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 .
Detailed Action
This office action is in response to applicant’s communication filed on 07/03//24. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Claim Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. §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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over Tankgaki (US 20180259852 A1) (Tanigaki) and further in view of Kim (US 20200127220 A1).
Regarding Claims 1, Tanigaki discloses a photosensitive resin composition, a cured film produced from the same, and devices that include the cured film (see figs 1-4). Tanigaki further discloses a method of producing a film, which comprises the steps of applying and coating the photosensitive resin composition on a substrate(see para [0169], disclosing coating resin on substrate), pre-baking the resin composition(see para [0169] disclosing prebaking), performing a patterning exposure via a photomask having a predetermined pattern, developing the exposed resin composition(see para [0169] disclosing exposure), and then post-baking to thermally cure the resin (paragraph [0724] and figs 1-4). Further, Tanigaki discloses treatment time of 2 hours at 210-200C, see para [0169].
However, Tanigaki does not explicitly disclose wherein the photomask transmittance is divided into three sections of 0% (non-exposed portion), 20 to 50% (half-tone), and 100% (full-tone). However, Kim , at least at para [0143], discloses the use of halftone and full tone masks to create features on the pixel division pattern of Kim’s device.
Tanigaki and Kim are in the same or similar fields of endeavor. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at a time prior to the effective filing date of the present application to combine Tanigaki with Kim. Tanigaki and Kim may be combined by forming the device of Tanigaki with Kim in accordance with Kim, for example, to use a featured mask, for example, to create features on the target substrate, see Kim fig 7a.
Regarding claim 2, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the hot plate temperature in the prebaking step is 90C to 120C (see para [0169] of Tanigaki disclosing 100c).
Regarding claim 3, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the prebaking step is performed for 100 to 150 seconds (see para [0595] disclosing 2 minutes).
Regarding claim 4, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the development step is performed for 35 to 55 seconds (see para [0731] disclosing about 55 seconds).
Regarding claim 5, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the exposure step irradiates an active ray of 80 to 110 mJ/cm2. See para [0603] disclosing 80-110mj/cm2.
Regarding claim 6, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the half-tone thickness of the pattern after the development step is 1.40 to 2.00um, see para [0594] disclosing 1.5 um.
Regarding claim 7, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the full-tone thickness of the pattern after the development step is 3.25 to 3.35 see para [0594] disclosing 3.3 um.
Regarding claim 8, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the post-exposure step irradiates an exposure energy of 100 to 900 mJ/cm2 to the entire area without a mask at the same active ray of 190 to 600 nm as the exposure step (see para [0603] disclosing 439nm and 800mj/cm2.).
Regarding claim 9, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the lower pattern has a taper angle of 15 to 65 degrees (�) and the upper pattern has a taper angle of 10 to 45 degrees (�) or less after the post-heat treatment (see para [0714]).
Regarding claim 10, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the half-tone thickness of the pattern after the post-heat treatment step is 1.00 to 1.90 (see para [0732] disclosing 1.6 μm).
Regarding claim 11, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the full-tone thickness of the pattern after the post-heat treatment step is 2.80 to 3.20 (see claim 11 disclosing claimed range)
Regarding claim 12, Tanigaki disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the photosensitive resin composition contains a colorant (see claim 8 disclosing pigmentation).
Regarding claim 13, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the photosensitive resin composition contains a patterning resin which includes an acrylic binder resin, a cardo-based binder resin, or a combination thereof (see para [0176] disclosing binder).
Regarding claim 14, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the photosensitive resin composition contains a reactive unsaturated compound in an amount of 1 to 40% by weight based on the total amount of the photosensitive resin composition (see para [0663] disclosing 4%).
Regarding claim 15, Tanigaki and Kim disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the photosensitive resin composition contains a photoinitiator in an amount of 0.01 to 10% by weight based on the total amount of the photosensitive resin composition(see para [0663] disclosing 4%).
Regarding claim 16, Tanigaki and Kim disclose a pixel defining layer prepared by the preparation method according to claim 1 (see cured pattern in fig 1, 5b).
Regarding claim 17, Tanigaki and Kim disclose an organic light emitting display device comprising the pixel defining layer according to claim 16, see fig 1 disclosing device.
Regarding claim 18, Tanigaki and Kim disclose an electronic device comprising the display device of claim 17 and a control unit for driving the display device (this office action notes that a complete display device inherently has a control driver).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWARD CHIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1827. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Britt Hanley can be reached at (571) 270-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWARD CHIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
