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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) to foreign application JP 2023-097111 filed on 06/13/2023 The foreign application is not in English. The certified copy of the foreign priority application has been received. Filing Dates for the Claims — All Claims Not Entitled to Priority DateTo be entitled to the filing date of the foreign priority application JP 2023-097111 that is not in English, an English translation of the non-English language foreign application and a statement that the translation is accurate in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55 is required to perfect the claim for priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The foreign application must adequately support the claimed subject matter, meaning satisfy the written description and enablement requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a). See MPEP §§ 215 and 216. 37 C.F.R. 1.55(g)(3)(ii)-(iii). To demonstrate compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112(a), applicant should point to support for their claimed subject matter in their translations.
Claim Rejections 35 U.S.C. § 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 1 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitations “the upper portion of the first partition has a first end portion which overlaps the organic layer and the upper electrode, the upper portion of the second partition has a second end portion which overlaps the organic layer and the upper electrode, a thickness of the organic layer immediately under the first end portion is less than a thickness of the organic layer immediately under the second end portion, and a thickness of the upper electrode immediately under the first end portion is greater than a thickness of the upper electrode immediately under the second end portion.”
This is indefinite because the end portion, as described is a broad region which can be interpreted, under BRI as being the end portion is the portion which overlaps the electrode and the organic layers. Because the end portion is a region, a thickness of the electrode or organic layer can be selected from any portion of that region.
To overcome this rejection examiner suggests amending claim 1 to read.
“the upper portion of the first partition has a first end portion which overlaps the organic layer and the upper electrode and is the furthest portion of the upper partition from the lower partition in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the rib, the upper portion of the second partition has a second end portion which overlaps the organic layer and the upper electrode and is the furthest portion of the upper partition from the lower partition in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the rib, a thickness of the organic layer immediately under the first end portion is less than a thickness of the organic layer immediately under the second end portion, and a thickness of the upper electrode immediately under the first end portion is greater than a thickness of the upper electrode immediately under the second end portion.”
Claim Rejections 35 U.S.C. § 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 1 and 4-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Choung et al. (US Pub. 20220077251), hereinafter referred to as Choung.
Regarding claim 1, as interpreted using broadest reasonable interpretation, Choung teaches a display device comprising: a substrate (Choung, 102, Fig. 1A, para. 27); a lower electrode (Choung, 104, Fig. 1A, para. 27) provided above the substrate; a rib (Choung, 126, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 28) having a pixel aperture (Choung, 124A, Fig. 1C, para. 39) which overlaps the lower electrode; a partition (Choung, 110, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 30) which has a conductive lower portion (Choung, 110A, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 30) provided on the rib and an upper portion (Choung, 110B, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 37) protruding from a side surface of the lower portion; an organic layer (Choung, 112, 204, Figs. 1A, 2, paras. 29, 41) which is in contact with the lower electrode through the pixel aperture and emits light based on application of voltage; and an upper electrode (Choung, 114, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 32) which covers the organic layer and is in contact with the lower portion of the partition, wherein the partition has first and second partitions which are provided such that the pixel aperture is interposed between the first and second partitions (Choung, Fig. 1A, see diagram below), the upper portion of the first partition has a first end portion which overlaps the organic layer and the upper electrode (Choung, Figs. 1A, 2, see diagram below), the upper portion of the second partition has a second end portion which overlaps the organic layer and the upper electrode (Choung, Figs. 1A, 2, see diagram below), a thickness of the organic layer immediately under the first end portion is less than a thickness of the organic layer immediately under the second end portion (Choung 112, Figs. 1A, 2, see diagram below, Examiner notes that both sides, as shown in Fig. 2 are identical, however there are multiple thicknesses of the organic layer, thus the smallest thickness under the first end portion is smaller than the largest thickness under the second end portion, see diagram below), and a thickness of the upper electrode immediately under the first end portion is greater than a thickness of the upper electrode immediately under the second end portion (Choung 114, Figs 1A, 2, see diagram below, Examiner notes that both sides, as shown in Fig. 2 are identical, however there are multiple thicknesses of the upper electrode, thus the largest thickness under the first end portion is larger than the smallest thickness under the second end portion, see diagram below).
