DETAILED ACTION
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Na (US 2017/0062508).
Regarding Claim 1, Na discloses a time of flight sensor [Fig 9; 0090], comprising: at least one pixel, comprising: an epitaxially-grown germanium-based photosensitive structure comprising an upper portion and a trunk portion [#908, #910, #912 of Fig 9; 0081], a Si based silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure [#902-#906, #916, #920, #928-#936 of Fig 9; 0080-82]- a dielectric material layer arranged at least between the upper portion of the epitaxially-grown germanium-based photosensitive structure and the silicon- based photocurrent collecting structure, wherein the trunk portion of the epitaxially-grown germanium-based photosensitive structure is arranged within an aperture in the dielectric material layer [#906, #910, #942 of Fig 9; 0080-83];and at least one n-contact configured to collect electrons of a photocurrent and at least one p-contact configured to collect holes of the photocurrent, wherein the at least one n-contact and the at least one p-contact are arranged in the silicon- based photocurrent collecting structure [#916, #936 of Fig 9; 0080-84].
Regarding Claim 11, Na discloses a method for fabricating a time of flight sensor comprising at least one pixel, the method comprising: providing a silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure [#908, #910, #912 of Fig 9; 0081]; arranging a dielectric material layer on the silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure [#906, #910, #942 of Fig 9; 0080-83]; fabricating an aperture within the dielectric material layer; epitaxially growing a germanium-based photosensitive structure on the silicon- based photocurrent collecting structure, starting in the aperture [#906, #910, #942 of Fig 9; 0080-83]; wherein the germanium-based photosensitive structure comprises an upper portion and a trunk portion, wherein the trunk portion is arranged within the aperture and the upper portion is arranged above the dielectric material layer [#916, #936 of Fig 9; 0080-84]; and fabricating in the silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure at least one n-contact configured to collect electrons of a photocurrent and at least one p-contact configured to collect holes of the photocurrent [#916, #936 of Fig 9; 0080-84].
Regarding Claim 2, Na also discloses wherein the epitaxially- grown germanium-based photosensitive structure of the at least one pixel comprises a single trunk portion in the form of the said trunk portion [#908, #910, #912 of Fig 9; 0080-82; 0084].
Regarding Claim 3, Na also discloses wherein the epitaxially- grown germanium-based photosensitive structure comprises a second trunk portion arranged within a second aperture in the dielectric material layer [#908, #910, #912, #942 of Fig 9; 0080-82; 0084].
Regarding Claim 4, Na also discloses wherein a p-n junction within the silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure is arranged vertically below the trunk portion of the epitaxially-grown germanium-based photosensitive structure [#908, #910, #912 of Fig 9; 0080-82; 0084].
Regarding Claims 5 and 13, Na also discloses wherein the at least one pixel comprises a first n-contact, and a second n-contact, and a first demodulation gate, and a second demodulation gate, wherein the first and the second demodulation gates are configured to direct the electrons of the photocurrent to either the first n- contact or the second n-contact [Fig 9, 11; 0015; 0083; 0090]
Regarding Claims 6 and 14, Na also discloses wherein the at least one pixel comprises a first p-contact,and a second p-contact, and a third demodulation gate, and a fourth demodulation gate, wherein the third and the fourth demodulation gates are configured to direct the holes of the photocurrent to either the first-contact or the second p-contact [Fig 9, 11; 0015; 0083; 0090].
Regarding Claim 7, Na also discloses wherein the silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure includes an n-doped region configured to conduct the electrons of the photocurrent to the at least one n-contact and a p- doped region configured to conduct the holes of the photocurrent to the at least one p-contact, wherein the n-doped region and the p-doped region are both in contact with the epitaxially- grown germanium-based photosensitive structure [#902-#906, #916, #920, #928-#936 of Fig 9, 11; 0015; 0080-83; 0090].
Regarding Claim 8, Na also discloses wherein the n-doped region and the p-doped region are laterally juxtaposed [Fig 9, 11; 0015; 0080-83; 0090].
Regarding Claim 9, Na also discloses wherein a first one of the n-doped region and the p-doped region laterally surrounds the second one of the n- doped region and the p-doped region [Fig 9; 0080-82; 0084]
Regarding Claim 10, Na also discloses wherein the trunk portion has an aspect ratio in the range of 1:1 to 1:10 [#908, #910, #912, #942 of Fig 9; Fig 11; 0080-82; 0084].
Regarding Claim 12, Na also discloses: doping a first portion of the silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure to fabricate an n-doped region configured to conduct the electrons of the photocurrent to the at least one n- contact-i and doping a second portion of the silicon-based photocurrent collecting structure to fabricate a p-doped region configured to conduct the holes of the photocurrent to the at least one p- contact [#902-#906, #916, #920, #928-#936 of Fig 9, 11; 0015; 0080-83; 0090].
Regarding Claim 15, Na also discloses providing evaluation circuitry configured to use both the electrons and the holes of the photocurrent collected by the at least one n-contact and the at least one p-contact to measure a signal [Fig 9; Fig 11; 0080-82; 0084; 0090]
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R HULKA whose telephone number is (571)270-7553. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9am-6pm, F: 10am-2pm.
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JAMES R. HULKA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3645
/JAMES R HULKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645