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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/23/2026 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Claim Amendments
Acknowledgment of receiving amendments to the claims, which were received by the Office on 01/23/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/23/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In that remarks, applicant argues in substance:
Applicant argues: “Applicant notes with appreciation the Examiner's indication that claims 15 and 17 are allowed. In the amendments set forth herein, dependent claims 2-10, 13, and 14 have been rewritten to depend from allowable claim 15. New claims 18-23 are based on claims 2, 4-10, 13, and 14, and depend from allowable claim 17. No new matter has been added by the amended and new claims. Accordingly, it is submitted that all of the pending claims are in condition for allowance.”
Examiner’s Response: Examiner respectfully disagrees. Claims 15 and 17 previously recited “wherein the fifth color filter is provided on the light-receiving surface of a second photoelectric conversion element included in a charge storage region closest to a first photoelectric conversion element provided with the fourth color filter on the light- receiving surface.”
Applicant has amended claims 15 and 17 to recite “wherein the fifth color filter is provided on the light-receiving surface of a respective second photoelectric conversion element included in a charge storage region closest to the respective first photoelectric conversion element provided with the third color filter on the light-receiving surface.”
The amendments have changed the scope of the claims and are no longer seen as allowable.
Election/Restrictions
Claim 2 and new claim 18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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.
Claim(s) 4, 6, 8, 14-15, 17, 19, 21 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asazuma et al. (JP 2017163010 A, Translation previously provided) in view of Tanaka (US 2011/0140182 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Asazuma et al. (hereafter referred as Asazuma) teaches an electronic device (Asazuma, Fig. 1) comprising:
a pixel array unit in which a plurality of unit pixels is arranged in row and column directions (Asazuma, Figs. 1, 5 and 9, Pixel array unit 11, Page 3, Lines 27-30);
a drive circuit that drives a read target unit pixel in the plurality of unit pixels (Asazuma, Fig. 1, vertical drive unit 12, Page 3, Lines 35-38);
a processing circuit that reads a pixel signal from the read target unit pixel driven by the drive circuit (Asazuma, Fig. 1, column processing unit 13 and signal processing unit 18, Page 3, Lines 52-55 and 61-62); and
a control unit that controls the drive circuit and the processing circuit (Asazuma, Fig. 1, system control unit 15, Page 3, Lines 59-60),
wherein the pixel array unit (Asazuma, Figs. 1, 5 and 9) includes:
a plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a two- dimensional lattice, the plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements each having a first sensitivity (Asazuma, Figs. 5 and 9, first photoelectric conversion unit 101, Page 5, Lines 40-43, Page 6, lines 55-56, Page 7, Lines 1-2);
a plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements arranged in the two- dimensional lattice, the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements each having a second sensitivity lower than the first sensitivity and arranged at a corresponding one of spaces between the plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements (Asazuma, Figs. 5 and 9, second photoelectric conversion unit 102, Page 5, Lines 40-43, Page 6, lines 55-56, Page 7, Lines 1-2)
a plurality of charge storage regions each connected to and storing charge generated by a corresponding one of the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements (Asazuma, Fig. 5, charge storage unit 111, Page 5, Lines 27-31);
a plurality of first color filters provided on a one-to-one basis for a light-receiving surface of each of the plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements (Asazuma, Fig. 9, color filter 201-1-1 to 201-1-4, Page 5, Lines 40-43, Page 6, lines 55-59, Page 7, Lines 1-2); and
a plurality of second color filters provided on a one-to-one basis for a light- receiving surface of each of the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements (Asazuma, Fig. 9, color filter 201-2-1 to 201-2-4, Page 5, Lines 40-43, Page 6, lines 55-59, Page 7, Lines 1-2),
wherein the plurality of first color filters includes a third color filter that transmits a first wavelength component (Asazuma, Fig. 9, color filter 201-1-3, The first wavelength component is red.) and a fourth color filter that transmits a second wavelength component different from the first wavelength component (Asazuma, Fig. 9, color filter 201-1-2, The second wavelength component is blue.),
wherein the plurality of second color filters includes a fifth color filter that transmits a third wavelength component (Asazuma, Fig. 9, color filter 201-2-4, The third wavelength component is green.) and a sixth color filter that transmits a fourth wavelength component different from the third wavelength component (Asazuma, Fig. 9, color filter 201-2-2 or 201-2-3, The fourth wavelength component is blue or red.), and
wherein the fifth color filter is provided on the light-receiving surface of a respective second photoelectric conversion element included in a charge storage region closest to the respective first photoelectric conversion element provided with the third color filter on the light-receiving surface (Asazuma, Figs. 5 and 9, Fifth color filter 201-2-4 (green) adjacent to third color filter 201-1-3 (red) is the color filter of a respective second photoelectric conversion element included in a charge storage region closest to a respective first photoelectric conversion element.).
However, Asazuma does not explicitly state wherein an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each first photoelectric conversion element provided with the third color filter where white light having a broad light intensity in a visible light region is incident is greater than an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each first photoelectric conversion element provided with the fourth color filter where the white light is incident, and wherein an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each second photoelectric conversion element provided with the fifth color filter where the white light is incident is greater than an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each second photoelectric conversion element provided with the sixth color filter where the white light is incident.
