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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 11-20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Claim 11 states: depositing, via hot-wall chemical vapor deposition, at least one semi-transparent metal anode onto at least one silicon face of at least one n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer…
According to the specification, para [0043] states… With respect to FIG. 1 at (a), detector grade 20 µm thick n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers 102 were grown on the (0001) Si face of a highly conducting (≈ 0.02 Ω-cm) n-type 4H-SiC substrate 104 by hot-wall chemical vapor deposition… Circular shaped (∅=3.9 mm) thin (10 nm) molybdenum (Mo) contacts 109 were sputter coated on the silicon side of the epilayer 102 to form the Schottky barrier contact.
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) 1-3, 7-13 and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over K. C. Mandal, J. W. Kleppinger and S. K. Chaudhuri, "Advances in High-Resolution Radiation Detection Using 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layer Devices," Micromachines, vol. 11, no. 3, 2020, Art no. 254, doi: 10.3390/mi11030254 and further in view of Aketa et al,
Mandal teaches:
A vertical Schottky diode comprising:
wherein the at least one semi-transparent metal anode contact is deposited on at least one silicon face of at least one n-type 4H-SiC epilayer;
at least one 4H-SiC buffer layer affixed to the at least one n-type 4H-SiC epilayer;
at least one n-type 4H-SiC bulk layer affixed to the at least one 4H-SiC buffer layer;
at least one cathode affixed to the at least one 4H-SiC buffer layer on a side opposite the at least one n-type 4H-SiC bulk layer. (figure 1, page 3)
But fails to teach:
at least one semi-transparent metal anode contact.
Aketa teaches:
Para [0224] Additionally, a Schottky junction (heterojunction) can be made with the SiC epitaxial layer 6 by use of, for example, molybdenum (Mo) or titanium (Ti) as an anode electrode besides, for example, aluminum and polysilicon mentioned above. (figure 26)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the above references, because the Mo or Titanium can be readily substituted for Ni in the art.
Mandal teaches:
2. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein the effective doping concentration of the at least one semi-transparent metal anode contact deposited on the at least one n-type 4H-SiC epilayer is 10^¹⁴ cm^-³. Page 6
3. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein the at least one n-type 4H-SiC
epilayer is substantially 20 µm in thickness. Figure 1, Page 3
7. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein the vertical Schottky diode has a built-in voltage of 2.48 V measured from capacitance-voltage characteristics with a test frequency of 1 MHz.
8. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein the vertical Schottky diode has a hole diffusion length of 22.8 um calculated using a drift-diffusion model applied to alpha radiation response of the vertical Schottky.
9. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein the vertical Schottky diode has a charge collection efficiency of substantially 70% when exposed to 5486 keV alpha particles and a current gain at 0 V applied bias.
Aketa and Mandal teach:
10. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein at least one semi-transparent metal anode contact comprises molybdenum and the at least one cathode comprises nickel.
Mandal teaches:
11. A method for making a vertical Schottky diode comprising:
forming at least one 4H-SiC buffer layer attached to the at least one n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer;
forming at least one n-type 4H-SiC bulk layer attached to the at least one 4H-SiC buffer layer; and
forming at least one cathode affixed to a side of the n-type 4H-SiC bulk layer opposite the at least one n-type 4H-SiC buffer layer. See Figure 1 and page 3
But fails to teach:
depositing, via hot-wall chemical vapor deposition, at least one semi-transparent metal anode onto at least one silicon face of at least one n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer;
Aketa teaches:
Para [0224] Additionally, a Schottky junction (heterojunction) can be made with the SiC epitaxial layer 6 by use of, for example, molybdenum (Mo) or titanium (Ti) as an anode electrode besides, for example, aluminum and polysilicon mentioned above. (figure 26)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the above references, because the Mo or Titanium can be readily substituted for Ni in the art.
Mandal further teaches:
12. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode claim 11, wherein the effective doping concentration of the at least one semi-transparent metal anode contact deposited on the at least one n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer is 10M cmA-3. Page 6
13. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 11, wherein the at least one n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial is substantially 20 µm in thickness.
17. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 11, further comprising configuring the vertical Schottky diode to have a built-in voltage of 2.48 V measured from capacitance-voltage characteristics with a test frequency of 1 MHz.
18. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 11, further comprising configuring the vertical Schottky diode to have a hole diffusion length of 22.8 µm calculated using a drift-diffusion model applied to alpha radiation response of the vertical Schottky.
19. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 11, further comprising configuring the vertical Schottky diode to have a charge collection efficiency of substantially 70% when exposed to 5486 keV alpha particles and a current gain at 0 V applied bias.
Mandal and Aketa teach:
20. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 11, further comprising configuring the at least one semi-transparent metal anode contact to comprise molybdenum and configuring the at least one cathode to comprise nickel.
Claim(s) 4-6 and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mandal and Aketa as applied to claim 1 and 11 above, and further in view of WO 2016075927 A1 and Tsang et al, US 8073097 B2
Mandal and Aketa fail to teach:
4. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein the vertical Schottky diode is
incorporated into at least one self-biased ultraviolet photovoltaic cell.
5. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 1, wherein the vertical Schottky diode is incorporated into at least one self-powered ultraviolet sensor.
6. The vertical Schottky diode of claim 5, wherein the at least one self-powered ultraviolet sensor is incorporated into at least one nuclear reactor or at least one space craft.
14. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 11, further comprising incorporating the vertical Schottky diode into at least one self-biased ultraviolet photovoltaic cell.
15. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 11, further comprising incorporating the vertical Schottky diode into at least one self-powered ultraviolet sensor.
16. The method for making a vertical Schottky diode of claim 15, further comprising incorporating the at least one self-powered ultraviolet sensor into at least one nuclear reactor or at least one space craft.
WO 2016075927 A1 teaches:
(para 79) In addition to the above, examples of the electric circuit using the element of the present invention include a step-up / step-down chopper circuit, an inverter / converter circuit, a power supply circuit, a switching regulator, etc., and the electric appliances include a mobile phone, a personal computer, an air conditioner, and a refrigerator. Receivers, lighting fixtures, electromagnetic cookers, and the like, and vehicles include bicycles, automobiles, railway vehicles, and the like. Furthermore, the element of the present invention can be used for oxygen gas sensors, photocatalysts, ultraviolet sensors, ultraviolet solar cells, human body sensors, ultraviolet diodes, ultraviolet lasers, and the like.
Tsang teaches:
Embodiment 7: A nuclear voltaic cell reactor core with separate loops, one for fission fragment scrubbing, one for cooling. Liquid semiconductor used for energy conversion, another substance (inert gas, water, etc.) used for cooling. (para 24)
(para 30) The liquid semiconductor is an n-type or p-type semiconductor that is sandwiched between two metal contacts that are selected so as to create a Schottky diode and a low resistance or Ohmic contact when placed in contact with the n-type or p-type liquid semiconductor. A built-in field is produced within the depletion region of the liquid semiconductor that causes electrons and holes generated either in the depletion width or within a few diffusion lengths of it to move in opposite directions. This results in the generation of a current. By placing an electrical load on the contacts of the present invention electrical power is generated. In a preferred embodiment, a nuclear voltaic cell is constructed by stacking the layers of materials.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the above references, because the Schottky diode is conventionally used in the art to detect changes in material because [a] built-in field is produced within the depletion region of the liquid semiconductor that causes electrons and holes generated either in the depletion width or within a few diffusion lengths of it to move in opposite directions. (Tsang)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The present invention is also taught by the combination of Jia (Jia et al, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume 997, 2021, 165166, ISSN 0168-9002, doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.165166) in views of Quah (Hock Jin Quah et al., 2010, Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 13 H396, DOI 10.1149/1.3481926) and Mandal (Mandal et al., Advances in High-Resolution Radiation Detection Using 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layer Devices. Micromachines 2020, 11, 254 doi.org/10.3390/mi11030254).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL LEBENTRITT whose telephone number is (571)272-1873. The examiner can normally be reached IFP Mon- Fri 8:30 am- 6 pm.
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MICHAEL . LEBENTRITT
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2893
/MICHAEL LEBENTRITT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893