONUTA whose telephone number is (571) 270-0074 and between the hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) Monday through Friday or by e-mail via Tiberiu.Onuta@uspto.gov. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone or email are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Wael Fahmy, can be reached on (571) 272-1705.
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/TIBERIU DAN ONUTA/Examiner, Art Unit 2814
/WAEL M FAHMY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2814
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