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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on May 6, 2024 and November 13, 2025 were in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 19-23, 28, 33, 35 and 37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (Pub. No.: US 2017/0012175 A1).
Regarding Claim 19, Wang et al. discloses a component comprising: a semiconductor body (Par. 0021-0022; Fig. 2 – semiconductor body comprising first semiconductor layer 226, second semiconductor layer 222 and active zone 224); and a cover region (Par. 0021-0022; Figs. 2 and 3A-3B – cover region comprising current conduction layer 230, distributed Bragg reflector 250),
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wherein the semiconductor body has a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and an active zone arranged therebetween, the active zone configured for generating electromagnetic radiation (Par. 0021-0022; Figs. 2 and 3A-3B – semiconductor body comprising first semiconductor layer 226, second semiconductor layer 222 and active zone 224), wherein the cover region is configured for electrically contacting the first semiconductor layer (Par. 0021-0022; Figs. 2 and 3A-3B – cover region comprising current conduction layer 230, distributed Bragg reflector 250), and wherein the cover region comprises: a larger lateral cross-section than the active zone and has an edge region, which does not overlap with the active zone in plan view (see annotated Fig. 3B), and vertical depressions, which are located exclusively in the edge region of the cover region and, in plan view, do not overlap with the active zone, the vertical depressions being configured to reduce lateral optical crosstalk (see annotated Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 20, Wang et al., as applied to claim 19, discloses the component, wherein each of the vertical depressions is strip-shaped or circular-arc-shaped when viewed from above on the cover region (Par. 0035; Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 21, Wang et al., as applied to claim 19, discloses the component, wherein the vertical depressions are spaced apart along a lateral direction and at least sectionally form a Bragg mirror structure (Par. 0028).
Regarding Claim 22, Wang et al., as applied to claim 19, discloses the component, wherein the vertical depressions form a symmetrical structure around the active zone when viewed from above (Fig. 3B).
Regarding Claim 23, Wang et al., as applied to claim 19, discloses the component, wherein the cover region comprises a transparent electrically conductive contact layer and/or a dielectric layer, and wherein the vertical depressions extend into the transparent electrically conductive contact layer and/or the dielectric layer or throughout the transparent electrically conductive contact layer and/or the dielectric layer (Figs. 3A-3C).
Regarding Claim 28, Wang et al., as applied to claim 19, discloses the component, wherein the cover region has a current spreading layer and additionally a transparent electrically conductive contact layer and/or a dielectric layer, wherein the current spreading layer is arranged between the active zone and the transparent electrically conductive contact layer or the dielectric layer, wherein the vertical depressions extend into the transparent electrically conductive contact layer and/or the dielectric layer or throughout transparent electrically conductive contact layer and/or the dielectric layer, and wherein the vertical depressions do not extend into the current spreading layer (Par. 0026-0032; Figs. 3A-3C – current spreading layer 230; dielectric layer 250).
Regarding Claim 33, Wang et al., as applied to claim 19, discloses the component, wherein the vertical depressions are filled with a gaseous medium (Figs. 3B-3C).
Regarding Claim 35, Wang et al., as applied to claim 19, discloses an optoelectronic device comprising: a plurality of components wherein the components are located next to each other and the vertical depressions of the respective components are configured to reduce the lateral optical crosstalk between adjacent components (Figs. 3B-3C).
Regarding Claim 37, Wang et al. discloses a component comprising: a semiconductor body (Par. 0021-0022; Fig. 2 – semiconductor body comprising first semiconductor layer 226, second semiconductor layer 222 and active zone 224); and
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a cover region (Par. 0021-0022; Figs. 2 and 3A-3B – cover region comprising current conduction layer 230, distributed Bragg reflector 250), wherein the semiconductor body has a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and an active zone arranged therebetween, the active zone configured for generating electromagnetic radiation (Par. 0021-0022; Figs. 2 and 3A-3B – semiconductor body comprising first semiconductor layer 226, second semiconductor layer 222 and active zone 224), wherein the cover region is configured for electrically contacting the first semiconductor layer (Par. 0021-0022; Figs. 2 and 3A-3B – cover region comprising current conduction layer 230, distributed Bragg reflector 250), wherein the cover region comprises: a larger lateral cross-section than the active zone and has an edge region, which does not overlap with the active zone in plan view (see annotated Fig. 3B), and vertical depressions, which are located exclusively in the edge region of the cover region and, in plan view, do not overlap with the active zone, the vertical depressions being configured to reduce lateral optical crosstalk (see annotated Fig. 3B), and wherein the component is configured so that the electromagnetic radiation penetrates the cover region before being emitted at a top side of the component. (Par. 0028).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24-27, 29-32, 34, 36 and 38 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bour et al. (Pub. No.: US 2016/0315218 A1) – This prior art teaches a LED structure particularly relevant to the claims recited in the current application (see Figs. 5A-5I)
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07/24/2026
/SYED I GHEYAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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