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Regarding claim 4, Choung teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the organic layer has a first layer (Choung, 204, Fig. 2, para. 41) and a second layer (Choung, 112, Fig. 2, para. 41) located on the first layer, the first layer is spaced apart from the lower portions of the first and second partitions (Choung, Fig. 2), and the second layer is in contact (Choung, Fig. 2, 112 is in electrical contact with the lower portion 110A of the partition through upper electrode 114) with at least the lower portion of the second partition.
Regarding claim 5, Choung teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the first layer includes a hole injection layer (Choung, 204, Fig. 2, para. 41), and the second layer includes a light emitting layer (Choung, 112, Fig. 2, para. 41).
Regarding claim 6, Choung teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising a cap layer (Choung, 121, 123, Fig. 1A, para. 35) which covers the upper electrode.
Regarding claim 7, Choung teaches the display device of claim 6, further comprising a sealing layer (Choung, 116, Fig. 1A, paras. 34-35) which continuously covers the cap layer, the first partition and the second partition.
Regarding claim 8, Choung teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the lower portion includes: a conductive bottom layer Choung, 202, 222, Fig. 2, paras. 30, 42) provided on the rib; and a stem layer (Choung, 110A, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 30) provided on the bottom layer, and the upper electrode is in contact with at least the bottom layer of the lower portion of the first partition (Choung, Fig. 2, upper electrode 114 is in contact with portion 222 of assistant cathode 202, para. 42).
Regarding claim 9, Choung teaches the display device of claim 8, wherein an end portion of the bottom layer protrudes from a side surface of the stem layer (Choung, 222 Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Material
Claims 2 and 3 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: Regarding claim 2, Choung teaches display device of claim 1, but does not teach nor does the prior art of record does not show or suggest the limitation; wherein a contact area of the lower portion of the first partition and the organic layer is less than a contact area of the lower portion of the second partition and the organic layer. In Choung the organic layer is in electrical contact, but not direct contact with the lower partition. In another reference (Shiomi, US Pub, 20240057396) the electrode is shown to be in different degrees of contact (Shiomi with the partition as specified in claim 3, but the organic layer (Shiomi, OR1, Fig. 4) is not in direct contact with the partition.
Claim 3 is allowed because it depends from allowable claim 2.
Claims 10-20 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 10, Choung teaches a manufacturing method of a display device, including: preparing a substrate (Choung, 102, Fig. 1A, para. 27) including: a lower electrode (Choung, 104, Fig. 1A, para. 27); a rib (Choung, 126, Fig. 1A, 2, para. 28) having a pixel aperture (Choung, 124A, Fig. 1C, para. 39) which overlaps the lower electrode; and a partition (Choung, 110, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 20), which has a conductive lower portion provided on the rib (Choung, 202, 222, 110A, Figs. 1A, 2, paras. 30, 42) and an upper portion (Choung, 110b, paras. 30, 37) protruding from a side surface of the lower portion; forming an organic layer (Choung, 112, 204, Figs 1A, 2, paras. 25, 29, 32, 41) which is in contact with the lower electrode through the pixel aperture and emits light based on application of voltage by vapor deposition; and forming an upper electrode (Choung, 114, Figs. 1A, 2, paras. 25, 32) which covers the organic layer and is in contact with the lower portion of the partition by vapor deposition, wherein the organic layer includes a first thin film (Choung, 112, Fig. 2, paras. 29, 3), a first evaporation direction (Choung θOLED, Fig. 2, para.32) in which a first evaporation source used to form the first thin film emits a vaporized material, inclines with respect to a normal direction of the substrate (Choung, 208, Fig. 2).
Choung also teaches a second evaporation direction (Choung, θCATHODE, Fig. 2 para. 32), in which a second evaporation source used to form the upper electrode emits a vaporized material, but does not teach wherein the second evaporation direction inclines to an opposite direction of the first evaporation direction with respect to the normal direction.