In reference to Tanaka, Tanaka teaches an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by a photoelectric conversion element provided with a green color filter where white light having a broad light intensity in a visible light region is incident is greater than an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by a photoelectric conversion element provided with a red color filter where the white light is incident; and an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by a photoelectric conversion element provided with a red color filter where white light having a broad light intensity in a visible light region is incident is greater than an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by a photoelectric conversion element provided with a blue color filter where the white light is incident (Takada, Paragraphs 0043-0045, “G pixels are saturated first, R pixels are saturated next, and B pixels are saturated last”).
These arts are analogous since they are both related to imaging devices with high and low sensitivity pixels. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to combine the invention of Asazuma with the explicit teaching that green color filters have a higher sensitivity than red or blue color filters and red color filters have a higher sensitivity than blue color filters as seen in Tanaka since it is a known property of RGB color filters and would provide similar and expected results. That is, no modification is made is made to Asazuma. Tanaka is referenced for the known properties of RGB color filters. Further, the limitations “wherein an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each first photoelectric conversion element provided with the third color filter where white light having a broad light intensity in a visible light region is incident is greater than an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each first photoelectric conversion element provided with the fourth color filter where the white light is incident, and wherein an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each second photoelectric conversion element provided with the fifth color filter where the white light is incident is greater than an amount of charge generated, per unit time, by each second photoelectric conversion element provided with the sixth color filter where the white light is incident” would be met since the third color filter is red, the fourth color filter is blue, the fifth color filter is green and the sixth color filter may be red or blue.
Claim 15 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 17.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the solid-state imaging device according to claim 15 (see claim 15 analysis), further comprising:
a floating diffusion region that stores charge (Asazuma, Fig. 4, floating diffusion (FD) unit 107, Page 5, Lines 8-9);
a first transfer gate that transfers charge generated in each of the plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements to the floating diffusion region (Asazuma, Fig. 4, first transfer transistor 103, Page 4, Lines 31-32);
a second transfer gate that transfers charge stored in each of the plurality of charge storage regions to the floating diffusion region (Asazuma, Fig. 4, third transfer transistor 105, Page 4, Lines 35-37);
an amplification gate that generates, on a signal line (Asazuma, Fig. 4, vertical signal lines 17), a voltage signal having a voltage value corresponding to an amount of charge stored in the floating diffusion region (Asazuma, Fig. 4, amplifier transistor 109, Page 4, Lines 10-12);
a selection gate that controls connection between the amplification gate and the signal line (Asazuma, Fig. 4, selection transistor 110. Page 4, Lines 13-15); and
a reset gate that controls discharge of charge stored in the floating diffusion region (Asazuma, Fig. 4, reset transistor 108, Page 4, Lines 1-3).
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the electronic device according to claim 17 (see claim 17 analysis), wherein each of the plurality of charge storage regions includes a charge storage part that stores charge generated by the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements (Asazuma, Fig. 4, charge storage unit 111, Page 5, Lines 27-31), and a node that connects each of the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements and a respective charge storage part to each other (Asazuma, Fig. 4, node 113).
Claim 4 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 17.
Regarding claim 21, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the electronic device according to claim 17 (see claim 17 analysis), wherein the light-receiving surface of each of the plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements has a first area, and the light-receiving surface of each of the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements has a second area smaller than the first area (Asazuma, Figs. 5 and 9, Page 5, Lines 19-21).
Claim 6 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 21.
Regarding claim 23, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the electronic device according to claim 17 (see claim 17 analysis), wherein the plurality of first color filters is arranged in accordance with one of a Bayer array (Asazuma, Fig. 9, Page 6, lines 55-56, The green color filters are arranged in accordance with a Bayer array), an X- Trans (registered trademark) type array, a quad Bayer array, or a white RGB type array.
Claim 8 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 23.
Claim(s) 5 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asazuma et al. (JP 2017163010 A, Translation previously provided) in view of Tanaka (US 2011/0140182 A1) in view of Yamashita (US 2014/0151531 A1).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the electronic device according to claim 19 (see claim 19 analysis), wherein the charge storage part has structure including as a charge storage layer a polysilicon electrode (Asazuma, Page 4, Lines 54-56).
However, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka does not teach the polysilicon electrode is formed on a second surface that is an opposite side from a first surface of a semiconductor substrate on which the first and second photoelectric conversion elements are formed on the first surface's side.
In reference to Yamashita, Yamashita teaches polysilicon electrode is formed on a second surface that is an opposite side from a first surface of a semiconductor substrate (Yamashita, Figs. 9-10, semiconductor region 131) on which a photoelectric conversion element is formed on the first surface's side (Yamashita, Figs. 9-10, Paragraphs 0082 and 0137-0138).
These arts are analogous since they are all related to imaging devices with charge storage units. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka with the teaching of providing the charge storage unit on an opposite side the photoelectric conversion elements as seen in Yamashita since it is a known placement for a charge storage unit and would provide similar and expected results as a placement for the charge storage unit and allow the electrode to be formed along with other pixel elements (e.g. transistors).
