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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, claims 1-16 in the reply filed on February 2, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 17-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on February 2, 2026.
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 1-2, 6-11, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagano et al. (US 20140327100 A1) herein after “Nagano”.
Regarding claim 1, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses an imaging device (Fig. 2, light detection device, ¶ [0038]) comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 2, semiconductor substrate 1N, glass substrate 30, ¶ [0065]);
a pixel circuit (Fig. 2, electrode E3, signal lines TL, ¶ [0069]) provided on the substrate (1N, 30);
a through silicon via (Fig. 2, through-hole electrodes TE, ¶ [0050]) that penetrates the substrate (1N, 30) and is electrically connected to the pixel circuit (Fig. 2, “The through-hole electrode TE has one end connected to the electrode E3”, ¶ [0051]); and
a passivation film (Fig. 2, passivation films PF, ¶ [0064]) that covers the through silicon via (TE), wherein the passivation film (PF) contains at least silicon (“The passivation films PF are comprised, for example, of SiN”, ¶ [0064]).
Regarding claim 2, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 1 as applied above, and further discloses wherein the passivation film (PF) contains silicon oxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (SiN), or silicon carbonitride (SiCN) (“The passivation films PF are comprised, for example, of SiN”, ¶ [0064]).
Regarding claim 6, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 1 as applied above, and further discloses wherein the substrate (1N, 30) includes a first substrate (30) and a second substrate (1N) stacked on the first substrate (30), the pixel circuit (TL, E3) is provided on the first substrate (30), and
the through silicon via (TE) is provided on the second substrate (1N).
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 6 as applied above, and further discloses wherein the through silicon via (TE) has a recessed shape recessed toward the first substrate (30).
Regarding claim 8, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 7 as applied above, and further discloses wherein the through silicon via (TE) has a tapered shape in which an opening diameter of the recessed shape is narrower than a bottom width of the recessed shape.
Regarding claim 9, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 6 as applied above, and further discloses comprising:
a connection terminal (Fig. 2, UBM (Under Bump Metal) 40, ¶ [0062]) that protrudes from the second substrate (1N) and is electrically connected to the through silicon via (TE), wherein the passivation film (PF) covers a side surface of the connection terminal (40).
Regarding claim 10, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses an imaging device (Fig. 2, light detection device, ¶ [0038]) comprising:
a substrate (1N, 30);
a pixel circuit (TL, E3) provided on the substrate (1N, 30);
a connection terminal (40) that protrudes from the substrate (1N, 30); and
a passivation film (PF) that covers a side surface of the connection terminal (40), wherein the passivation film (PF) contains at least silicon (“The passivation films PF are comprised, for example, of SiN”, ¶ [0064]).
Regarding claim 11, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 10 as applied above, and further discloses wherein the passivation film (PF) contains silicon oxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (SiN), or silicon carbonitride (SiCN) (“The passivation films PF are comprised, for example, of SiN”, ¶ [0064]).
Regarding claim 15, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 10 as applied above, and further discloses wherein the substrate (1N, 30) includes a first substrate (30) and a second substrate (1N) stacked on the first substrate (30), the pixel circuit (TL, E3) is provided on the first substrate (30), and
the connection terminal (40) is provided on the second substrate (1N).
regarding claim 16, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 15 as applied above, and further discloses wherein the connection terminal (40) includes a recess, and a solder ball (Fig. 2, bump electrodes BE are comprised, for example, of solder, ¶ [0062]) is welded to the recess.
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.
Claims 3-4, and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagano (US 20140327100 A1) in view of Mitsuhashi et al. (US 20130020468 A1) herein after “Mitsuhashi”.
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 1 as applied above, but Nagano fails to disclose wherein the passivation film contains a porous low-k material.
