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 claims 1 – 6 and 16 – 20 in the reply filed on 11/25/25 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 – 6 and 16 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun et al. (U.S. PG Pub. # 2016/0313577 A1).
In Re claims 1 – 3 and 5, ‘577 teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a dielectric layer (110 and 40, both of which are silicon oxide, pars. 0026, 0028); and an optical modulator structure, in the dielectric layer, comprising: a first region including a first dopant type (as annotated below, N-type); and a second region, on a top surface of the first region, including a second dopant type (as annotated below, P-type), wherein the first region and the second region correspond to a P-N junction diode of the optical modulator structure; a third region, adjacent with a side of the first region, including the second dopant type (as annotated below, P-type as its connected to 121), wherein the first region, the second region, and the third region correspond to the P-N junction diode of the optical modulator structure; a fourth region, connecting the second region and the third region, including the second dopant type (as annotated below, P-type as its connected to 121).
In Re claim 6, ‘577 teaches a ring resonator which can be measured in microns thus a micro ring resonator (par. 0030).
[AltContent: arrow] 2nd region
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In Re claims 1 – 4, ‘577 teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a dielectric layer (110 and 40, both of which are silicon oxide, pars. 0026, 0028); and an optical modulator structure, in the dielectric layer, comprising: a first region including a first dopant type (as annotated below, P-type); and a second region, on a top surface of the first region, including a second dopant type (as annotated below, N-type), wherein the first region and the second region correspond to a P-N junction diode of the optical modulator structure.
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In Re claim 16, ‘577 teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a dielectric layer (110 and 40, both of which are silicon oxide, pars. 0026, 0028); and an optical modulator structure, in the dielectric layer, comprising: a first portion of a P-N junction diode of the optical modulator structure, wherein the first portion includes a first dopant type (annotated part of 120, N-type); and a second portion of the P-N junction diode, wherein the second portion includes a second dopant type (annotated part of 121, P-type), and wherein the second portion comprises: a first segment on a top surface of the first portion; a second segment on a side surface of the first portion; and a third segment connecting the first segment and the second segment.
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow] 2nd portion 1st segment 3rd segment
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In Re claim 17, as seen above, an L-shaped interface is formed between the first and second portions.
Alternatively, In Re claim 16, ‘577 teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a dielectric layer (110 and 40, both of which are silicon oxide, pars. 0026, 0028); and an optical modulator structure, in the dielectric layer, comprising: a first portion of a P-N junction diode of the optical modulator structure, wherein the first portion includes a first dopant type (annotated part of 121, P-type); and a second portion of the P-N junction diode, wherein the second portion includes a second dopant type (annotated part of 120, N-type), and wherein the second portion comprises: a first segment on a top surface of the first portion; a second segment on a side surface of the first portion; and a third segment connecting the first segment and the second segment (as annotated below).
[AltContent: arrow] 3rd segment
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow] 1st portion 1st segment
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In Re claim 18, ‘577 teaches wherein a thickness (interpreted as measured horizontally) of the first portion is greater relative to a thickness (interpreted as measured horizontally) of the first segment (annotated box of 122 of 120) of the second portion.
In Re claim 20, ‘577 teaches wherein a carrier concentration (N – type) in the first segment of the second portion is greater relative to a carrier concentration (P-type) in the first portion (N – type has more N dopant that that of the first portion which is P-type).
In Re claim 19, ‘577 teaches wherein a dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the third segment is greater relative to a dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the first segment; and wherein the dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the third segment is greater relative to a dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the second segment (since the annotated 3rd segment is larger than the annotated 1st and 2nd segments, the dopant concentration is greater in the 3rd segment than the other two segments).
[AltContent: arrow] 3rd segment
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow] 1st portion 1st segment
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In Re claim 21, ‘577 teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a dielectric layer (110 and 40, both of which are silicon oxide, pars. 0026, 0028); and an optical modulator structure, in the dielectric layer, comprising: a first portion of a P-N junction diode of the optical modulator structure, wherein the first portion includes a first dopant type; a second portion of the P-N junction diode, wherein the second portion includes a second dopant type; and an L-shaped interface between the first portion and the second portion.
Claims 21 – 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cho et al. (U.S. PG Pub. # 2021/0063777 A1).
In Re claim 21, ‘777 teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a dielectric layer (200 and 700, silicon oxide, par. 0018); and an optical modulator structure, in the dielectric layer, comprising: a first portion (560, OCR2) of a P-N junction diode (par. 0035) of the optical modulator structure, wherein the first portion includes a first dopant type (par. 0035); a second portion (530, OCR1) of the P-N junction diode, wherein the second portion includes a second dopant type (par. 0035); and an L-shaped interface (as seen in fig. 10) between the first portion and the second portion.
In Re claim 22, ‘777 teaches wherein the second portion comprises: a first segment on a top surface of the first portion; a second segment on a side surface of the first portion; and a third segment on a top surface of the second segment, and on a side surface of the first segment (as annotated below).
[AltContent: arrow]2nd segment 3rd segment 1st segment
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In Re claim 28, ‘777 teaches wherein the L-shaped interface comprises an approximately vertical segment in which the first portion and the second portion are coupled, and an approximately horizontal segment in which the first portion and the second portion are coupled (as seen in annotated fig. 10 above).
In Re claim 23, ‘777 teaches wherein a thickness of the first portion (sliver of blacked out area) is greater relative to a thickness of the first segment of the second portion (as annotated below as the dimensions have not been claimed so any arbitrarily defined dimensions meets the claimed limitation).
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]2nd segment 3rd segment 1st segment
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In Re claim 24, ‘777 teaches wherein a dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the third segment is greater relative to a dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the first segment (third segment is much larger thus a higher dopant concentration), and wherein the dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the third segment is greater relative to a dopant concentration of the second dopant type in the second segment (third segment, black box, is much larger thus a higher dopant concentration as the boundaries of the regions has not been defined with dimensions).
In Re claim 25, ‘777 teaches wherein a carrier concentration in the first segment (p-type) of the second portion is greater relative to a carrier concentration in the first portion (n type) (since first segment is just p type and first portion is n type, there is more p-type in the first segment than in the first portion).
In Re claims 26 and 27, ‘777 teaches wherein part of the first portion extends (to the right) beyond a side surface of first segment (as seen below); wherein part of the second segment (black box) extends (to the left) beyond a side surface of the third segment (as annotated below).
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]2nd segment 3rd segment 1st segment
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAD SMITH whose telephone number is (571)270-1294. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 - 5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 1-571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAD H SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874