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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahara et al. (20200111846)
Regarding Claim 1, in Figs 1, 16, 17, 24-28 and in paragraphs 0014, 0021, 0057, 0059, 0060, 0110, 0112-0114, 0120, 0139, 0164, 0171, 0181, 0186, 0191, 0192, 0202 and 0203, Takahara et al. discloses a light emitting device comprising: a substrate 52; and a first electrode 15, an organic layer 16/17/18, and a second electrode 19 that are sequentially stacked on the substrate, wherein the organic layer includes a plurality of functional layers 16/17/18 including a plurality of types of light emitting layers of different color types (RGB), and, in a case where a thickness direction of the substrate is set as a line-of-sight direction, a mixing layer 17/22 (reformed layer “reformed” by laser) is formed in at least a portion of the organic layer, the portion extending in a plane direction of the organic layer, the mixing layer 1722 being defined in accordance with the following conditions: in a case where a first position and a second position in the organic layer are selected as two positions different in the plane direction of the organic layer, and components of the organic layer at the first position and the second position are compared in a thickness direction of the organic layer, a layer in which components of the plurality of different functional layers 16/17/18 forming the organic layer are mixed (reformed by laser), and which is recognized only at one of the first position or the second position is determined as the mixing layer (reformed layer 17/22 by laser).
Regarding Claim 2, wherein the organic layer 16/17/18 includes a first light emitting layer and a second light emitting layer as a plurality of types of the light emitting layers (RGB), and includes, as the plurality of functional layers, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, the first light emitting layer, an intermediate layer, the second light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer in order from a side closer to the first electrode, and the mixing layer (reformed layer) includes a layer in which a component forming at least part of the second light emitting layer and a component forming at least part of the electron transport layer are mixed (reformed).
Regarding Claim 3, wherein the first light emitting layer includes a fluorescent light emitting layer, the second light emitting layer includes a phosphorescent light emitting layer, and, in the intermediate layer, an energy level at T1 level of the intermediate layer is higher than an energy level at T1 level of the second light emitting layer, and an energy level at S1 level of the intermediate layer is higher than an energy level at S1 level of the first light emitting layer (see paragraphs 0183-0193 and 0202).
Regarding Claim 4, the first light emitting layer has blue as an emission color, and the second light emitting layer has yellow as an emission color (see paragraph 0056)
Regarding Claim 5, the first light emitting layer has blue as an emission color, and the second light emitting layer has a stack structure that includes a green phosphorescent light emitting layer having green as an emission color, and a red phosphorescent light emitting layer having red as an emission color (see paragraphs 0082-0093).
Regarding Claim 6, the organic layer includes a first light emitting layer and a second light emitting layer as a plurality of types of the light emitting layers, and includes, as the plurality of functional layers, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, the first light emitting layer, an intermediate layer, the second light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer in order from a side closer to the first electrode, and the mixing layer includes a layer in which a component forming at least part of the first light emitting layer and a component forming at least part of the intermediate layer are mixed (reformed as discussed in paragraphs 0296, 0297, 0302, 0309, 0310, 0324)
Regarding Claim 7, wherein the first light emitting layer and the second light emitting layer are fluorescent light emitting layers having different emission colors from each other, and, in the intermediate layer, an energy level at S1 level of the intermediate layer is higher than an energy level at S1 level of the second light emitting layer (see paragraphs 0187-0191, 0193-0196, 0198, 0200-0204)
Regarding Claim 8, in paragraph 0407, the first light emitting layer has red as an emission color, and the second light emitting layer has blue as an emission color.
Regarding Claim 9, in paragraphs 0260, 0407, 0419, the first light emitting layer has red as an emission color, and the second light emitting layer has a stack structure that includes a green fluorescent light emitting layer having green as an emission color, and a blue fluorescent light emitting layer having blue as an emission color.
Regarding Claim 10, an insulating structure 28/95 is provided between the first electrode and the organic layer, and the insulating structure is formed in a columnar shape.
Regarding 11, an insulating structure 28/95 is provided between the first electrode and the organic layer, and the insulating structure is formed in a shape extending in a plane direction of the first electrode.
Regarding Claim 12, further comprising a counter region 95/28 for the first electrode and the organic layer, wherein the insulating structure is formed in a shape extending in a plurality of directions intersecting each other in a plane direction of the first electrode, and is formed to divide the counter region in a plan view of the substrate.
Regarding Claim 13, an insulating layer 28/95 covering a periphery of the first electrode, wherein an end portion of the insulating structure in a longitudinal direction of the insulating structure is joined to the insulating layer.
Regarding Claim 14, a plurality of sub-pixels (RGB) corresponding to a plurality of color types, wherein each of the sub-pixels includes the substrate, the first electrode, the organic layer, and the second electrode, and the mixing layer (reformed layer reformed by laser) is formed in the sub-pixel corresponding to at least one color type.
