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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 & 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (KR 20100065835 A).
Regarding claim 1, Kim et al discloses a method of manufacturing a micro-lens of an image sensor, the method comprising: forming a hard mask (photoresist) on a surface of a substrate(140 or 150) (pp. 6 para 1; pp. 7 para 2) ; patterning the hard mask(photoresist) into a plurality of hard masks(100) to remove a part of the hard mask(photoresist) where the micro-lens is to be formed(pp. 6 para 2-3); forming a first photoresist layer (160)on the substrate (140/150)where the part of the hard mask (photoresist) is removed and on the plurality of hard masks(100) fig .4 (pp 8 para 1); forming a second photoresist layer (161) by removing the first photoresist layer (160)on the plurality of hard masks(100)( para 4pp. 8); removing the plurality of hard masks (100)on the surface of the substrate(140/150) (para 4, pp 8); and forming the micro-lens (162) by reflowing and curing the second photoresist layer(161)(pp. 9 para 1).
Regarding claim 2, Kim et al discloses herein a vertical thickness defined from the surface of the substrate (140/150)to an upper surface of the first photoresist layer(160) is larger than a vertical thickness of the plurality of hard masks(100) fig 4.
Claim(s) 5 & 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hwang (KR100818524 A).
Regarding claim 5, Hwang et al discloses a method of manufacturing a micro-lens of an image sensor, the method comprising:
forming a hard mask(150) on a surface of a substrate(140)( pp 10 para 1);
patterning the hard mask(150) into a plurality of hard masks(151) to expose a part of the surface of the substrate (140)to outside fig. 4; forming a first photoresist layer(141) on the surface of the substrate and on the plurality of hard masks(151) (pp. 10 para 2); forming a second photoresist layer(141a) by removing the first photoresist layer on the plurality of hard masks(151)( fig. 7 para 3 pp. 10); and forming the micro-lens(142, 144, 146) by reflowing and curing the second photoresist layer(141a) (para 4 pp. 10),
wherein a separation distance between adjacent hard masks(151) limits a horizontal width of the micro- lens(142, 144, 146)(pp. 11 , para 1).
Regarding claim 6, Hwang et al discloses wherein a vertical thickness defined from the surface of the substrate(140) to an upper surface of the first photoresist layer(140) is larger than a vertical thickness of the plurality of hard masks(151) fig. 5.
Claim(s) 9 -12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li (US Pub no 2009/0034083 A1)
Regarding claim 9, Li et al discloses a method of manufacturing a micro-lens of an image sensor (fig. 3a-3d), the method comprising: forming a first photoresist layer(124) on a surface of a substrate(116 or 130)[0058];
forming a second photoresist layer(patterned 124) by patterning the first photoresist layer(124); forming a basic structure of the micro-lens(122R/122G) by reflowing the second photoresist layer(patterned 124)[0058][0030-0031]; forming a third photoresist layer (132)to cover the basic structure of the micro-lens(122R/122G) on the surface of the
substrate(116 or 130)[0051][0059]; patterning the third photoresist layer(132) to form a fourth photoresist layer (134)on the basic structure of the micro-lens(122R/122G)[0052]; and forming the micro-lens (122T)by reflowing the fourth photoresist layer(134) [0053].
Regarding claim 10, wherein the third photoresist layer (132)has a viscosity different from a viscosity of the first photoresist layer(124)[0057][0055] (pretreatment to 124 changing glass transition).
Regarding claim 11, Li et al discloses wherein the fourth photoresist layer (134)has a horizontal width smaller than a horizontal width of the basic structure of the micro-lens(122R/122G)fig. 3c.
Regarding claim 12, Li et al discloses wherein an upper surface of the third photoresist layer(132) is located higher than an upper surface of the first photoresist layer(124 layer forms 122G/122R) fig. 3b.
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.
Claim(s) 3 & 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (KR 20100065835 A) in view of Lin (US Patent 6,242,277 B1).
Regarding claim 3, Kim et al discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1 but fails to teach wherein the second photoresist layer is in contact with sidewalls of the plurality of hard masks.
However, Lin et al discloses a sensor device comprising a second photoresist layer(214) is in contact with sidewalls of the plurality of hard masks(210a) (col. 3 lines 40-46). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kim et al with the teachings of Lin et al it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kim et al with the teachings of Lin et al to provide a microlens having a precise size.