However, Ahn et al. (JP 2006-249572), hereinafter referred to as Ahn, teaches an evaporation source assembly used to create organic film layers or electrode layers of an organic electroluminescent device with two sources (Ahn, 60 and 70, Fig. 5) which are angled at equal but inverse angles with respect to the normal plane. Ahn further states that the two may have different vapor deposition materials. However, Ahn suggests using them with different materials in such a way as to improve the qualities of the layer being deposited, not to create non-uniform layers of complementary thicknesses, where the thin electrode is matched with the thick organic layer and the thick electrode is matched with the thin electrode. Additionally while Shiomi discloses non-uniform layers, the angles required by Shiomi would be the same, not inverse because the extended electrode (Shiomi, E1a Fig. 4) is on the same side as the slightly extended side of the organic layer (Shiomi, OR1, Fig. 4) and the shorter electrode (Shiomi, E1b, Fig. 4) is on the same side as the slightly shorter side of the organic layer.
Claims 11-14 are allowed as depending directly or indirectly on allowable claim 11.
Regarding claim 15, Choung teaches a manufacturing method of a display device, including: preparing a substrate (Choung, 102, Fig. 1A, para. 27) including: a lower electrode (Choung, 104, Fig. 1A, para. 27); a rib (Choung, 126, Fig. 1A, 2, para. 28) having a pixel aperture (Choung, 124A, Fig. 1C, para. 39) which overlaps the lower electrode; and a partition (Choung, 110, Figs. 1A, 2, para. 20), which has a conductive lower portion provided on the rib (Choung, 202, 222, 110A, Figs. 1A, 2, paras. 30, 42) and an upper portion (Choung, 110b, paras. 30, 37) protruding from a side surface of the lower portion; forming an organic layer (Choung, 112, 204, Figs 1A, 2, paras. 25, 29, 32, 41) which is in contact with the lower electrode through the pixel aperture and emits light based on application of voltage by vapor deposition; and forming an upper electrode (Choung, 114, Figs. 1A, 2, paras. 25, 32) which covers the organic layer and is in contact with the lower portion of the partition by vapor deposition, wherein the organic layer includes a first thin film (Choung, 112, Fig. 2, paras. 29, 3).
Choung also teaches a first and second evaporation direction (Choung θOLED, θCATHODE Fig. 2, para.32) used to form the first organic film, and the electrode, but does not teach a first evaporation source used to form the first thin film comprises a first nozzle which emits a vaporized material in a first evaporation direction, and a first shield which protrudes from the first nozzle, a second evaporation source used to form the upper electrode comprises a second nozzle which emits a vaporized material in a second evaporation direction, the second evaporation direction inclines to a first lateral direction with respect to a normal direction of the substrate, and the first shield has a shape in which a height on a first lateral direction side of the first nozzle is greater than a height on a second lateral direction side opposite to the first lateral direction side.
Ahn teaches a first and second evaporation source (Ahn, 60 and 70, Fig. 5) which are angled at equal but inverse angles with respect to the normal plane, which comprise nozzles (Ahn 220, 320, Fig. 6) and shields (Ahn, 80A, Fig. 5) which protrude beyond the nozzles. Ahn further states that the two may have different vapor deposition materials. However, Ahn suggests using them with different materials in such a way as to improve the qualities of the layer being deposited, not to create non-uniform layers of complementary thicknesses, where the thin electrode is matched with the thick organic layer and the thick electrode is matched with the thin electrode. Additionally while Shiomi discloses non-uniform layers, the angles required by Shiomi would be the same, not inverse because the extended electrode (Shiomi, E1a Fig. 4) is on the same side as the slightly extended side of the organic layer (Shiomi, OR1, Fig. 4) and the shorter electrode (Shiomi, E1b, Fig. 4) is on the same side as the slightly shorter side of the organic layer.
Claims 16-20 are allowed as depending directly or indirectly on allowable claim 11.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee (US Pub. 20170179418) teaches a method of forming an OLED device wherein the OLED layer is formed by vapor deposition.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIERAN M CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-9654. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30.
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/KIERAN M. CUNNINGHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/Britt Hanley/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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