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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/29/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of claims 1-10 without traverse in the reply filed on 07/16/2026 is acknowledged.
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 1-4 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuoka US 20210104581 A1 in view of Yun et al US 20180261783 A1. Yun et al will be referenced to as Yun henceforth.
Regarding Claim 1,
Fukuoka teaches:
“A display device comprising:
a first light-emitting diode (light-emitting element 100G, [0043], FIG. 2) and a second light-emitting diode (light-emitting element 100B, [0043], FIG. 2) a third quantum dot light-emitting diode (light-emitting element, 100R, [0043], [0328] FIG. 2: The light emitting layer may use quantum dots.) each on a substrate (a substrate 100x, [0078], FIG. 2), the first light-emitting diode and the second light-emitting diode configured to emit light of different colors from each other ([0079]: The first and second light emitting elements, and the third quantum dot light emitting element corresponds to green, blue, and red respectively.), wherein the first light-emitting diode comprises:
a first lower electrode (pixel electrode 119 (the one located in 100G), [0138], FIG. 2);
a first inorganic functional layer on the first lower electrode (hole injection layer 120, hole transport layers 121, [0119], [0138], [0096]. FIGs. 5-6) and including an inorganic material ([0119], [0320]: 121 is a hole transport layer and may therefore be made of an inorganic material. 120 may comprise molybdenum oxide.);
a quantum dot emission layer on the first inorganic functional layer (light-emitting layers 123G, [0104], [0328], FIG. 2, FIG. 3: The light emitting layer may be inorganic and comprise quantum dots.) and including a quantum dot ([0328]);
a second inorganic functional layer on the quantum dot emission layer (electron injection layer, electron transport layer 124, [0320]. FIGs. 5-6: 124 is an electron transport layer and may therefore be made of an inorganic material. The device may comprise an electron injection layer.) and including an inorganic material ([0320]. FIGs. 2-3: 124 is an electron transport layer and may therefore be made of an inorganic material.); and
a first upper electrode on the second inorganic functional layer (counter electrode 125, [0320], FIGs. 2-3),
wherein the second light-emitting diode comprises :
a second lower electrode (pixel electrode 119 (the one located in 100B.), [0096], FIGs. 2-3); wherein a level of an upper surface of the first inorganic functional layer is higher in an edge portion of the first inorganic functional layer than in a central portion of the first inorganic functional layer (FIG. 3: 121 extends diagonally upwards from a central portion of 121 in the center of FIG. 3),”
Fukuoka doesn’t substantially teach:
“a first organic functional layer on the second lower electrode and including an organic material;
an organic emission layer on the first organic functional layer and comprising an organic material;
a second organic functional layer on the organic emission layer and comprising an organic material; and
a second upper electrode on the second organic functional layer, and a level of an upper surface of the first organic functional layer is equal in a central portion and an edge portion of the first organic functional layer.”
However, Yun teaches:
“a first organic functional layer on the second lower electrode (Yun: hole transport layer 601, hole injection layer 602, [0106], FIG. 6) and including an organic material (Yun: [0107]: 601 may comprise TPC);
an organic emission layer on the first organic functional layer (Yun: third light emitting layer 232, [0103], FIGs. 5-6) and comprising an organic material (Yun: [0103]: 232 includes an organic material.);
a second organic functional layer on the organic emission layer and comprising an organic material (Yun: electron transport layer 611, electron injection layer 612, [0106], [0113], FIG. 6: 611 comprises Alq3. Alq3 is an organic material.); and
a second upper electrode on the second organic functional layer (Yun: common electrode 210, [0070], FIGs. 5-6), and a level of an upper surface of the first organic functional layer is equal in a central portion and an edge portion of the first organic functional layer (Yun: FIGs 5-6: 601 and 602 are directly between 232 and 231. Therefore 601 and 602 lie in the flat interface between 232 and 231 in FIG. 5. Therefore, the level of the edge portions of 601 and the level of the central portion of 601 are always the same in the perspective shown in FIG. 5.). ”
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the invention to recognize that the device of Fukuoka is modifiable in view of Yun by replacing the blue subpixel of Fukuoka with the blue subpixel of Yun.
This is because the invention of Yun teaches that a blue light emitting layer including semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) are difficult to manufacture and emit light having a wavelength shifted to the green rather than blue when compared to an organic blue light emitting layer. Therefore the use of a blue pixel including an organic material improves image quality while being easier to manufacture (Yun: [0123-0124]).
Regarding Claim 2,
Fukuoka/Yun teaches:
“The display device of claim 1, wherein a level of an upper surface of the quantum dot emission layer is higher in an edge portion of the quantum dot emission layer than in a central portion of the quantum dot emission layer (Fukuoka: FIGs. 2-3: 123, and therefore 123G, extends diagonally upwards from a central portion of 123G in the center of FIG. 3. Therefore there is a portion of the edge portion of 123G which is at a higher level than the central portion of 123G), and a level of an upper surface of the organic emission layer is equal in a central portion and an edge portion of the organic emission layer (Yun: annotated FIG. 6 #1).”
