DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9, 11, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bang (U.S. PGPub 2012/0208311).
Regarding claim 1, Bang teaches a display device (Fig. 4), comprising:
a first auxiliary insulating layer through which an opening is defined (105, [0034]),
a second auxiliary insulating layer on the first auxiliary insulating layer (107, [0035]),
a pixel definition layer on the second auxiliary insulating layer and having a pixel opening defined therethrough (110, [0036]),
a first auxiliary electrode having at least a portion in the opening (104b, [0033]),
a second auxiliary electrode having at least a portion in the opening, the second auxiliary electrode comprising a second-first portion on the first auxiliary electrode and a second-second portion comprising a first surface that forms a first angle with an upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode and is spaced apart from the upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode (106c, second-first portion at center, second-second portion at one side including region marked 112, [0030]),
a first electrode having a portion in the pixel opening (109a, [0035]), and
a second electrode on the first electrode and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode (113, [0037]).
Regarding claim 2, Bang teaches wherein the second-second portion is in the opening (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Bang teaches wherein a portion of the second auxiliary insulating layer is on the second auxiliary electrode (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, Bang teaches wherein the first angle is an acute angle (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 5, Bang teaches wherein the second-first portion is directly on the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Bang teaches wherein the second auxiliary electrode comprises a second surface forming a second angle with the upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode and further comprises a second-third portion spaced apart from the upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 4, other side from second-second portion).
Regarding claim 7, Bang teaches wherein the second angle is an acute angle (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 8, Bang teaches wherein the pixel opening does not overlap the opening in a plan view (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 9, Bang teaches wherein the second auxiliary electrode has an area smaller than an area of the first auxiliary electrode in a plan view (Fig. 4, width of 104b is greater than 106c).
Regarding claim 11, Bang teaches an intermediate layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein a portion of the intermediate layer overlaps the pixel opening in a plan view (Fig. 4, 111, [0036]).
Regarding claim 13, Bang teaches a display device (Fig. 4) comprising:
a base layer (100, [0033]),
a circuit element layer on the base layer (Fig. 4) and
a display element layer on the circuit element layer and comprising a pixel definition layer and a light emitting element, the circuit element layer comprising:
a first auxiliary insulating layer through which an opening is defined (105, [0034]),
a second auxiliary insulating layer on the first auxiliary insulating layer (107, [0035]),
a first auxiliary electrode having at least a portion in the opening (104b, [0033]), and
a second auxiliary electrode whose at least a portion is in the opening, the second auxiliary electrode comprising a second-first portion on the first auxiliary electrode and a second-second portion comprising a first surface that forms a first angle with an upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode and spaced apart from the upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode (106c, second-first portion at center, second-second portion at one side including region marked 112, [0030]),
wherein the pixel definition layer is on the second auxiliary insulating layer and has a pixel opening defined therethrough (108, [0035]), the light emitting element comprises:
a first electrode having at least a portion in the pixel opening (109a, [0035]),
a second electrode on the first electrode and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode (113, [0037]), and
an intermediate layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and at least a portion of the intermediate layer is in the pixel opening (111, [0036]).
Regarding claim 14, Bang teaches wherein the opening does not overlap the pixel opening in a plan view (Fig. 4).
Claims 1 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu (U.S. PGPub 2021/0328003).
Regarding claim 1, Liu teaches a display device (Figs. 1-4) comprising:
a first auxiliary insulating layer through which an opening is defined (3, [0040]),
a second auxiliary insulating layer on the first auxiliary insulating layer (8, [0059]),
a pixel definition layer on the second auxiliary insulating layer and having a pixel opening defined therethrough (9, [0059]),
a first auxiliary electrode having at least a portion in the opening (21, [0054]),
a second auxiliary electrode having at least a portion in the opening, the second auxiliary electrode comprising a second-first portion on the first auxiliary electrode and a second-second portion comprising a first surface that forms a first angle with an upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode and is spaced apart from the upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode (22, [0054], Fig. 5C, [0074]),
a first electrode having a portion in the pixel opening (74, [0063]),
a second electrode on the first electrode and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode (4, [0059]).
Regarding claim 11, Liu teaches an intermediate layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein a portion of the intermediate layer overlaps the pixel opening in a plan view (6, [0045]).
Regarding claim 12, Liu teaches wherein the intermediate layer comprises a first contact portion directly on the first auxiliary electrode, the second electrode comprises a second contact portion electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode, and the second contact portion is between the first contact portion and the first surface and overlaps the second-second portion in the plan view (Fig. 4, 41, [0040]).
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 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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (U.S. PGPub 2021/0328003) in view of Huang (U.S. PGPub 2024/0414947).
Regarding claim 10, Liu does not explicitly teach wherein the opening has a diameter equal to or greater than 10 micrometers and equal to or smaller than 15 micrometers in a plan view.
Huang teaches wherein an opening through insulating layers connecting a cathode with an auxiliary electrode (Fig. 1A, [0058], 312, 412, 109), wherein the width of the opening may be set by a person of ordinary skill based on device requirements ([0077]). Further, mere changes in size or shape are prima facie obvious absent a teaching of unexpected results (See MPEP 2144.04). In this case, there is no teaching in the specification regarding any criticality or unexpected result arising from the specific size of the opening.
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person in the art before the time of the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Huang with Liu such that the opening has a diameter equal to or greater than 10 micrometers and equal to or smaller than 15 micrometers in a plan view.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (U.S. PGPub 2021/0328003) in view of Im (U.S. PGPub 2017/0062755).
Regarding claim 15, Liu does not explicitly teach an encapsulation layer on the display element layer.
Im teaches wherein an encapsulation layer is provided over a display element layer ([0096]).
Therefore it would been obvious to a person in the art before the time of the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Im with Liu such that the device comprises an encapsulation layer on the display element layer for the purpose of preventing permeation of moisture (Im, [0096]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 16, Bang teaches forming a first auxiliary insulating layer on a first auxiliary electrode, forming a preliminary opening through the first auxiliary insulating layer to overlap the first auxiliary electrode in a plan view (Fig. 5B, 105, [0034]), forming a second auxiliary electrode in the preliminary opening and comprising a second-first portion on the first auxiliary electrode and a second-second portion comprising a first surface that forms a first angle with an upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode and spaced apart from the upper surface of the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 5B, 106c, second-first portion at center, second-second portion at one side including region marked 112, [0034]), forming a second auxiliary insulating layer (107, [0035]), forming a first electrode that does not overlap the opening and an intermediate layer on the first electrode (109a, [0035]), and forming a second electrode on the intermediate layer and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode (113, [0037]).
However, Bang does not explicitly teach placing a mask provided with a first hole defined therethrough and overlapping the preliminary opening above the second auxiliary insulating layer, and etching a portion of the first auxiliary insulating layer, which overlaps the first hole in the plan view, and a portion of the second auxiliary insulating layer, which overlaps the first hole in the plan view, to form an opening through which the second-second portion and the portion of the first auxiliary electrode are exposed.
Prior art teaches methods for forming related auxiliary electrode structures (U.S. PGPub 2025/0204207, U.S. Pat. 12127438, U.S. PGPub 2022/0165980, U.S. PGPub 2022/0149316, U.S. Pat. 10403861, U.S. PGPub 2019/0115403, U.S. Pat. 10186569, U.S. PGPub 2016/0284785, U.S. PGPub 2014/0332763.
Claims 17-20 depend from and further limit claim 16 and are therefore correspondingly allowable. Prior art references alone or in combination fail to disclose, teach, or suggest each and every limitation of the invention as claimed.
Conclusion
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/ALIA SABUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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