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 .
Respond to argument
Applicant’s argument filed 3/9/26 is persuasive.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giboney (US 6,740,908 B1; hereinafter Giboney) in view of Huang et al. (US 20210013356 A1; hereinafter Huang) in view of Yap (US 10,128,399 B1; hereinafter Yap).
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Giboney (Figs.2B) discloses a photodetector configured to detect light in a particular wavelength range, the photodetector comprising: an absorber region (112/113, fig.2B; col.5, lines 1-20) comprising a quaternary material; and
a collector region (114; Col.5, lines 1-20) comprising a collector material; and
wherein the quaternary material is lattice-matched to the collector material (last lines of col.5, lines 49-65);
Giboney does not particularly disclose that the photodetector is operable at bandwidths of at least 50 GHz and baud rates up to 224 Gbit/s in the particular wavelength range.
Huang ([0016]) discloses in a related art a photodetector structure with an absorber region having a 112 Gbps data rate (PAM4) (same as 224Gbit/s baud rate) with operational bandwidth of approximately 40 GHz (same bandwidth range).
Therefore, it would have been obvious in the art before the effective claimed invention date of the application to have photodetector working in such baud rate and bandwidth to achieve higher speeds and higher sensitivity photodetectors ([0016]).
Giboney and Huang do not particularly disclose that the collector region has collector material that is substantially transparent to the particular wavelength range.
However, it is well known in the art of photodetector to have transparent collector material in order to transmit the incident light to the absorber layer and this is basically how the photodetector work as can also be seen from Yap (abstract; Col.4, lines 45-50).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have transparent collector material to be able to transmit the light to the absorber and therefore function as a photodetector device.
Regarding Claim 2. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Fig.6A-B) discloses comprising an optical window configured for use with a multi-mode optical fiber, wherein the optical window is positioned in front of the absorber region along a detection axis of the photodetector.
Regarding Claim 3. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney ([0049]) discloses some thicknesses of the layers and how the collector (114) is much thicker than the absorber layer (112 or 113); however it does not particularly disclose wherein- the absorber region has an absorber thickness in a direction that is substantially parallel to a detection axis of the photodetector, and wherein the absorber thickness is between 0.1 um and 0.6 um; and the collector region has a collector thickness in the direction that is substantially parallel to the detection axis, and wherein the collector thickness is between 1 um and 3 um.
Giboney discloses the claimed invention except for those specific thicknesses. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have desired thicknesses since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding Claim 4. (Original) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Col.5, lines 49-67, and col.6, lines 5-20) discloses wherein the quaternary material (112/113) is InGaAlAs.
Regarding Claim 5. (Original) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Col.7, lines 45-65) discloses wherein the collector material is InP.
Regarding Claim 6. (Original) The photodetector of claim 5, Giboney (Col.7, lines 45-65) disclose wherein the collector material is intrinsic InP.
Regarding Claim 7. (Original) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Col.7, lines 46-56) discloses wherein the collector region (114) consists essentially of the collector material.
Regarding Claim 9. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Fig.2) discloses wherein the quaternary material (112/113) and the collector material (114) are adjacent to each other along a detection axis.
Regarding Claim 10. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Fig.2) discloses wherein a peripheral layer (112; Col.5, lines 49-67) adjacent the absorber region (113) along a detection axis.
Regarding Claim 11. (Original) The photodetector of claim 10, Giboney (Fig.1-4) discloses wherein the peripheral layer (112) is p-type doped InAlAs (Col.5, lines 49-67).
Regarding Claim 12. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Col.6, lines 5-20) discloses wherein the quaternary material reduces dark current and carrier transport barriers (since Giboney teaches the same material therefore they would have same characteristics).
Regarding Claim 13. (Original) The photodetector of claim 10, Giboney (last lines of col.5, lines 49-65]) discloses wherein the peripheral layer is lattice-matched to the collector material.
Regarding Claim 14. (Original) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney (Col.5, lines 23-47, col.6, lines 23-30, Col.18, lines 36-50) discloses wherein the particular wavelength range is between 940 nanometers and 1150 nanometers (Giboney discloses wavelength range of interest which is any desired wavelength according to the desired material used).
Claim(s) 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giboney in view of Huang in view of Yap further in view of Yoder (US 7161170 B1; hereinafter Yoder).