Claim 5 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 20.
Claim(s) 7 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asazuma et al. (JP 2017163010 A, Translation previously provided) in view of Tanaka (US 2011/0140182 A1) in view of Awatani (US 2014/0022401 A1) in further view of Inoue et al. (US 2008/0029788 A1).
Regarding claim 22, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the electronic device according to claim 17 (see claim 17 analysis). However, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka does not teach wherein each of the plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements includes a region in which a predetermined impurity is diffused at a first concentration, and each of the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements includes a region in which the predetermined impurity is diffused at a second concentration lower than the first concentration.
In reference to Awatani, Awatani teaches wherein first photoelectric conversion elements of a first sensitivity includes a region in which a predetermined impurity is diffused at a first concentration, and second photoelectric conversion elements of a second sensitivity includes a region in which the predetermined impurity is diffused at a second concentration (Awatani, Paragraph 0091, “To make the pixels different in sensitivity… the impurity densities of substrates of the photodiodes may made different”.).
These arts are analogous since they are all related to imaging devices with different pixel sensitivities. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka with the method of using different impurity densities for different pixel sensitivities as seen in Awatani.
"A person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success, it is likely the product not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense" KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. _, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill, when pursuing the known options within his or her technical grasp (See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. _, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007)), to have modified the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka with the method of using different impurity densities for different pixel sensitivities as seen in Awatani since it is a known alternative for producing photodiodes with different sensitivities (Awatani, Paragraph 0091) and would provide similar and expected results of producing a high sensitivity photodiode and a low sensitivity photodiode.
However, the combination of Asazuma, Tanaka and Awatani does not explicitly state the second photoelectric conversion elements have an impurity that’s is diffused at a second concentration lower than the first concentration.
In reference to Inoue et al. (hereafter referred as Inoue), Inoue teaches a photoelectric conversion element includes a region in which the predetermined impurity is diffused (Inoue, Fig. 4, diffusion region N1), and a lower impurity concentration of the region produces a lower sensitivity (Inoue, Paragraph 0051).
These arts are analogous since they are all related to imaging devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the combination of Asazuma, Tanaka and Awatani with the explicit teaching that a lower impurity concentration reduces the sensitivity of the photodiodes as seen in Inoue to create low sensitivity pixels.
Claim 7 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 22.
Claim(s) 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asazuma et al. (JP 2017163010 A, Translation previously provided) in view of Saito (US 2007/0035645 A1) in view of Tanaka (US 2011/0140182 A1) in further view of Motta (US 2011/0228097 A1).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the solid-state imaging device according to claim 15 (see claim 15 analysis). However, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka does not teach wherein the plurality of first color filters includes a color filter that has a broad light transmission characteristic for visible light and transmits less than or equal to 80 percent (%) of visible light.
In reference to Saito, Saito teaches wherein the plurality of first color filters includes a color filter that has a broad light transmission characteristic for visible light (Saito, Fig. 1 and 2, Paragraphs 0039-0041) and transmits less than 100 percent (%) of visible light (Saito, Paragraphs 0044-0049).
These arts are analogous since they are both related to imaging devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka with the gray color filters as seen in Saito so that the sense of resolution can be prevented from being unbalanced among colors and outline emphasis can be applied to achieve an excellent image (Saito, Paragraph 0016-0018).
However, the combination of Asazuma, Takada and Saito does not explicitly state the color filter transmits less than or equal to 80 percent (%) of visible light. Examiner notes that while Figure 2 of Saito appears to disclose the color filter transmits less than or equal to 80 percent (%) of visible light (Sato, Fig. 2, Gray(2) and Gray(3)) it is not explicitly stated.
In reference to Motta, Motta teaches a gray color filter transmits less than or equal to 80 percent (%) of visible light (Motta, Paragraphs 0046 and claim 7).
These arts are analogous since they are all related to imaging devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the combination of Asazuma, Takada and Saito with the explicit teaching of a gray color filter transmitting less than or equal to 80 percent (%) of visible light as seen in Motta since it is a known transmittance value for a gray color filter and would produce similar and expected results for reducing the amount of visible light to the pixel.
Claim 9 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 10.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asazuma et al. (JP 2017163010 A, Translation previously provided) in view of Tanaka (US 2011/0140182 A1) in view of Wang (US 2016/0099272 A1).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka teaches the solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 analysis). However, the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka does not teach wherein the plurality of first color filters includes a color filter that transmits infrared light.
In reference to Wang, Wang teaches the plurality of first color filters includes a color filter that transmits infrared light (Wang, Fig. 2, Paragraph 0021).
These arts are analogous since they are both related to imaging devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the combination of Asazuma and Tanaka with the IR filter as seen in Wang to allow the device to capture IR images and be used as a distance measurement device (Wang, Paragraphs 0008).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WESLEY JASON CHIU whose telephone number is (571)270-1312. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 8am-4pm.
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/WESLEY J CHIU/ Examiner, Art Unit 2639
/TWYLER L HASKINS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2639