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 § 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) 12-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim(USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2020/0105836, hereinafter Kim) in view of Park (USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2013/0323875, hereinafter Park).
Re claim 12 Kim discloses in Fig 1A/1B an image sensor comprising: a semiconductor substrate(110/210) including a first pixel(right PX/left PX) and a second pixel(right PX/left PX) adjacent to the first pixel(right PX/left PX); a pixel isolation structure(left/right/middle 224) between the first pixel(right PX/left PX) and the second pixel(right PX/left PX); an layer(238) on the first pixel(right PX/left PX), the second pixel(right PX/left PX), and the pixel isolation structure(left/right/middle 224); a first front structure(130) on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate(110/210) and including a first conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215); a second front structure(230) contacting the first front structure(130) and including a second conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215); and a through via structure(250) in a through via hole(250H) that extends through the layer and the semiconductor substrate(110/210), wherein the through via structure(250) includes a first portion in the first front structure(130) and a second portion in the second front structure(230) and electrically connects the first conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215) to the second conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215), wherein the through via structure(250) comprises: a second conductive layer(252)[0054] extending on the inner wall of the through via hole(250H), and the second conductive layer(252)[0054] includes tungsten.
Kim does not discloses an anti-reflection layer on the first pixel(right PX/left PX), the second pixel(right PX/left PX), and a through via structure(250) in a through via hole(250H) that extends through the anti-reflection layer and the semiconductor substrate(110/210), wherein the through via structure(250) comprises: a first conductive layer extending on an inner wall of the through via hole(250H); and a second conductive layer(252)[0054] extending on the first conductive layer on the inner wall of the through via hole(250H), and the first conductive layer includes nitride,
Park discloses an anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park]; wherein the through via structure comprises: a first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] extending on an inner wall of the through via hole(126 of Park); and the first conductive layer includes nitride(TiN)[0132 of Park],
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Park to the teachings of Kim in order to improve the light receiving efficiency and light sensitivity of pixels included in the image sensor [0003, Park]. In doing so, an anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park] on the first pixel(right PX/left PX), the second pixel(right PX/left PX), and a through via structure(250) in a through via hole(250H) that extends through the anti-reflection layer and the semiconductor substrate(110/210), wherein the through via structure(250) comprises: a first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] extending on an inner wall of the through via hole(126 of Park); and a second conductive layer(252)[0054] extending on the first conductive layer on the inner wall of the through via hole(250H), and the first conductive layer includes nitride(TiN)[0132 of Park],
Re claim 13 Kim and Park disclose the image sensor of claim 12, wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] comprises metal nitride including W, Ti and/or Ta.
Re claim 14 Kim and Park disclose the image sensor of claim 12, wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] contacts a side surface of the anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park], and the second conductive layer(252)[0054] is spaced apart from the anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park].
Re claim 15 Kim and Park disclose the image sensor of claim 12, wherein the second conductive layer(252)[0054] is in contact with the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park].
Re claim 16 Kim and Park disclose the image sensor of claim 12, wherein the semiconductor substrate(110/210) further comprises a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the image sensor further comprises: a first dark current suppression layer between the second surface of the semiconductor substrate(110/210) and the anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park]; a second dark current suppression layer on the anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park]; and an insulating layer between the second dark current suppression layer and the anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park], wherein the first dark current suppression layer and the second dark current suppression layer each comprise aluminum oxide and/or hafnium oxide, and the insulating layer comprises silicon oxide.
Re claim 17 Kim and Park disclose the image sensor of claim 16, wherein the through via structure(250) contacts a side surface of each of the first dark current suppression layer, the second dark current suppression layer, and the insulating layer.
Claim(s) 1-11, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim(USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2020/0105836, hereinafter Kim) in view of Park (USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2013/0323875, hereinafter Park) and Luo (USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2019/0393256, hereinafter Luo).
Re claim 1 Kim discloses in Fig 1A/1B an image sensor comprising: a semiconductor substrate(110/210) including a first pixel(right PX/left PX) and a second pixel(right PX/left PX) adjacent to the first pixel(right PX/left PX); a pixel isolation structure(left/right/middle 224) between the first pixel(right PX/left PX) and the second pixel(right PX/left PX); a layer(238) on the first pixel(right PX/left PX), the second pixel(right PX/left PX), and the pixel isolation structure(left/right/middle 224); and a through via structure(250) in a through via hole(250H) that is in the layer and the semiconductor substrate(110/210), wherein the through via structure(250) comprises: a second conductive layer(252)[0054] extending on the inner wall of the through via hole(250H),
Kim does not discloses an anti-reflection layer on the first pixel(right PX/left PX), and a through via structure(250) in a through via hole(250H) that is in the anti-reflection layer and the semiconductor substrate(110/210), wherein the through via structure(250) comprises: a first conductive layer extending on an inner wall of the through via hole(250H); and a second conductive layer(252)[0054] extending on the first conductive layer on the inner wall of the through via hole(250H), and wherein the anti-reflection layer comprises TiO2, and the first conductive layer comprises a material having a higher work function than Ti.
