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 Species IV: claims 1-2, 6-7, 10 and 13, and method claims 15 and 16, are readable on the elected Species with at least claim 1 generic to the elected specie in the “Response to Election / Restrict. ion Filed - 03/09/2026”, is acknowledged.
However, method claims 15-16 as ‘identified as spices V by Figs 28-30 and fifth embodiment’ do not read on “the species IV identified by Fig 27 and fourth embodiment covering device claims” as described in “Requirement for Restriction/Election - 01/14/2026”. It was suggested that ‘ the method claim must be decoupled from the parent device claims’, which were not done by applicant, as well. Moreover, "The searches for the device and process inventions are not co-extensive and are distinct for product and process in the distinct area of examination”.
The requirement is still deemed proper , and is therefore made FINAL, and thus the election (see MPEP § 818.03(b)) remains an election without traverse.
In view of the above, this office action considers claims 1-18 are thus pending for prosecution, of which, non-elected claims 3-5, 8-9, 11-12 and 14-18 are withdrawn, and elected claims 1-2, 6-7, 10 and 13 are examined on their merits.
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.
Notes: when present, semicolon separated fields within the parenthesis (; ;) represent, for example, as (2; Fig 10; [0128]) = (element 2 Figure No. 10; Paragraph No. [0128). For brevity, the texts “Element”, “Figure No.” and “Paragraph No.” shall be excluded, though; additional clarification notes may be added within each field. The number of fields may be fewer or more than three indicated above. The primary reference citation may not be preceded by the inventor tag, wherein the other reference citation will carry inventor tag. These conventions are used throughout this document.
Claims 1-2, 6-7, 10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Vilain, Michel (US 20020175284 A1) hereinafter Vilain.
Regarding Claim 1. Vilain teaches a semiconductor sensor (radiation detector ([0034]) comprising microbolometer 2; Fig 10; [0128]’ first cited in Figs 1a-1b; [0083-84]) comprising (see the entire document, Fig 10, along with, and any disclosure related to the implementations, specifically, as cited below):
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Vilain Fig 7 (top); bottom Fig 10 (variation of Fig 8) having both detection part and gutter part [0128]
a single semiconductor (of silicon; [0003]) substrate (1; first cited in Figs 1a-1b; [0083]; and further detailed in Fig 7; [0120] to meet single attribute);
plural hollow structure bodies (cavities delimited by 3D,3B; [0122]) formed in the semiconductor substrate (1) in an array manner (matrix; [0084]) and having a detection part (100; Fig 7; [0127] or 200; Fig 17a-17c; [0164]) as a hollow structure and a getter part (12; Figs 8,10, 19; [0125, 0168]) as a hollow structure (cavities) different ([0122]: the window 4 bears on the partitions 3D and 3B to which it is joined. The volume enclosed between the substrate 1, the peripheral partition 3B and the window 4 is hermetically sealed from the exterior environment. Moreover, each cavity is isolated from the adjacent cavities) from the detection part (100/200);
a support body (3B,3D; Fig 10) demarcating ([0122]) the plural hollow structure bodies (cavities);
a sealing material support body (3/4; Figs 6a-6b; [0115]: the space between the upper surface of the layer 3, which serves as a support for the "seal" ) laminated on the support body (3B,3D; Fig 10); and
a sealing material (inter alia, aluminum ; [0114]) provided on the sealing material support body (3/4) and vacuum-sealing the plural hollow structure bodies ([0122]: The window 4 bears on the partitions 3D and 3B to which it is joined. The volume enclosed between the substrate 1, the peripheral partition 3B and the window 4 is hermetically sealed from the exterior environment. Moreover, each cavity is isolated from the adjacent cavities) ,
wherein the detection part (100/200) has a detection device (microbolometer 2, specifically, radiation detector ) inside,
the getter part (12) has a getter (3D) inside, the detection part (100/200) and the getter part are spatially joined together by a tunnel portion (10; Fig 6a) formed in the support body (3B,3D) to constitute a hollow structure (cavities) group sharing a vacuum space (volume; [0122]), and the detection part (100/200) and the getter part (12) of the hollow structure group are sealed (by 10) per the hollow structure in a vacuum space (volume; [0122]) closed and separated by the sealing material (10) and the support body (3b/3d) respectively.
Regarding Claim 2. Vilain as applied to semiconductor sensor according to claim 1, further teaches, comprising:
wiring formed on the support body ([0007]); and
a support leg (2A; [0137]) retaining the detection device to be hollow (cavities) in the detection part (100/200) and connecting the wiring ([0007]) with the detection9 device (2).
Regarding Claim 6. Vilain as applied to semiconductor sensor according to claim 2, further teaches, wherein the getter (12; Fig 9b) is applied onto a hollow substrate ([0125]: interior surfaces of the cavities with a conventional getter 12) retained to be hollow by the support leg (2A).
Regarding Claim 7. Vilain as applied to semiconductor sensor according to claim 2, further teaches, wherein the detection device (radiation detector ([0034]) comprising microbolometer 2; Fig 10) is formed in a hollow substrate (1) retained to be hollow by the support leg (2A) in the detection part (200) and the getter part (12; Fig 9b), and the getter is applied onto the hollow substrate in which the detection device is formed in the getter part.
Regarding Claim 10. Vilain as applied to semiconductor sensor according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein the tunnel portion (10; Fig 6a) is formed by hollowing out the support body in a part of one side of the hollow structure body having a rectangular shape (4 depicted in Fig 6A and others 100 in fig 7, are rectangular shaped) in a planar view and is arranged to be spaced away from a corner of the hollow structure body.
Regarding Claim 13. Vilain as applied to semiconductor sensor according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein the detection device (radiation detector ([0034]) comprising microbolometer 2; Fig 10) is a thermal infrared detection device ([0084]: The microbolometers 2 are arranged conventionally so as to form a matrix or line array wherein Part 2B contains the structures for infrared detection).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOAZZAM HOSSAIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7960. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:30AM - 6:00 PM. EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOAZZAM HOSSAIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7960. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:30AM - 6:00 PM. EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio J. Maldonado can be reached on 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOAZZAM HOSSAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
April 1, 2026
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