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 21-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Byun et al. (US 2018/0123078).
Regarding claim 21, Byun discloses a display apparatus comprising:
a substrate including a display area having a plurality of sub-pixels (figs. 2-3 and Abstract);
at least one thin film transistor disposed in each sub pixel (fig. 2 and paragraph 0045);
a light emitting device disposed in each sub-pixel, the light emitting device including an
anode electrode (180,fig. 2 and paragraph 0062), an organic layer (210, fig. 2 and paragraph 0078), and a cathode electrode (220, fig. 2 and paragraph 0078) stacked in order (fig. 2);
a first structure disposed between adjacent sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels (200c and portion of layer 210 on top, fig. 2);
a second structure disposed between the adjacent sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels (175, 178, fig. 2); and
an auxiliary electrode under the second structure (170, fig. 2 and paragraph 0046),
wherein the first structure includes a first layer (200c, fig. 2) and a second layer (portion of layer 210 on top of 200c, fig. 2) on the first layer, the
cathode electrode being disconnected by the first structure between the adjacent sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels (CH6 area, fig. 2),
wherein the second structure includes a third layer (175, fig. 2) and a fourth layer (178, fig. 2) on the third layer,
wherein the auxiliary electrode (170, fig. 2) under the second structure is electrically connected to the cathode electrode (fig. 2 and paragraph 0078, and
wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer of the first structure is made of a same material as at least one of the third layer and the fourth layer of the second structure (layer 200c and layer 178, fig. 2 and paragraphs 0080, 0066).
Regarding claim 22, Byun further discloses wherein the cathode electrode (220, fig. 2) extends from the light emitting device to the auxiliary electrode (170, fig. 2), and
wherein a portion of the cathode electrode contacted to the auxiliary electrode is located
at a different height from a portion of the cathode electrode over the anode electrode (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 23, Byun further discloses wherein the portion of the cathode
electrode is contacted to at least one of the third layer and the fourth layer (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 24, Byun further discloses wherein the organic layer is disconnected from the first structure or the second structure (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 25, Byun further discloses a bank between the adjacent sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels, wherein the first structure is located on the bank (200a, 200b, 200c, fig. 2 and paragraph 0075).
Regarding claim 26, Byun further discloses wherein the first structure is provided in plural, and wherein the plurality of first structure are located between the plurality of sub-pixels (fig. 2 shows one, fig. 3 shows array).
Regarding claim 27, Byun further discloses wherein at least one of the first structure and the second structure has an undercut shape (175, fig. 2 and paragraph 0065).
Regarding claim 28, Byun further discloses wherein the cathode electrode is located below an overhang formed by the undercut shape of the at least one of the first structure and the second structure (220, fig. 2 and paragraph 0065).
Regarding claim 29, Byun further discloses wherein the first structure includes the undercut shape, and the second layer overhangs the first layer of the first structure (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 30, Byun further discloses wherein a width of a bottom of the fourth layer (178, fig. 2) is different from a width of a top of the third layer (175, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 31, Byun further discloses wherein a height location of the first
structure as a disconnection unit and a height location of the second structure as a blocking layer are different (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 32, Byun further discloses wherein the first structure and the second structure are arranged in a same direction between the adjacent sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 33, Byun further discloses an encapsulation layer
on the light emitting device, the first structure, and the second structure,
wherein a portion of the encapsulation layer is disposed under an overhang formed by an undercut shape of at least one of the first structure and the second structure (fig. 2 and paragraph 0088).
Regarding claim 34, Byun further discloses wherein at least one of the first structure and the second structure includes a metal layer as an uppermost layer thereof, and wherein at least one of the second layer and the fourth layer is the metal layer (cathode portion 220 on 200c of first structure can be considered the second layer of the first structure, which is metal, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 35, Byun further discloses wherein the metal layer as the uppermost layer of the second structure is a portion of the cathode electrode (cathode portion 220 on 175 of second structure can be considered the uppermost layer of the second structure, which is metal, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 36, Byun further discloses wherein the metal layer as the uppermost layer of the first structure is a portion of the cathode electrode (cathode portion 220 on 200c of first structure can be considered the second layer of the first structure, which is metal, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 37, Byun further discloses wherein the metal layer of the at least one of the first structure and the second structure forms an overhang by an undercut shape of the at least one of the first structure and the second structure (area around C, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 38, Byun further discloses wherein the metal layer of the at least one of the first structure and the second structure is disconnected from the cathode electrode (area around C, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 39, Byun further discloses wherein the auxiliary electrode is formed of a same metal as that of at least one of a source and a drain (paragraph 0054).
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.
Claim 40 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Byun et al. (US 2018/0123078).
Regarding claim 40, Byun discloses the display apparatus of claim 33, as mentioned above. Byun further discloses that an encapsulation layer may be utilized from various materials generally known to those in the art (paragraph 0088). Byun does not explicitly disclose wherein the encapsulation layer includes a first encapsulation layer and a third encapsulation layer including an inorganic material, and a second encapsulation layer disposed between the first encapsulation layer and the third encapsulation layer and including an organic material, and
wherein the first encapsulation layer is disposed on a lateral surface of at least one of the first structure and the second structure. However, multiple encapsulation layers are common in the art and would therefore be deemed obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publication 2019/0140039 discloses a relevant display incorporating an auxiliary electrode and a partition structure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS M MENZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1877. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached at 469-295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DOUGLAS M MENZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897 6/27/26
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