DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-13 are pending in the application and are currently being examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/27/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 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.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fan et al. (US 2019/0326329 A1, hereafter Fan) in view of Yang et al. (US 2021/0151399 A1, hereafter Yang).
Regarding claim 1, Fig. 2 of Fan teaches a light-emitting substrate, comprising:
a base substrate (100, [0040]),
comprising a light-emitting region (space with LED 150, [0038]);
a plurality of first pads (146a/146b, [0101]) on a side of the base substrate (100) and in the light-emitting region, wherein a material of the plurality of first pads (146a/146b) comprises Cu ([0101]).
Fan does not teach an oxidation protection layer on a side of the plurality of first pads away from the base substrate, wherein the plurality of first pads are used for bonding connection with a plurality of light-emitting units through the oxidation protection layer, a material of the oxidation protection layer comprises CuNiX, and X comprises one or any combination of Al, Sn, Pb, Au, Ag, In, Zn, Bi, Mg, Ga, V, W, Y, Zr, Mo, Nb, Pt, Co, or Sb.
However, Yang teaches the use of a pillar (1330, [0087]) that can comprise an alloy of copper, nickel, and gold [0087]. This pillar is used as a pathway for electrical connections [0005]. While Yang does not explicitly teach this pillar to be an oxidation protection layer, as it comprises the same materials, it inherently will perform the functions of protecting the contact pads from oxidizing. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Fan to include a pillar as taught by Yang in order to provide an electrical pathway from the pads.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fan in view of Yang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chio et al. (US 2019/0326351 A1, hereafter Chio).
Regarding claim 2, Fan in view of Yang teach the light-emitting substrate according to claim 1. Fan in view of Yang are silent on a thickness of the oxidation protection layer (pillar 1330, [0087], of Yang) is in a range of 10nm to 100nm. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would know to utilize a known thickness for connective portions in display devices. Chio teaches in Figs. 1 and 2 contact pads (36, [0056]) that allow for electrical connection between pixels, as shown in Fig. 2 [0056]. These contact pads are taught to be 5nm to 10 microns, fully encompassing the range necessary in the present claim 2.
Claim(s) 3-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fan in view of Yang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hashiba et al. (US 2015/0096897 A1, hereafter Hashiba).
Regarding claim 3, Fan in view of Yang teach the light-emitting substrate according to claim 1. Fan in view of Yang are silent on the material of the oxidation protection layer, a sum of a mass fraction of Ni and a mass fraction of X accounts for a range of 10% to 90%.
However, one of ordinary skill in the art would know to use an alloy known in the art. Hashiba teaches a device utilizing a CuNiAu alloy similar to Fan in view of Yang as an electrical conductor [0029]. This alloy is made with a nickel ratio of 0% to 50% and a gold ratio of .1%-10%, which could lead to a sum mass fraction from 10%-60%, within the range necessary in the current claim 3.
Regarding claim 4, Fan in view of Yang teach the light-emitting substrate according to claim 3. Fan in view of Yang are silent on a mass fraction of Cu accounts for a range of 20% to 95%, the mass fraction of Ni accounts for a range of 5% to 80%, and the mass fraction of X accounts for a range of 10% to 40%.
However, one of ordinary skill in the art would know to use an alloy known in the art. Hashiba teaches a device utilizing a CuNiAu alloy similar to Fan in view of Yang as an electrical conductor [0029]. This alloy is made with a copper ratio of 40%-99.9% (thus inclusive of 40% to 95% necessary in the current claim 4) a nickel ratio of 0% to 50% (thus inclusive of 5% to 80% necessary in the current claim 4) and a gold ratio of .1%-10% (thus inclusive of 10% necessary in the current claim 4) [0028].
Regarding claim 5, Fan in view of Yang teach the light-emitting substrate according to claim 3. Fan in view of Yang are silent on an atomic ratio of Ni to X is in a range of 2 to 4.
However, one of ordinary skill in the art would know to use an alloy known in the art. Hashiba teaches a device utilizing a CuNiAu alloy similar to Fan in view of Yang as an electrical conductor [0029]. This alloy is made a nickel ratio of 0% to 50% and a gold ratio of .1%-10% [0028]. Given these ranges for the nickel and gold, Hashiba teaches an atomic ratio of Ni to X is in a range of 2 to 4.
Claim(s) 6 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fan in view of Yang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Choi et al. (US 2019/0198589 A1, hereafter Choi).
