DETAILED ACTION
This Office action responds to Applicant’s invention filed on 08/01/2024.
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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for a 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.
Amendment Status
The present Office action is made with all previously suggested amendments being fully considered. Accordingly, pending in this Office action are claims 1-20.
Specification Objection
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of possible minor errors. However, the Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which Applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 1-4, 8, 11-12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choung (US 2023/0013772).
Regarding claim 1, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) all aspects of a display device 100 (see, e.g., Choung: par. [0051]), comprising:
A lower electrode 104
A rib 126 which has a pixel aperture overlapping the lower electrode 104 and covers an end portion of the lower electrode 104
A partition 207/209/211/110B which includes:
A bottom portion 110A provided on the rib 126
A lower portion 207/209 provided on the bottom portion 110A
An upper portion 211/110B provided on the lower portion 207/209 and protruding from a side surface of the lower portion 207/209
An organic layer 112 which is in contact with the lower electrode 104 through the pixel aperture and emits light based on application of voltage (see MPEP 2112.01 and MPEP 2114.I/2114.II)
An upper electrode 114 which covers the organic layer 112 and is in contact with at least one of the bottom portion 110A and the lower portion 207/209
A transparent conductive oxide layer 110At provided between the rib 126 and the bottom portion 110A (see, e.g., Choung: par. [0028])
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Regarding claim 2, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) that the conductive oxide layer 110At (had the same material as 110A) is formed of amorphous ITO, IZO or IGZO (see, e.g., Choung: par. [0028]).
Regarding claim 3, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) that the rib 126 is formed of silicon nitride, silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride (see, e.g., Choung: par. [0024]).
Regarding claim 4, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) that an end portion of the bottom portion 110A protrudes from an end portion of the conductive oxide layer 110At.
Regarding claim 8, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) that:
An end portion of the bottom portion 110A protrudes from an end portion of the conductive oxide layer 110At
The bottom portion 110A and the lower portion 207/209 are formed of different materials (see, e.g., Choung: par. [0028] and par. [0037])
Regarding claim 11, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) that the organic layer 112 is spaced apart from the lower portion 207/209.
Regarding claim 12, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) that an end portion of the conductive oxide layer 110At does not overlap the lower portion 207/209.
Regarding claim 14, Choung shows (see, e.g., Choung: figs. 1B and 2B and their annotated figs. 1B and 2B) that an end portion of the conductive oxide layer 110At overlaps the upper electrode 114.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 9-10, and 13 are 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for objecting to claim 5: The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious that the organic layer includes a hole injection layer which is in contact with the lower electrode, and a thickness of the conductive oxide layer is greater than a thickness of the hole injection layer.
Claims 6-7 are objected to because of their dependence on claim 5.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for objecting to claim 9: The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious that the end portion of the lower electrode overlaps the lower portion.
Claim 10 is objected to because of their dependence on claim 9.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for objecting to claim 13: The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious that the organic layer includes a hole injection layer which is contact with the lower electrode, and an end portion of the conductive oxide layer overlaps the hole injection layer.
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 15: The prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious that a transparent conductive oxide layer which is provided between the lower electrode and the rib and has an aperture overlapping the pixel aperture.
Claims 16-20 are allowed because of their dependence on claim 15.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIBERIU DAN ONUTA whose telephone number is (571) 270-0074 and between the hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) Monday through Friday or by e-mail via Tiberiu.Onuta@uspto.gov. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone or email are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Wael Fahmy, can be reached on (571) 272-1705.
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/TIBERIU DAN ONUTA/Examiner, Art Unit 2814
/WAEL M FAHMY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2814
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