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 .
This OA is in response to the claims filled on 10/20/2023 that has been entered, wherein claims 1-20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/20/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “the plurality of cells comprise a plurality of types of cells, wherein each type of cell has a different number of cells covering the penetration electrodes” must be shown or the features canceled from the claim. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
(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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jang et al. (US 2022/0028915 A1) as cited in the IDS of 10/20/2023.
Regarding claim 1, Jang teaches an image sensor(Figs. 1-2) comprising:
a first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) including a first side(110F1), a second side(110F2) opposite to the first side(110F1), a pixel region(APR,¶0016) where a plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016) are disposed, and a penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016) disposed adjacent to the pixel region(APR,¶0016);
a second structure(248, 240, 210) in which a driving circuit(¶0045) for driving the plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016) is disposed, and stacked on the second side(110F2) of the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148);
a plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056) that penetrate the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) and the second structure(248, 240, 210) to electrically connect the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) and the second structure(248, 240, 210) to each other, and are disposed in the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016); and
a protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) that is disposed on the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056), and divided into a plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022), wherein the protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) covers the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016).
Regarding claim 2, Jang teaches the image sensor of claim 1, wherein:
each of the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) covers an upper surface of at least one of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056).
Regarding claim 3, Jang teaches the image sensor of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) are separated from each other(Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Jang teaches the image sensor of claim 1, wherein:
the protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) comprises a first protective layer(184, ¶0056) and a second protective layer(186, ¶0056), wherein the first protective layer(184, ¶0056) is disposed on the first side(110F1) of the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148), and the second protective layer(186, ¶0056) is disposed on the first protective layer(184, ¶0056).
Regarding claim 5, Jang teaches the image sensor of claim 1, wherein:
the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) comprises:
a first substrate(154, 158, 160, ¶0041) disposed on the first side(110F1) and provided with a micro lens array(160, ¶0041); and
a first distribution structure(140, 146, ¶0033, ¶0038) disposed on the second side(110F2) and including a plurality of first distribution layers(140, ¶0033).
Regarding claim 6, Jang teaches the image sensor of claim 5, wherein:
the second structure(248, 240, 210) comprises:
a second distribution structure(240, 246, ¶0047, ¶0049) including a plurality of second distribution layers(240, ¶0047) and stacked on the first distribution structure(140, 146, ¶0033, ¶0038); and
a second substrate disposed on the second distribution structure(240, 246, ¶0047, ¶0049).
Regarding claim 7, Jang teaches the image sensor of claim 6, wherein: the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056) connect(¶0050) the plurality of first distribution layers(140, ¶0033) to the plurality of second distribution layers(240, ¶0047).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 8-9, 11-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US 2022/0028915 A1) as cited in the IDS of 10/20/2023 in view of Nakano et al. (US 2011/0204487 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Jang teaches an image sensor package(Fig. 1-2) comprising:
an image sensor comprising a substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148) including a pixel region(APR,¶0016) and a penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016), wherein a plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016) are disposed in the pixel region(APR,¶0016), and the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016) is disposed adjacent to the pixel region(APR,¶0016), and wherein the image sensor(1, ¶0023) further includes a protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) that covers the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016) on the substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148); and
wherein a plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056) are disposed in the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016), and extend a predetermined depth into the substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148) from a surface of the substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148),
wherein the protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) is divided into a plurality of separated cells(BVS, ¶0022) and covers surfaces of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056).
Jang is not relied on to teach a bonding structure that is disposed on the image sensor(1, ¶0023) and at least partially surrounds the pixel region(APR,¶0016) while overlapping at least a part of the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016) and at least a part of the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) is disposed between the bonding structure and the substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148).
Nakano teaches a image sensor package(Fig. 11) comprising a bonding structure(21, ¶0070) that is disposed on the image sensor(10F, ¶0023) and at least partially surrounds the pixel region(15, ¶0131) while overlapping at least a part of the penetration electrode region(region of 17) and at least a part of the plurality of cells(13B, ¶0064) is disposed between the bonding structure(21, ¶0070) and the substrate structure(11, ¶0071). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jang, to include a bonding structure that is disposed on the image sensor and at least partially surrounds the pixel region while overlapping at least a part of the penetration electrode region and at least a part of the plurality of cells is disposed between the bonding structure and the substrate structure, as taught by Nakano, in order to bond a transparent substrate function as a reinforcing plate to reinforce the substrate structure(¶0073).
