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
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 14 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2021181593A.
As to claim 1, JP’593 discloses (see Figs 2, 5, 8, 14b and 15-18, para [0035], [0036], [0042], [0059], [0061]) a vapor deposition mask (10) comprising: a mask substrate (support 40) that contains silicon (see English Translation on page 7); a mask layer ( resin mask 30) that includes a first surface and a second surface that is located opposite the first surface and that faces the mask substrate (see Figs 16 and 18); and a through-hole (openings 21 and 31) that extends through the mask layer (resin mask 30), wherein the mask substrate (40) includes a substrate opening (41), wherein the through-hole (21) is located in the substrate opening (41) in a plan view, wherein the mask layer (30) includes a mask body layer (see Figs 16 and 18) that forms the first surface and a mask intermediate layer (metal layer 20) that is located between the mask body layer (30) and the mask substrate (40), and wherein the mask body layer contains a resin material (see [para [0035]).
As to claim 2, in JP’593 a thickness of the mask intermediate layer is less than a thickness of the mask body layer (see claim for the thickness of the central portion of the metal layer is less than the thickness of the resist layer).
Regarding claim 3, JP’593 teaches the mask intermediate layer contains gold, aluminum, chromium, nickel, titanium, titanium nitride, an aluminum alloy that contains neodymium, a silicon oxide, or a silicon dioxide (see para [0042] for nickel alloys), and wherein the mask intermediate layer is in contact with the mask body layer and is in contact with the mask substrate.
As to claim 4, JP’593 teaches (see para [0059]) the resin material of the mask body layer contains polyimide.
Regarding claim 5, JP’593 teaches (see Figs 2 and 8) the mask substrate (40) includes a substrate body that defines the substrate opening, wherein the mask intermediate layer (20) includes a body region portion that is located between the mask body layer (30) and the substrate body and a mask layer opening that is formed along the substrate opening in a plan view, and wherein the through-hole extends through the mask body layer.
As to claim 7, JP’593 teaches (see Fig 8) the mask substrate (40) includes a substrate body (51, 91) that defines the substrate opening (41), wherein the mask intermediate layer (20) includes a body region portion that is located between the mask body layer (30A) and the substrate body (51) and an opening region portion that is located in the substrate opening in a plan view, and wherein the through-hole (31) extends through the mask body layer and the opening region portion (see para [0035-0036]).
As to claim 14, JP’593 (see para [0102] and Fig 18B) teaches an alignment mark of the vapor deposition substate and an alignment mark of the deposition of mask, wherein the mask substrate (40) is opposite to the mask layer (30).
Regarding claim 19, JP’593 teaches (see Fig 8) wherein an outer edge of the mask body layer (30) is located inside an outer edge of the mask intermediate layer in a plan view.
As to claim 20, JP’593 teaches (see Fig 14) the mask body layer includes two or more body islands, and wherein a groove that extends through the mask body layer is located between two of the body islands adjacent to each other.
Regarding claim 21, JP’593 teaches (see Fig 16) a framed vapor deposition mask (see para [0061]) comprising: the vapor deposition mask; and a frame that supports the mask substrate of the vapor deposition mask (see Fig 16).
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 7,13-14 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2021161522A.
As to claim 1, JP’522 teaches (see Figs 2, 7, 10, 12 and 14; para [0033-0037], [0045-0046], [0062], [0077-0083]) a vapor deposition mask comprising: a mask substrate (support 40) that contains silicon (see para [0046]); a mask layer (30) that includes a first surface and a second surface that is located opposite the first surface and that faces the mask substrate (see Figs 7 and 10); and a through-hole (openings 31, 32)that extends through the mask layer (30), wherein the mask substrate includes a substrate opening (41), wherein the through-hole (31) is located in the substrate opening (41) in a plan view, wherein the mask layer (30) includes a mask body layer that forms the first surface and a mask intermediate layer (35) that is located between the mask body layer (30) and the mask substrate (40), and wherein the mask body layer contains a resin material.