Regarding Claim 15, each of the sub-pixels has a light emitting region (16/17/18), and, in a case where a region in which the mixing layer (reformed layer) is formed in the light emitting region is defined as a mixing region, and a proportion of the mixing region in the light emitting region is defined as an occupancy rate of the mixing region, the sub-pixel corresponding to at least one color type has a first occupancy rate as the occupancy rate, and the sub-pixel corresponding to at least another color type has a second occupancy rate as the occupancy rate, the second occupancy rate being different from the first occupancy rate.
Regarding Claim 16, an insulating structure 28/95 is provided between the first electrode and the organic layer at least in the sub-pixel having the first occupancy rate, the insulating structure is formed in a columnar shape, and a number and a pitch of the insulating structures are determined in accordance with the first occupancy rate.
Regarding Claim 17, an insulating structure 28/95 is provided between the first electrode and the organic layer at least in the sub-pixel having the first occupancy rate, a counter region for the first electrode and the organic layer is provided, the insulating structure is formed in a shape extending in a plurality of directions intersecting each other in a plane direction of the first electrode, and is formed to divide the counter region in a plan view of the substrate, and a number of divisions of the counter region is determined in accordance with the first occupancy rate.
Regarding Claim 18, an insulating structure 28/95 is provided between the first electrode and the organic layer, and the insulating structure has a structure in which a silicon nitride layer and a silicon oxide layer are stacked.
Regarding Claim 19, an insulating layer 28/95 covering a periphery of the first electrode, wherein an insulating structure is provided between the first electrode and the organic layer, and the insulating structure includes the same material as the insulating layer.
Regarding Claim 20, a plurality of sub-pixels (RGB) corresponding to a plurality of color types, wherein each of the sub-pixels includes the substrate, the first electrode, the organic layer, and the second electrode, and has a light emitting region, and the mixing layer (reformed layer) is formed in the sub-pixel corresponding to at least one color type, and, in the light emitting region of the sub-pixel including the mixing layer, in a case where a region in which the mixing layer is formed is set as a mixing region, and a region excluding the mixing region is set as a non-mixing region, an emission color of the mixing region and an emission color of the non-mixing region are different.
Regarding Claim 21, wherein at least one type of the plurality of sub-pixels (RGB) includes a color conversion layer that converts a color of light generated in the organic layer.
Regarding Claim 22, wherein ,in a case where the sub-pixel (RGB) including the color conversion layer among the plurality of sub-pixels is set as a first sub-pixel, and the sub-pixels other than the first sub-pixel are set as second sub-pixels, the mixing layer (reformed layer) is formed in the first sub-pixel and at least one of the second sub-pixels, and, in a case where a proportion of the mixing region in the light emitting region is defined as an occupancy rate of the mixing region (reformed layer), the occupancy rate determined for the first sub-pixel and the occupancy rate determined for the at least one of the second sub-pixels in which the mixing layer is formed are different from each other.
Regarding Claim 23, wherein the organic layer 16/17/18has a structure in which the plurality of functional layers including a plurality of types of the light emitting layers having different color types (RGB) is stacked, the plurality of types of the light emitting layers is common to a plurality of types of the sub-pixels, and color types of the light emitting layers are blue and green.
Regarding Claim 24, at least one type of a plurality of the sub-pixels is a red sub-pixel having red as an emission color, and the red sub-pixel is the first sub-pixel, and includes a red-color conversion layer as the color conversion layer, the red-color conversion layer converting a color of light generated in the organic layer (16/17/18) into red.
Regarding Claim 25, the organic layer 16/17/18 has a structure in which the plurality of functional layers including a plurality of types of the light emitting layers having different color types is stacked, the plurality of types of the light emitting layers is common to a plurality of types of the sub-pixels, color types of the light emitting layers are blue and red, and the color conversion layer is a layer that emits green light.
Regarding Claim 26, wherein at least one type of a plurality of the sub-pixels (RGB) is a green sub-pixel having green as an emission color, and the green sub-pixel includes a green-color conversion layer that converts a color of light generated in the organic layer into green.
Regarding Claim 26, a blue sub-pixel having blue as an emission color and a red sub-pixel having red an emission color are provided as a plurality of the sub-pixels, the color conversion layer is a layer that emits green light, and a color of light generated in the mixing region (reformed region) is stronger in blue than a color of light generated in the non-mixing region, the color of the light generated in the non-mixing region is stronger in red than the color of the light generated in the mixing region, and, in a case where a proportion of the mixing region in the light emitting region is set as an occupancy rate of the mixing region, the occupancy rate in the blue sub- pixel is higher than the occupancy rate in the red sub- pixel.
Regarding Claim 28, wherein a blue sub-pixel having blue as an emission color and a red sub-pixel having red an emission color are provided as a plurality of the sub-pixels ,the color conversion layer is a layer that emits green light, and a color of light generated in the mixing region (reformed region reformed by laser) is stronger in red than a color of light generated in the non-mixing region, the color of the light generated in the non-mixing region is stronger in blue than the color of the light generated in the mixing region, and, in a case where a proportion of the mixing region in the light emitting region is set as an occupancy rate of the mixing region, the occupancy rate in the red sub- pixel is higher than the occupancy rate in the blue sub- pixel.
Regarding Claim 29, Fig. 29 discloses the device.
Conclusion
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/FAZLI ERDEM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812 7/11/2026
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