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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I species A in the reply filed on 6/9/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Recitation of the third surface being flush with the first surface, and a certain distance being reserved between a plane where the fourth surface is located and a plane where the second surface is located is unclear what is meant by reserved.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Liu WO 2020207013 cited on Ids.
a. Liu teaches A display substrate (see title), comprising: a base substrate provided with a connection via hole penetrating in a thickness direction of the base substrate (figure 10 items 332 and 30,with 334 and 302 deposed in the via) wherein the base substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface disposed oppositely along the thickness direction of the base substrate (top vs bottom side with driving circuit 32 vs side with item 334); a pixel drive circuit disposed on the first surface (items 32 and 313); a signal wiring disposed on the second surface (item 313); and a connection structure disposed in the connection via hole and electrically connecting the signal wiring with the pixel drive circuit (item 31 302), wherein the connection via hole is partially filled by the connection structure (item 302 partially does not state only partially thus 302 could fully fill but as provided 334 fills the remaining portion thus it meets the limitation of only partially filling).
b. As to claim 2, recitation of a substructure without a specific structure. The structure of Liu can be arbitrarily subdivided Liu teaches wherein the connection structure comprises a first substructure disposed on a sidewall (radial outer portion 302 adjacent 302) of the connection via hole and a second substructure connected to the first substructure (radial inner portion of 302, with an outer outline of the second substructure fitted to the first substructure (by definition the outer portion fitted to the inner portion since it is integral).
c. As to claim 3, Liu wherein the second substructure comprises a third surface (top item 302 bottom of 302 ) and a fourth surface disposed oppositely along a thickness direction of the second substructure (bottom of 302); there is one of: the third surface being flush with the first surface (top of 302 in flush with the top of 30), and a certain distance being reserved between a plane where the fourth surface is located and a plane where the second surface is located (bottom of item 302 is spaced away from the bottom 332). Soo Liu teaches both of the limitations.
d. As to claim 8, Liu teaches wherein the connection structure is disposed in the connection via hole (item 302) to define an accommodating space (bottom via of 332) with a filling structure filled therein (item 334).
e. As to claim 10 Liu teaches wherein a connection pad is further disposed on the second surface (item 334), and the signal wiring is electrically connected to the connection structure through the connection pad (item 302 connect 334).
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(s) 2-3 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of Wang (20110291267) cited on ids.
As to claims 2 and 9, Liu does not explicitly teach wherein a first protection layer is covered on a sidewall of the connection via hole, and the first protection layer is disposed between the sidewall of the connection via hole and the connection structure.
Wang teaches wherein a first protection layer is covered on a sidewall of the connection via hole (item 13 or item 15), and the first protection layer is disposed between the sidewall of the connection via hole and the connection structure (items 13 and 15 between 17 and 10).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to form a barrier 15 as a protection layer to prevent out diffusion or an insulator 13 to isolate the via from the substrate reduce the risk of shorting between the substrate and via.
This would act as a “protective layer.”
This protection film can be considered a first substructure disposed on a sidewall of the connection via hole and a second substructure connected to the first substructure, with an outer outline of the second substructure fitted to the first substructure.
Thus, also meeting the limitation of claim 2 in a different manner.
b. As to claim 3, Wang and Liu suggests wherein the second substructure comprises a third surface and a fourth surface disposed oppositely along a thickness direction of the second substructure; there is one of: the third surface being flush with the first surface ( at least one surface is flush in Liu and Wang with the substrate specifically the bottom surface figure 2D) , and a certain distance being reserved between a plane where the fourth surface is located and a plane where the second surface is located.
Conclusion
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/MATTHEW L. REAMES/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2896
/MATTHEW L REAMES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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