As to claim 2, in JP’522 (see Fig 10) a thickness of the mask intermediate layer (35) appears to be less than a thickness of the mask body layer (30).
As to claim 4, in JP’522 the resin material of the mask body layer contains polyimide (see para [0042]).
Regarding claim 5, in JP’522 (see Figs 2, 4 and 7) the mask substrate (40) includes a substrate body that defines the substrate opening, wherein the mask intermediate layer (35) includes a body region portion that is located between the mask body layer (30) and the substrate body (51) and a mask layer opening (30b) that is formed along the substrate opening (41) in a plan view, and wherein the through-hole (21, 31) extends through the mask body layer (30).
As to claim 7, in JP’522 (see Figs 2, 4 and 7) the mask substrate (40) includes a substrate body (51) that defines the substrate opening (41), wherein the mask intermediate layer (35) includes a body region portion that is located between the mask body layer and the substrate body (51) and an opening region portion (30b) that is located in the substrate opening (41) in a plan view, and wherein the through-hole (21, 31) extends through the mask body layer and the opening region portion.
Regarding claim 13, the substrate opening (41) has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and wherein curved portions are provided at four corners of a contour of the substrate opening in a plan view (see Fig 9C for curved corner).
Regarding claim 14, JP’522 (see para [0079] and Fig 14B) teaches an alignment mark of the vapor deposition substate and an alignment mark of the deposition of mask, wherein the mask substrate (40) is opposite to the mask layer (30).
Regarding claim 19, in JP’522 an outer edge of the mask body layer is located inside an outer edge of the mask intermediate layer in a plan view (see para [0041]).
As to claim 20, in JP’522 the mask body layer (30) includes two or more body islands, and wherein a groove that extends through the mask body layer is located between two of the body islands adjacent to each other (see Figs 10-11).
Regarding claim 21, JP’522 teaches (see Fig 12) a framed vapor deposition mask (see para [0046]) comprising: the vapor deposition mask (10); and a frame that supports the mask substrate (40) of the vapor deposition mask (10).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claims 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2021181593A or JP 2021161522A in view of WO 2019009050A1 and CN 111128836A.
Both JP’593 (see para [0102] and Fig 18B) and JP’522 (see para [0079] and Fig 14B) teach an alignment mark of the vapor deposition substate and an alignment mark of the deposition of mask, wherein the mask substrate (40) is opposite to the mask layer (30) and the mask substrate (40) includes a substrate body that defines the substrate opening (41) and an inner projecting portion (see Fig 4 where points Pa are) that projects inward from the substrate body in a plan view, but lacks specifically teaching the first alignment mark is located on the inner projecting portion. WO’050 teaches alignment marks (37, see Figs 18-19). CN’836 teaches alignment parks Pm at the peripheral edge portion formed on the mask and (see Figs 8 and 9b) alignment mark (Ps) located on the inner projecting portion; a second alignment mark (Ps) provided at a position nearer than the first alignment mark (Pm) to the through-hole (see Figs 8-9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include alignment mark located on the inner projecting portion in JP’522 and JP’593 to generate offset relative to the base and generate position deviation on a certain direction as the whole mask M as taught by CN’836 (see English Translation on pages 16-17).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: prior art of record does not disclose or suggest a vapor deposition mask comprising, among others, a mask substrate, a mask layer, a through-hole, wherein the mask layer includes a mask body layer that forms the first surface and a mask intermediate layer that is located between the mask body layer and the mask substrate, wherein the mask layer includes two or more of the through-holes, two or more through-hole groups that are formed by the two or more of the through-holes and a mask sash bar that is provided between the through-hole groups adjacent to each other, and wherein the second alignment mark is located on the mask sash bar.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEWEBDAR T TADESSE whose telephone number is (571)272-1238. The examiner can normally be reached 7.00-3:30 PM.
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YEWEBDAR T. TADESSE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717
/YEWEBDAR T TADESSE/