Regarding claim 9, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 8, wherein: the substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148) and the protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) have different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) from each other(¶0056, CTE of silicon vs TEOS).
Regarding claim 11, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 8, wherein:
each of the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) covers an upper surface of at least one of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056).
Regarding claim 12, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 8, wherein:
the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) comprise a plurality of first cells(184, ¶0056) covering upper surfaces(upper surfaces of 182 inside of 180t) of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056), respectively, and each of the plurality of first cells(184, ¶0056) covers the entire upper surface of each of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056), respectively.
Regarding claim 13, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 12, wherein:
each of the plurality of first cells(184, ¶0056) has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the upper surface(upper surfaces of 182 inside of 180t) of each of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056).
Regarding claim 14, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 8, wherein: the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) comprise a plurality of second cells(184, ¶0056) covering upper surfaces(upper surfaces of 182 inside of 180t) of at least two of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056), and each of the plurality of second cells(184, ¶0056) covers an entirety of the upper surfaces(upper surfaces of 182 inside of 180t) of the at least two of plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056).
Regarding claim 15, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 14, wherein:
each of the plurality of second cells(184, ¶0056) has a shape extending in a short side direction or a long side direction of the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016).
Regarding claim 16, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 8.
Jang but is not relied on to teach the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) comprise a plurality of types of cells, wherein each type of cell has a different number of cells covering the penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056).
Nakano teaches a image sensor package(Figs. 3-8) wherein the plurality of cells(13B, ¶0064) comprise a plurality of types of cells(Figs. 3-8), wherein each type of cell has a different number of cells(Figs. 3-8) covering the penetration electrodes(17, ¶0066). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jang, so that the plurality of cells comprise a plurality of types of cells, wherein each type of cell has a different number of cells covering the penetration electrodes, as taught by Nakano, in order to prevent deformation of the internal electrodes, thereby preventing breaking, cracking, and peel-off of the internal electrode (¶0083).
Regarding claim 17, Jang teaches the image sensor package of claim 8, wherein:
a first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) and a second structure(248, 240, 210) are stacked on each other in the substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148),
wherein the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) is provided with a plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016), and the second structure(248, 240, 210) is provided with a driving circuit(¶0045) driving the plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016).
Regarding claim 18, Jang teaches an image sensor package(Figs. 1-2) comprising:
an image sensor(1, ¶0023) including a pixel region(APR,¶0016), a penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016), a substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148), and a protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056), wherein a plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016) are disposed in the pixel region(APR,¶0016), wherein the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016) disposed adjacent to the pixel region(APR,¶0016), wherein the substrate structure(120, 110, 140, 148) includes a first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) and a second structure(248, 240, 210), wherein the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) has a plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016) disposed in an upper portion of the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148), wherein the second structure(248, 240, 210) has a driving circuit(¶0045) for driving the plurality of pixels(APX, ¶0016), and wherein the protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) covers the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016);
wherein a plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056) are disposed in the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016), and extend a predetermined depth into the second structure(248, 240, 210) while penetrating the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148) from a surface of the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148), and
wherein the protective layer(184, 186, ¶0056) is divided into a plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) and covers surfaces of the plurality of penetration electrodes(182, ¶0056).
Jang is not relied on to teach a transparent substrate that is disposed above the image sensor(1, ¶0023); and
a bonding structure that is disposed between the image sensor(1, ¶0023) and the transparent substrate, and at least partially surrounds the pixel region(APR,¶0016), wherein the bonding structure partially overlaps at least a part of the penetration electrode region(BVR, ¶0016) and at least a part of the plurality of cells(BVS, ¶0022) is disposed between the bonding structure and the first structure(120, 110, 140, 148).