Regarding claim 4, Kim et al discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1 but fails to teach wherein an upper surface of the second photoresist layer is located higher than upper surfaces of the plurality of hard masks.
Lin et al discloses wherein an upper surface of the second photoresist layer(214) is located higher than upper surfaces of the plurality of hard masks(210) (col 3, lines 36-49). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kim et al with the teachings of Lin et al it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kim et al with the teachings of Lin et al to provide a microlens having a precise size.
Claim(s) 7 & 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang KR100818524 in view of Deng( U S Pub no. 2006/0189062 A1).
Regarding claim 7,Hwang et al discloses all the claim limitations of claim 1 but fails to teach wherein the second photoresist layer has a horizontal width smaller than the separation distance between the adjacent hard masks.
However, Deng et al discloses a photoresist layer (165)having a horizontal width smaller than the separation distance between the adjacent patterned raised ridges of a grid (145)[0020] fig. 7a/7b . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to further modify Hwang et al with the teachings of Deng et al such that the second photoresist layer has a horizontal width smaller than the separation distance between the adjacent hard masks results to reduce or eliminate merging between the adjacent microlenses.
Regarding claim 8, Hwang et al in view of Deng et al discloses the claim limitations of claim 7, Hwang et al further teaches the hard masks 151(pp. 10 para 2)Deng et al discloses wherein the second photoresist layer (165) is not in contact with patterned raised ridges of a grid (145 fig. 7a/7b). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Hwang et al with the teachings of Deng et al such that the second photoresist layer is not in contact with the plurality of hard masks results to reduce or eliminate merging between the adjacent microlenses.
Claim(s) 13-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang (KR100818524 A)in view of Li (US Pub no. 2009/0034083 A1).
Regarding claim 13,Hwang et al discloses a method of manufacturing a micro-lens of an image sensor, the method comprising: forming a hard mask(150) on a surface of a substrate(140)(pp. 10 para 1); patterning the hard mask (150)into a plurality of hard masks(151) to expose a part of the surface of the substrate (140)to outside fig. fig. 4 forming a first photoresist layer(141) on the surface of the substrate and the plurality of hard masks(151)(pp. 10 para 2); forming a second photoresist layer(141a) by removing the first photoresist layer(141) on the plurality of hard masks(151)(pp. 10 para 3); forming a basic structure of the micro-lens(142/144/146) by reflowing the second photoresist layer(141a) (pp. 10, para 4).
Hwang et al fails to teach forming an additional photoresist layer on the basic structure of the micro-lens, the surface of the substrate, and the plurality of hard masks and then patterning and reflowing the additional photoresist layer.
However, Li et al discloses a method of forming a microlens array wherein additional photoresist layer (134 of 122T)on the basic structure of a micro-lens/(124-122G/122R)[0034][0058](may be made of same material that forms 122G/122R radiation curable resin as indicated in [0030]), the surface of the substrate and then patterning and reflowing the additional photoresist layer(134of 122T)[0057-0058][0063]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Hwang et al with the teachings of Li et al such that an additional photoresist layer on the basic structure of the micro-lens, the surface of the substrate, and the plurality of hard masks and then patterning and reflowing the additional photoresist layer results to correct or compensate for differences among the microlens.
Regarding claim 14, Li et al discloses wherein the forming, patterning, and reflowing of the additional photoresist layer (134/132-122T)are repeated predetermined number of times(for each microlens array 122G,122R and additional microlenses not shown)[0052] .
Regarding claim 15, Hwang et al discloses wherein a separation distance between adjacent hard masks(151) limits a horizontal width of the micro-lens(142/144/146) fig. 8.
Regarding claim 16, Hwang et al in view of Li et al discloses all the claim limitations of claim 13 and further teaches a separation distance between adjacent hard masks(151) fig 8 but fails to teach the second photoresist layer has a horizontal width smaller than the a separation distance between adjacent hard masks
Li et al discloses wherein the second photoresist layer (134 of 122T)has a horizontal width smaller radius than the microlens (122g/112R)[0035]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Hwang et al with the teachings of Li et al such that the second photoresist layer has a horizontal width smaller than a separation distance between adjacent hard masks results to focus incident light impinged on the microlens array.
Regarding claim 17, Li et al discloses, wherein a photoresist layer(124) in contact with another photoresist layer (128)has a viscosity different from a viscosity of the another photoresist layer(128)[0055-0056].
Conclusion
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/LATANYA N CRAWFORD EASON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813
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