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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 06/22/2026 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 26 and 28-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng (U.S. PG Pub No US2021/0335861A1) (of record) in view of Yoon (U.S. PG Pub No US2015/0372031A1).
Regarding claim 26, Cheng teaches a method [see figs. 6-20, 0031], comprising:
forming, in a first surface (122) fig. 20 [0016] of a substrate (128) fig. 6 [0032] opposite a second surface (side of 128 coplanar with 130) [0032] along a first (vertical) direction, a first, frustum-shaped (402 cross-section shape that of cone/pyramid with cut-off upper part) plurality of trenches (402) fig. 6 [0032] filled with an insulating material (402) fig. 6 [0032]), each first, frustum-shaped trench (402) having a first end (top) opposite the first surface (122) along the first (vertical) direction, the first end (top) having a first width along a second (horizontal) direction transverse to the first (vertical) direction (see annotated fig. 12 of Cheng below), each first, frustum-shaped trench (402) having a first depth (thickness) from the first end (top of 402) to the first surface (122) along the first (vertical) direction (see annotated fig. 12 of Cheng below);
forming, in the second surface (side of 128 coplanar with 130) [0032] of the substrate (128), a second plurality of trenches (1202) fig. 12 [0038] each extending along the first (vertical) direction to a respective first, frustum-shaped trench (respective, underlying 402) of the first, frustum-shaped plurality of trenches (402), each second trench having a second width along the second (horizontal) direction that is smaller than the first width (see annotated fig. 12 of Cheng below);
widening (1202 widened in fig. 13 by removal of 128’ by cleaning [0039]) each of the second plurality of trenches (1202) to a third width along the second (horizontal) direction that is greater than the first and second widths (see annotated figs. 12-13 of Cheng below); and
(partially) filling each of the second plurality of trenches (1202) with at least one material (112) fig. 16 [0042].
[AltContent: textbox (1st Depth/ thickness)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector][AltContent: rect][AltContent: textbox (2nd Width )][AltContent: textbox (3rd Width )][AltContent: textbox (Claim 26)]
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Annotated fig. 12 (left) and fig. 13 (right) of Cheng
However, Cheng does not clearly disclose the first width being greater than the first depth (402 appears thicker than wide at top; dimensions not explicitly disclosed).
Yoon teaches a method [see title, 0074] the first width (of top of STI 9) fig. 12 [0082] being greater than the first depth (top of 9 to substrate depth) (visually apparent from the pronounced geometry of the wide-STI(s) 9 in fig. 12E of Yoon that the magnitude of the first width is greater than first depth / thickness of 9, as defined in annotated fig. 12E of Yoon below).
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Annotated fig. 12E of Yoon
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the first trench STI’s to have a greater horizontal width [0078-0082] relative to its thickness/depth [0078-0082] in order to expand the STI’s to enhance the degree of horizontal isolation [0052, 0055, 0064] between the circuitries of respective pixels divided by the first trench [0055], as taught by Yoon.
Regarding claim 28, Cheng in view of Yoon teaches the method [see figs. 6-20, 0031] of claim 26. Cheng also teaches wherein the filling each of the second plurality of trenches (1202) fig. 16 [0042] with the at least one material (112) fig. 16 [0042] includes:
forming a passivation layer (114) figs. 14-15 [0040-0041] on a plurality of sidewalls (right/left sidewalls) of each second trench (1202) of the second plurality of trenches (1202) and on an interface between each second trench (bottom of 1202) and the respective first, frustum-shaped trench (top of 402) fig. 14 [0032];
forming a dielectric layer (113) fig. 16 [0042] on the passivation layer (114); and
forming the at least one material (112) fig. 16 [0042] in a central region of each second trench (1202).
Regarding claim 29, Cheng in view of Yoon teaches the method [see figs. 6-20, 0031] of claim 26. Cheng also teaches wherein the substrate (128) fig. 20 [0032] is a single continuous material extending from the first surface (122) fig. 20 [0016] to the second surface (side of 128 coplanar with 130) [0032].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 26 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 and 20-25 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 1 is allowed because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious the claimed limitation(s) “the at least one third trench having a third width at an interface between the at least one third trench and the at least one first trench that is greater than the first width” in the context of claim 1. Claims 2-11 are also allowed by virtue of their dependency on claim 1.
Claim 20 is allowed because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious the claimed limitation(s) “the first wide trench having, at an interface between the first wide trench and the first end of the frustum-shaped trench, a fourth width in the second direction greater than the first width and the third width” in the context of claim 20. Claims 21-25 are also allowed by virtue of their dependency on claim 20.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Newly-added Pyo teaches another example of an image sensor with high aspect ratio STI structures. All references made available on the PTO-892 form(s) (of record) are considered relevant to the present disclosure because they all feature photo-electric devices with trenches.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN AYERS WINTERS whose telephone number is (571)270-3308. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10:30 am - 7:00 pm (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, N. Drew Richards can be reached at (571) 272-1736. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEAN AYERS WINTERS/Examiner, Art Unit 2892 08/07/2026
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