Regarding Claim 8. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 1, Giboney does not particularly disclose wherein the quaternary material has an absorber conduction band energy, wherein the collector material has a collector conduction band energy, and wherein the absorber conduction band energy and the collector conduction band energy are approximately equal.
Yoder (col.5, lines 40-67) discloses in a related art a photodetector that has an absorber and collector region wherein the collector material has a collector conduction band energy, and wherein the absorber conduction band energy and the collector conduction band energy are approximately equal (Yoder teaches that at least at the border line these two materials are having same conduction band energy).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the absorber layer and collector region having approximately equal conduction band gap to create a single, uniform electronic band structure across the interface, which can enhance carrier transport and improve optoelectronic device performance by creating continuous pathways for electrons and holes.
Claim(s) 15-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giboney in view of Yap (US 10,128, 399 B1; hereinafter Yap).
Regarding Independent Claim 15. Giboney (Figs.1-4) discloses a photodetector configured to detect light in a particular wavelength range, the photodetector comprising: a quaternary material (113) having an absorber thickness in a direction that is substantially parallel to a detection axis of the photodetector;
a collector material (114) adjacent to a first side of the quaternary material (113) along the detection axis, and
wherein each of the collector material and the quaternary material comprises an n-type doped region (col.8, lines 13-35) to achieve uniform electric fields in an active region of the photodetector.
Giboney does not particularly disclose that the collector region has collector material that is substantially transparent to the particular wavelength range.
However, it is well known in the art of photodetector to have transparent collector material in order to transmit the incident light to the absorber layer and this is basically how the photodetector work as can also be seen from Yap (abstract; Col.4, lines 45-50).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have transparent collector material to be able to transmit the light to the absorber and therefore function as a photodetector device.
Regarding Claim 16. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 15, Giboney (Co.6, lines 5-20) discloses wherein the quaternary material is InGaAlAs.
Giboney discloses the claimed invention except for disclosing the amount of Aluminum to be 23%. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have any desired amount of aluminum since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding Claim 17. (Original) The photodetector of claim 15, Giboney (col.6, lines 50-65) disclose wherein the collector material (114) is intrinsic InP.
Regarding Independent Claim 19. (Currently Amended) Giboney (Fig.2B) disclose a photodetector configured to detect light in a particular wavelength range, the photodetector comprising: a collector material (114), wherein the collector material has a collector (114) thickness in a direction that is substantially parallel to a detection axis of the photodetector; and
a quaternary material (113) having an absorber thickness in the direction that is substantially parallel to the detection axis, wherein the quaternary material (113) is lattice-matched (last lines of col.5, lines 49-65) to the collector material (114), and wherein the collector thickness (114) is greater than the absorber thickness (113); and wherein each of the collector material (114) and the quaternary material (113) comprises an n-type doped region (col.8, lines 13-35) to achieve uniform electric fields in an active region of the photodetector.
Giboney does not particularly disclose that the collector region has collector material that is substantially transparent to the particular wavelength range.
However, it is well known in the art of photodetector to have transparent collector material in order to transmit the incident light to the absorber layer and this is basically how the photodetector work as can also be seen from Yap (abstract; Col.4, lines 45-50).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have transparent collector material to be able to transmit the light to the absorber and therefore function as a photodetector device.
Regarding Claim 20. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 19, Giboney discloses the claimed invention except for disclosing wherein the n-type doped region is doped at a density of less than about 3 x 1014 atoms/cm3.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have any desired amount of aluminum since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giboney in view of Yap further in view of Yoder (US 7161170 B1; hereinafter Yoder)
Regarding Claim 18. (Currently Amended) The photodetector of claim 15, Giboney does not particularly disclose wherein the quaternary material has an absorber conduction band energy, wherein the collector material has a collector conduction band energy, and wherein the absorber conduction band energy and the collector conduction band energy are approximately equal.
Yoder (col.5, lines 40-67) discloses in a related art a photodetector that has an absorber and collector region wherein the collector material has a collector conduction band energy, and wherein the absorber conduction band energy and the collector conduction band energy are approximately equal (Yoder teaches that at least at the border line these two materials are having same conduction band energy).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the absorber layer and collector region having approximately equal conduction band gap to create a single, uniform electronic band structure across the interface, which can enhance carrier transport and improve optoelectronic device performance by creating continuous pathways for electrons and holes.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAJAR KOLAHDOUZAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5842.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached on (571)270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAJAR KOLAHDOUZAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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