In the similar field of endeavor of imaging devices, Mitsuhashi discloses wherein the passivation film contains a porous low-k material (“said passivation film is formed by forming an insulating film of one of… SiOC, or SiOF”, claim 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filling date of the invention to modify the passivation layer of Nagano with the materials as disclosed by Mitsuhashi, to improve device reliability (see Mitsuhashi, ¶ [0363]) and/or because the use of conventional materials to perform their known function is prima-facie obvious (MPEP 2144.07).
Regarding claim 4, Nagano and Mitsuhashi together disclose the imaging device according to claim 3 as applied above, but Nagano fails to disclose wherein the porous low-k material is fluorine-doped silicon oxide (SiOF) or carbon-doped silicon oxide (SiOC).
In the similar field of endeavor of imaging devices, Mitsuhashi discloses wherein the porous low-k material is fluorine-doped silicon oxide (SiOF) or carbon-doped silicon oxide (SiOC) (“said passivation film is formed by forming an insulating film of one of… SiOC, or SiOF”, claim 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filling date of the invention to modify the passivation layer of Nagano with the materials as disclosed by Mitsuhashi, to improve device reliability (see Mitsuhashi, ¶ [0363]) and/or because the use of conventional materials to perform their known function is prima-facie obvious (MPEP 2144.07).
Regarding claim 12, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 10 as applied above, but Nagano fails to disclose wherein the passivation film contains a porous low-k material.
In the similar field of endeavor of imaging devices, Mitsuhashi discloses wherein the passivation film contains a porous low-k material (“said passivation film is formed by forming an insulating film of one of… SiOC, or SiOF”, claim 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filling date of the invention to modify the passivation layer of Nagano with the materials as disclosed by Mitsuhashi, to improve device reliability (see Mitsuhashi, ¶ [0363]) and/or because the use of conventional materials to perform their known function is prima-facie obvious (MPEP 2144.07).
Regarding claim 13, Nagano and Mitsuhashi together disclose the imaging device according to claim 12 as applied above, but Nagano fails to disclose wherein the porous low-k material is fluorine-doped silicon oxide (SiOF) or carbon-doped silicon oxide (SiOC).
In the similar field of endeavor of imaging devices, Mitsuhashi discloses wherein the porous low-k material is fluorine-doped silicon oxide (SiOF) or carbon-doped silicon oxide (SiOC) (“said passivation film is formed by forming an insulating film of one of… SiOC, or SiOF”, claim 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filling date of the invention to modify the passivation layer of Nagano with the materials as disclosed by Mitsuhashi, to improve device reliability (see Mitsuhashi, ¶ [0363]) and/or because the use of conventional materials to perform their known function is prima-facie obvious (MPEP 2144.07).
Claims 5 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagano (US 20140327100 A1) in view of Tomiyasu et al. (US 20170236856 A1) herein after “Tomiyasu”.
Regarding claim 5, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 1 as applied above, but Nagano fails to disclose wherein a thickness of the passivation film is 30 nm to 50 nm.
In the similar field of endeavor of imaging devices, Tomiyasu discloses wherein a thickness of the passivation film is 30 nm to 50 nm (“The first passivation film 42 is typically 10 to 400 nm thick”, ¶ [0059]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filling date of the invention to modify the passivation layer of Nagano with the thickness as disclosed by Tomiyasu, to reduce capacitance and optimize production yield (see Tomiyasu, ¶ [0007-0009]).
Regarding claim 14, Fig. 2 of Nagano discloses the imaging device according to claim 10 as applied above, but Nagano fails to disclose wherein a thickness of the passivation film is 30 nm to 50 nm.
In the similar field of endeavor of imaging devices, Tomiyasu discloses wherein a thickness of the passivation film is 30 nm to 50 nm (“The first passivation film 42 is typically 10 to 400 nm thick”, ¶ [0059]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filling date of the invention to modify the passivation layer of Nagano with the thickness as disclosed by Tomiyasu, to reduce capacitance and optimize production yield (see Tomiyasu, ¶ [0007-0009]).
Conclusion
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/C.A.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/YARA B GREEN/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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