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Yun: annotated FIG. 6 #1
Regarding Claim 3,
Fukuoka/Yun teaches:
“The display device of claim 1, wherein a level of an upper surface of the second inorganic functional layer is equal in a central portion and an edge portion of the second inorganic functional layer (Fukuoka: FIG. 2: The central portion and the edge portion of 124 intersect. Therefore the central portion and the edge portion of 124 are at a same level at the point of intersection.), and a level of an upper surface of the second organic functional layer is equal in a central portion and an edge portion of the second organic functional layer (Yun: FIG. 6 The central portion and the edge portion of the second organic functional layer intersect. Therefore the central portion and the edge portion of the second organic functional layer are at a same level at the point of intersection.).”
Regarding Claim 4,
Fukuoka/Yun teaches:
“The display device of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic functional layer comprises at least one of molybdenum oxide, vanadium oxide, hydrogen molybdenum bronze, or hydrogen vanadium bronze (Fukuoka: [0119]: 120 may be made of molybdenum oxide.).”
Regarding Claim 8,
Fukuoka/Yun teaches:
“The display device of claim 1, further comprising a pixel defining layer on the substrate (Fukuoka: column banks 122Y, [0135], FIG. 2), covering an edge of each of the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode (Fukuoka: FIG. 2: 122Y covers sides of the edges of 124, 121, and 120.), and comprising a first opening exposing a central portion of the first lower electrode (Fukuoka: gap 122zG, [0251], FIG. 2) and a second opening exposing a central portion of the second lower electrode (Fukuoka: gap 122zB, [0251], FIG. 2).”
Regarding Claim 9,
Fukuoka/Yun teaches:
“The display device of claim 8, wherein the first inorganic functional layer, the quantum dot emission layer, and the second inorganic functional layer are arranged in the first opening of the pixel defining layer (Fukuoka: FIG. 2), and the first organic functional layer, the organic emission layer, and the second organic functional layer are arranged in the second opening of the pixel defining layer (Fukuoka: FIG. 2).”
Regarding Claim 10,
Fukuoka/Yun teaches:
“The display device of claim 1, wherein the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode are integrally provided (Fukuoka: FIG. 2: The upper electrodes are connected.).”
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuoka/Yun as applied to claims 1-4 and 8-10 above, and further in view of Naka WO 2024189719 A1.
Regarding Claim 5,
Fukuoka/Yun teaches:
“The display device of claim 4,”
Fukuoka/Yun doesn’t substantially teach:
“wherein the second inorganic functional layer comprises at least one of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zinc magnesium oxide, or tin oxide.”
However, Naka teaches:
“wherein the second inorganic functional layer comprises at least one of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zinc magnesium oxide, or tin oxide (Naka: [0068]: The electron transport layer comprises zinc oxide.).”
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the invention to recognize that the device of Fukuoka/Yun is modifiable in view of Naka by using a metal oxide as described by Naka for the electron transport layer and substituting the materials of the hole injection layer of Fukuoka/Yun with those of Naka.
This is because one of ordinary skill in the art would, after learning from [0170] of Fukuoka that the electron transport layer comprises a metal oxide, for a particular metal oxide to use to form an electron transport layer. Naka teaches that a suitable metal oxide to form an electron transport is zinc oxide (Naka: [0068]) and that, like, Fukuoka, the electron transport layer is formed using a method such as vacuum deposition (Fukuoka: [00170]).
Further, this is because Fukuoka/Yun teaches a hole injection layer comprising tungsten oxide. Fukuoka/Yun doesn’t substantively teach a hole injection layer comprising zinc oxide. Naka teaches a hole injection layer comprising tungsten oxide. Naka further teaches a hole injection layer comprising zinc oxide. Because both Fukuoka/Yun and Naka have a hole injection layer comprising tungsten oxide, one of ordinary skill in the art would have deemed it obvious to substitute the tungsten oxide of Fukuoka/Yun for the zinc oxide of Naka for the predictable result of successfully injecting holes into a hole transport layer.
Regarding Claim 6,
Fukuoka/Yun/Naka teaches:
“The display device of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic functional layer comprises at least one of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zinc magnesium oxide, or tin oxide (Naka: [0034]: the hole injection layer comprises titanium nitride.). ”
Regarding Claim 7,
Fukuoka/Yun/Naka teaches:
“The display device of claim 6, wherein the second inorganic functional layer comprises at least one of molybdenum oxide, vanadium oxide, hydrogen molybdenum bronze, or hydrogen vanadium bronze (Naka: [0068]: The electron transport layer comprises molybdenum oxide.).”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDRE XAVIER RAMIREZ whose telephone number is (571)272-2715. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
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/ALEXANDRE X RAMIREZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/William B Partridge/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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