Park discloses an anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park]; wherein the through via structure comprises: a first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] extending on an inner wall of the through via hole(126 of Park); and the first conductive layer comprises a material (TiN)[0132 of Park] having a higher work function than Ti.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Park to the teachings of Kim in order to improve the light receiving efficiency and light sensitivity of pixels included in the image sensor [0003, Park]. In doing so, an anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park] on the first pixel(right PX/left PX), and a through via structure(250) in a through via hole(250H) that is in the anti-reflection layer and the semiconductor substrate(110/210), wherein the through via structure(250) comprises: a first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] extending on an inner wall of the through via hole(126 of Park); and a second conductive layer(252)[0054] extending on the first conductive layer on the inner wall of the through via hole(250H), and the first conductive layer comprises a material (TiN)[0132 of Park] having a higher work function than Ti.
Kim and Park does not discloses wherein the anti-reflection layer comprises TiO2,
Luo discloses wherein the anti-reflection layer comprises TiO2[0040],
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the inventions to use the material of Luo to replace the material of Kim’s device because such material replacement is art recognized suitability for an intended purpose. See MPEP 2144.07.
Re claim 2 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] comprises WN, TiN and/or TaN.
Re claim 3 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate(110/210) comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the anti-reflection layer is on the second surface, and the through via structure(250) extends through the semiconductor substrate(110/210) from the second surface to the first surface.
Re claim 4 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, further comprising a first dark current suppression layer that is between the semiconductor substrate(110/210) and the anti-reflection layer, wherein the first dark current suppression layer comprises aluminum oxide and/or hafnium oxide.
Re claim 5 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 4, further comprising an insulating layer on the anti-reflection layer, wherein the insulating layer comprises silicon oxide.
Re claim 6 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, wherein the through via structure(250) is free of Ti.
Re claim 7 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, further comprising: a first front structure(130) on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate(110/210); and a second front structure(230) contacting the first front structure(130), wherein the through via structure(250) comprises a first portion in the first front structure(130) and a second portion in the second front structure(230).
Re claim 8 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 7, wherein the first front structure(130) comprises a first conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215), wherein the second front structure(230) comprises a second conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215), and wherein the through via structure(250) electrically connects the first conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215) to the second conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215).
Re claim 9 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] contacts a side surface of the anti-reflection layer.
Re claim 10 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] comprises a material having a work function greater than 4.33 eV.
Re claim 11 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] extends on a portion of an upper surface of the anti-reflection layer, and the through via structure(250) has a width decreasing with an increasing depth of the through via hole(250H).
Re claim 18 Kim discloses in Fig 1A/1B an image sensor comprising: a first semiconductor chip(logic device)[0093] including a first semiconductor substrate(110/210), on which logic elements[0093] are provided, and a first front structure(130) on the first semiconductor substrate(110/210); a second semiconductor chip[0029,0030,0032] including a second semiconductor substrate(110/210) stacked on the first semiconductor chip(logic device)[0093] and including a plurality of pixel(right PX/left PX)s, an layer(238) on the second semiconductor substrate(110/210), and a second front structure(230) under the second semiconductor substrate(110/210); and a through via structure(250) that is in the layer, the second semiconductor substrate(110/210) and the second front structure(230) and electrically connects the logic elements[0093] to the plurality of pixel(right PX/left PX)s, the through via structure(250) comprises a second conductive layer(252)[0054] including tungsten
Kim does not discloses an anti-reflection layer on the second semiconductor substrate(110/210), and a through via structure(250) that is in the anti-reflection layer, the second semiconductor substrate(110/210) and the second front structure(230) and electrically connects the logic elements[0093] to the plurality of pixel(right PX/left PX)s, wherein the anti-reflection layer comprises TiO2, the through via structure(250) comprises a first conductive layer including a material having a higher work function than Ti, and wherein the first conductive layer contacts a side surface of the anti-reflection layer.
Park discloses an anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park] ; the through via structure comprises a first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] including a material(TiN)[0132 of Park] having a higher work function than Ti, and wherein the first conductive layer contacts a side surface of the anti-reflection layer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Park to the teachings of Kim in order to improve the light receiving efficiency and light sensitivity of pixels included in the image sensor [0003, Park]. In doing so, an anti-reflection layer(metal oxide 116)[0151 of Park] on the second semiconductor substrate(110/210), and a through via structure(250) that is in the anti-reflection layer, the second semiconductor substrate(110/210) and the second front structure(230) and electrically connects the logic elements[0093] to the plurality of pixel(right PX/left PX)s, the through via structure(250) comprises a second conductive layer(252)[0054] including tungsten and a first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] including a material(TiN)[0132 of Park] having a higher work function than Ti, and wherein the first conductive layer contacts a side surface of the anti-reflection layer.
Kim and Park does not discloses wherein the anti-reflection layer comprises TiO2,
Luo discloses wherein the anti-reflection layer comprises TiO2[0040],
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the inventions to use the material of Luo to replace the material of Kim’s device because such material replacement is art recognized suitability for an intended purpose. See MPEP 2144.07.
Re claim 19 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 18, wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] comprises WN, TiN and/or TaN, the second conductive layer(252)[0054] is spaced apart from the anti-reflection layer and contacts the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park], and the anti-reflection layer is free of HfO2.
Re claim 20 Kim, Park and Luo disclose the image sensor of claim 18, wherein the first front structure(130) comprises a first conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215), and the second front structure(230) comprises a second conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215), and wherein the first conductive layer(122)[0132 of Park] contacts the first conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215) and the second conductive pattern(230/132/134/236/234/215).
Conclusion
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/PATRICIA D VALENZUELA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812