Nakano teaches a image sensor package(Fig. 11) comprising a transparent substrate(22, ¶0071) that is disposed above the image sensor(10F, ¶0023), a bonding structure(21, ¶0070) that is disposed between the image sensor(10F, ¶0023) and the transparent substrate(22, ¶0071) and at least partially surrounds the pixel region(15, ¶0131), wherein the bonding structure(21, ¶0070) partially overlaps at least a part of the penetration electrode region(region of 17) and at least a part of the plurality of cells(13B, ¶0064) is disposed between the bonding structure(21, ¶0070) and the substrate structure(11, ¶0071). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jang, to include a transparent substrate that is disposed above the image sensor; and a bonding structure that is disposed between the image sensor and the transparent substrate, and at least partially surrounds the pixel region, wherein the bonding structure partially overlaps at least a part of the penetration electrode region, and at least a part of the plurality of cells is disposed between the bonding structure and the first structure as taught by Nakano, in order to bond a transparent substrate function as a reinforcing plate to reinforce the substrate structure(¶0073).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US 2022/0028915 A1) as cited in the IDS of 10/20/2023 in and Nakano et al. (US 2011/0204487 A1) as applied to claim 8 above, further in view of Fang et al. (US 2017/0256471 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Jang, in view of Nakano, teaches the image sensor package of claim 8, but is not relied on to teach a transparent substrate spaced apart from the bonding structure and covering the image sensor(1, ¶0023).
Nakano teaches a image sensor package(Fig. 11) comprising a transparent substrate(22, ¶0071) covering the image sensor(10F, ¶0023). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jang, to include a transparent substrate and covering the image sensor, as taught by Nakano, in order to bond a transparent substrate function as a reinforcing plate to reinforce the substrate structure(¶0073).
Jang and Nakano are not relied on to teach a transparent substrate spaced apart from the bonding structure.
Fang teaches a image sensor package(Fig. 3) comprising a transparent substrate(150, ¶0029) spaced apart from the bonding structure(230, ¶0038). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jang, to include a transparent substrate spaced apart from the bonding structure, as taught by Nakano, in order avoid fracture and damage resulted from mismatched thermal stresses in a subsequent thermal treatment process of the image sensor package(¶0038).
Claims 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US 2022/0028915 A1) as cited in the IDS of 10/20/2023 in and Nakano et al. (US 2011/0204487 A1) as applied to claim 18 above, further in view of Boon et al. (US 2004/0041221 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Jang, in view of Nakano, teaches the image sensor package of claim 18, but is not relied on to teach a package substrate disposed on the image sensor(1, ¶0023), wherein an external connection terminal is disposed on the package substrate; and a conductive bonding member that electrically connects the image sensor(1, ¶0023) and the package substrate to each other.
Boon teaches a image sensor package(Fig. 4) comprising a package substrate(2, ¶0024) disposed on the image sensor(18, ¶0022), wherein an external connection terminal(10, ¶0024) is disposed on the package substrate(2, ¶0024); and a conductive bonding member(24, ¶0024) that electrically connects the image sensor(18, ¶0022) and the package substrate(2, ¶0024) to each other. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jang, to include a package substrate disposed on the image sensor, wherein an external connection terminal is disposed on the package substrate; and a conductive bonding member that electrically connects the image sensor and the package substrate to each other, as taught by Boon, in order to provide compact leadless packaging for the image sensor that is simple and economical to fabricate while also being well suited for a range of environmental conditions, allowing a specific package configuration to be selected based on utility versus cost considerations(¶0033).
Regarding claim 20, Jang, in view of Nakano, teaches the image sensor package of claim 18, but is not relied on to teach a package substrate including an opening through which the pixel region(APR,¶0016) is exposed, and at least partially surrounding a top edge and a side surface of the image sensor(1, ¶0023),
wherein, in the bonding structure, a bump electrically connects the image sensor(1, ¶0023) and the package substrate to each other.
Boon teaches a image sensor package(Fig. 4) comprising a package substrate(2, ¶0024) including an opening(6, ¶0024) through which the pixel region(region of 22) is exposed, and at least partially surrounding a top edge and a side surface of the image sensor(18, ¶0022),
wherein, in the bonding structure(24, 32, ¶0024-25) a bump(24, ¶0024) electrically connects the image sensor(18, ¶0022) and the package substrate(2, ¶0024) to each other. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jang, to include a package substrate including an opening through which the pixel region is exposed, and at least partially surrounding a top edge and a side surface of the image sensor, wherein, in the bonding structure, a bump electrically connects the image sensor and the package substrate to each other, as taught by Boon, in order to provide compact leadless packaging for the image sensor that is simple and economical to fabricate while also being well suited for a range of environmental conditions, allowing a specific package configuration to be selected based on utility versus cost considerations(¶0033).
Conclusion
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/LAURA M DYKES/Examiner, Art Unit 2892