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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-13, in the reply filed on 30 June 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 14-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 aforementioned reply.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the 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.
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 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(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2015/0101536 to Han in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2016/0111681 to Kim et al.
Regarding claims 1-2 and 6: In Figs. 5 and 15, Han discloses a mask frame (100) comprising a plurality of sides and an opening (120); a first support stick (302) arranged on the mask frame to overlap the opening, the first support stick extending in a direction parallel to at least one of the plurality of sides of the mask frame; a mask sheet (200) arranged on the first support stick, the mask sheet extending in a direction parallel to one of the plurality of sides of the mask frame; and a second support stick (301) arranged between the first support stick and the mask sheet, the second support stick intersecting the first support stick.
However, Han et al. fail to disclose a first waterproof membrane arranged on a surface of the first support stick facing the mask sheet and/or a second waterproof membrane arranged on a surface of the second support stick.
Kim et al. teach providing a waterproof, self-aligned monolayer membrane having hydrophobic properties on either portions or an entirety of all surfaces of a component (mask plate) of a mask assembly that is exposed to deposition material for the purpose of preventing deposition material from depositing onto the component thereby achieving a uniform patter on the substrate and ease of cleaning the component to maintain its good condition (see, e.g., para. 77).
Since the first support stick and the second support stick are also exposed to deposition materials, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before Applicant’s invention was effectively filed to have provided portions or an entirety of all surfaces of the first support stick and/or the second support stick in Han having a waterproof, self-aligned monolayer membrane with hydrophobic properties in order to prevent deposition material from depositing onto the component thereby achieving a uniform pattern on the substrate and ease of cleaning the component to maintain its good condition as taught by Kim et al.
With respect to claim 3, in modified Han, where the waterproof membrane may be formed on all surfaces of the first support stick or the second support stick, the second waterproof membrane is arranged on a surface of the second support stick that faces the mask sheet.
With respect to claim 4, in modified Han, Han discloses the first support stick comprise a groove overlapping the second support stick, and at least a portion of the second support stick is arranged in the groove (see, e.g., para. 92).
With respect to claim 5, in modified Han, the second support stick of Han can also be considered an alignments stick arranged on the mask frame, the alignment stick being adjacent to the mask sheet and parallel to one of the plurality of sides of the mask frame.
Regarding claims 7-8 and 13: In Figs. 5 and 15, Han discloses an apparatus (400) capable of manufacturing a display device, the apparatus comprising: a mask assembly (Fig. 5, 500); and a deposition source (Fig. 5, 410) facing the mask assembly and configured to spray a deposition material toward the mask assembly in a first direction, wherein the mask assembly comprises: a mask frame (100) comprising a plurality of sides and an opening (120); a first support stick (302) arranged on the mask frame to overlap the opening, the first support stick extending in a direction parallel to at least one of the plurality of sides of the mask frame; a mask sheet (200) arranged on the first support stick, the mask sheet extending in a direction parallel to one of the plurality of sides of the mask frame; and a second support stick (301) arranged between the first support stick and the mask sheet, the second support stick intersecting the first support stick.
However, Han et al. fail to disclose a first waterproof membrane arranged on a surface of the first support stick facing the first direction and/or a second waterproof membrane arranged on a surface of the second support stick.
Kim et al. teach providing a waterproof, self-aligned monolayer membrane having hydrophobic properties on either portions or an entirety of all surfaces of a component (mask plate) of a mask assembly that is exposed to deposition material for the purpose of preventing deposition material from depositing onto the component thereby achieving a uniform patter on the substrate and ease of cleaning the component to maintain its good condition (see, e.g., para. 77).
Since the first support stick and the second support stick are also exposed to deposition materials, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before Applicant’s invention was effectively filed to have provided portions or an entirety of all surfaces of the first support stick and/or the second support stick in Han having a waterproof, self-aligned monolayer membrane with hydrophobic properties in order to prevent deposition material from depositing onto the component thereby achieving a uniform pattern on the substrate and ease of cleaning the component to maintain its good condition as taught by Kim et al.
With respect to claim 9, in modified Han, where the waterproof membrane may be formed on all surfaces of the first support stick or the second support stick, the second waterproof membrane is arranged on a surface of the second support stick that faces the first direction.
With respect to claim 10, in modified Han, in a cross-sectional view, the first support stick, the first waterproof membrane, the second support stick, the second waterproof membrane, and the mask sheet are arranged in the first direction. See, e.g., arrangement of Fig. 5 of Han.
With respect to claim 11, in modified Han, Han discloses the first support stick comprise a groove overlapping the second support stick, and at least a portion of the second support stick is arranged in the groove (see, e.g., para. 92).
With respect to claim 12, in modified Han, the second support stick of Han can also be considered an alignments stick arranged on the mask frame, the alignment stick being adjacent to the mask sheet and parallel to one of the plurality of sides of the mask frame.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USP Pub. No. 2008/0233488 discloses a mask with a hydrophobic surface. USP Pub. No. 2017/0121816 discloses a mask with a self-assembled monolayer coating. USP Pub. No. 2018/0202034 discloses a mask assembly with alignment stick separate from a support stick. KR 20130057794A discloses a mask with a coating layer formed by atomic layer deposition.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KARLA MOORE whose telephone number is (571)272-1440. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm EST.
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/KARLA A MOORE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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