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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 10/18/24 and 6/17/25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-7 and 10-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al., US 2023/020735.
Regarding claim 1, Choi teaches (at least in Figure 3) a display device, comprising: a substrate (SUB) including a display area including a plurality of pixels (see Figure 2), and a non-display area surrounding the display area (id); a protruding pattern (OC_P) disposed on the substrate and located at a boundary of adjacent pixels (see Figures 2 and 3); an anode electrode (PXL) disposed on each of the pixels on the substrate; a bank disposed (BA) on the anode electrode and exposing the protruding pattern (see Figure 3); and an organic layer (EL) disposed on the anode electrode and the bank, wherein the organic layer is discontinuous at the boundary of the pixels (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 2, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the organic layer (EL) is separated by the protruding pattern (OC_P) at the boundary of the pixels (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 3, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the bank (BA) partially exposes an upper surface of the anode electrode (PXL) and includes a through hole at the boundary of the pixels (CA), and the through hole overlaps the protruding pattern (OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 4, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 3 and further teaches the organic layer (EL) covers an upper and side surfaces of the bank (BA) and is does not cover end portion of the protruding pattern (OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 5, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the organic layer (EL) is further disposed on an upper surface of the protruding pattern (OC_P; see Figure 3), and the organic layer (EL) disposed on the upper surface of the protruding pattern (OC_P) and the organic layer not disposed on the end portion of the protruding pattern (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 6, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 3 and further teaches a first passivation layer (PAS_P) between the substrate (SUB) and the protruding pattern (OC_P), wherein at the boundary of the pixels, a second thickness of the first passivation layer overlapping the protruding pattern is greater than a first thickness of the first passivation layer not overlapping the protruding pattern (passivation layer PAS_P goes to zero thickness in an area not overlapping the protruding pattern OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 7, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 6 and further teaches a width of the first passivation layer (PAS_P) having the second thickness is smaller than a width of the protruding pattern (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 10, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the pixel includes an emission area (corresponding to ED), and a non-emission area (A, between pixels), and the protruding pattern is disposed in the non-emission area (OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 11, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a cathode electrode (COM) on the organic layer (EL), wherein the cathode electrode is in direct contact with a side surface of the protruding pattern (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 12, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a portion of the organic layer (EL) is disposed on the protruding pattern (OC_P), and the remaining portion of the organic layer not disposed on the protruding pattern is separated physically from the portion disposed on the protruding pattern (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 13, Choi teaches a display device (see Figures 2 and 3 and [0076]), comprising: a substrate (SUB) including a display area including a plurality of pixels (see Figure 2), and a pad area ([0062]) near the display area; a first conductive layer including a data line and a light blocking layer on the substrate ([0066]); a semiconductor layer overlapping the light blocking layer on the first conductive layer ([0076]); a gate insulating layer on the semiconductor layer ([0076]); a second conductive layer including a first pad electrode disposed in the pad region on the gate insulating layer ([0076]), a gate electrode overlapping a channel area of the semiconductor layer ([0076]), a source electrode connected to a source area of the semiconductor layer ([0082]), and a drain electrode connected to a drain area of the semiconductor layer ([0082]); a first passivation layer ([0076]) disposed on the second conductive layer; a third conductive layer ([0082]) disposed on the first passivation layer and including a second pad electrode disposed on the first pad electrode in the pad area (see Figure 3) and a protruding pattern (OC_P) located at a boundary of the pixels; and an organic layer (EL), wherein the organic layer is discontinuous at the boundary of the pixels by the protruding pattern (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 14, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 13 and further teaches the organic layer (EL) is separated by the protruding pattern (OC_P) at the boundary of the pixels (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 15, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 13 and further teaches an anode electrode (PXL) disposed on the third conductive layer and in each of the pixels; and a bank (BA) disposed on the anode electrode and exposing the protruding pattern (OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 16, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 13 and further teaches the organic layer (EL) is disposed on the anode electrode and the bank (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 17, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 13 and further teaches the bank (BA) partially exposes an upper surface of the anode electrode (PXL) and includes a through hole at the boundary of the pixels (CA), and the through hole overlaps the protruding pattern (OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 18, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 16 and further teaches the organic layer (EL) covers an upper and side surfaces of the bank (BA) and is does not cover end portion of the protruding pattern (OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 19, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 13 and further teaches the organic layer (EL) is further disposed on an upper surface of the protruding pattern (OC_P; see Figure 3), and the organic layer (EL) disposed on the upper surface of the protruding pattern (OC_P) and the organic layer not disposed on the end portion of the protruding pattern (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 20, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 19 and further teaches a first passivation layer (PAS_P) between the substrate (SUB) and the protruding pattern (OC_P), wherein at the boundary of the pixels, a second thickness of the first passivation layer overlapping the protruding pattern is greater than a first thickness of the first passivation layer not overlapping the protruding pattern (passivation layer PAS_P goes to zero thickness in an area not overlapping the protruding pattern OC_P; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 21, Choi teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 20 and further teaches a width of the first passivation layer (PAS_P) having the second thickness is smaller than a width of the protruding pattern (see Figure 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 9 and 22 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to teach or suggest the surface roughness of the passivation layer is greater in the region not underneath the protrusion than in the region underneath the protrusion. The prior art also fails to teach or suggest a passivation layer between the anode and the protrusion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kim et al., US 2023/0292550 teaches a display comprising protrusions between pixels, but fails to teach a passivation layer below the protrusion having a surface roughness different from the surface roughness of a passivation layer between the anode and the protrusion.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY-ELLEN BOWMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday; 7:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MARY ELLEN BOWMAN
Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/MARY ELLEN BOWMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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