Regarding claim 6, Fan in view of Yang teach the light-emitting substrate according to claim 1. Fan in view of Yang fail to teach the base substrate further comprising a bonding region; and in the bonding region, the light-emitting substrate further comprises a plurality of second pads on the base substrate;
wherein the plurality of second pads are used for bonding connection with a circuit board, the plurality of second pads are in a same film layer as the plurality of first pads, and the oxidation protection layer is on a side of the plurality of second pads away from the base substrate.
However, Choi teaches a similar device in Fig. 4 that includes a display area (DA, [0013]) and a non-display area (NDA, [0013]). The non-display area is equivalent to the boding region, and in the bonding region, the device further comprises a plurality of second pads (170, [0050]) on the base substrate (110, [0050]);
wherein the plurality of second pads (170) are used for bonding connection with a circuit board (not shown, [0088]), the plurality of second pads (170) are in a same film layer as the plurality of first pads (Choi shows 170 to be in the same layer as electrode 160, equivalent to the first pads of Fan in view of Yang).
Choi does not teach the oxidation protection layer is on a side of the plurality of second pads away from the base substrate. However, Yang teaches the use of a pillar (1330, [0087]) that can comprise an alloy of copper, nickel, and gold [0087]. This pillar is used as a pathway for electrical connections [0005]. While Yang does not explicitly teach this pillar to be an oxidation protection layer, as it comprises the same materials, it inherently will perform the functions of protecting the contact pads from oxidizing. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the second pads of Choi to include a pillar as taught by Yang, (similar to the first pads) in order to provide an electrical pathway from the pads to the circuit board.
Regarding claim 12, Fan in view of Yang teach a display device, comprising: the light-emitting substrate according to claim 1, and the plurality of light-emitting units (150 of Fan, [0038], while Fig. 2 of Fan shows only light emitting unit, the device has a plurality [0038]);
the plurality of light-emitting units (150) are electrically connected with the plurality of first pads (146a/146b of Fan, [0101]) of the light-emitting substrate through the oxidation protection layer (pillar of Yang of claim 1, 1330, [0087]).
Fan in view of Yang fail to teach a circuit board, and the circuit board is electrically connected with a plurality of second pads of the light-emitting substrate through the oxidation protection layer.
However, Choi teaches a similar device that includes a display area (DA, [0013]) and a non-display area (NDA, [0013]). The non-display area further comprises a plurality of second pads (170, [0050]) on the light-emitting substrate (110, [0050]);
wherein the plurality of second pads (170) are used for bonding connection with a circuit board (not shown, [0088]).
Choi does not teach the oxidation protection layer between the plurality of second pads away and the circuit board. However, Yang teaches the use of a pillar (1330, [0087]) that can comprise an alloy of copper, nickel, and gold [0087]. This pillar is used as a pathway for electrical connections [0005]. While Yang does not explicitly teach this pillar to be an oxidation protection layer, as it comprises the same materials, it inherently will perform the functions of protecting the contact pads from oxidizing. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the second pads of Choi to include a pillar as taught by Yang, (similar to the first pads) in order to provide an electrical pathway from the pads to the circuit board.
Regarding claim 13, Fan in view of Yang in view of Choi teach the display device according to claim 12. Fan further teaches the plurality of light-emitting units (150, [0038]) are Mini light-emitting diodes (LED) or Micro LEDs [0038].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 7-11 are objected to primarily because the prior art of record cannot anticipate or render obvious the following limitations, in combination as recited in dependent claim(s) 7: “first wiring layer comprises a first metal sub-layer, a first wiring sub-layer and a second metal sub-layer stacked; wherein the plurality of first pads are electrically connected with the second metal sub-layer, and the plurality of second pads are electrically connected with the second metal sub-layer; and a material of the first metal sub-layer and the second metal sub-layer comprises a molybdenum-niobium alloy, and a material of the first wiring sub-layer comprises copper”.
The closest prior art of record, applicant’s own Wang (US 2021/0143134 A1) teaches the wiring having a first metal sub-layer, a first wiring sub-layer and a second metal sub-layer stacked; wherein the plurality of first pads are electrically connected with the second metal sub-layer, and the plurality of second pads are electrically connected with the second metal sub-layer; and a material of the first metal sub-layer and the second metal sub-layer comprises a molybdenum-niobium alloy, and a material of the first wiring sub-layer comprises copper but fails to count as prior art under U.S.C. 35 102. Claims 8-11 are also objected to by nature of being dependent upon a claim with allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMMANTHA K SALAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-2484. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, N. Drew Richards can be reached at 571-272-1736. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SAMMANTHA K SALAZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2892
/ERIC W JONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892
Prosecution Insights