DETECTION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

Application No. 18/518,952

• Filed: Nov 24, 2023
• Examiner: HO, ALLEN C
• Art Unit: 2884
• Tech Center: 2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
• Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
• OA Round: 1 (Non-Final)

Office Action

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 .

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, each of the n-type transistor and the p-type transistor comprises a gate electrode, a first source/drain node, and a second source/drain node claimed in claims 13-20 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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, a source line coupled with the first source/drain node of the n-type transistor and the first source/drain node of the p-type transistor of the at least one detection unit claimed in claims 13-20 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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, a first bit line coupled with the second source/drain node of the p-type transistor of the at least one detection unit claimed in claims 13-20 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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, a second bit line coupled with the second source/drain node of the n-type transistor of the at least one detection unit claimed in claims 13-20 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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.
The following title is suggested: DETECTION DEVICE COMPRISING ENERGY SENSING PADS, N-TYPE TRANSISTORS, AND P-TYPE TRANSISTORS, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A DECTION DEVICE.

Claim Objections
Claims 1-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
(Proposed Amendments) A method, comprising:
directing an exposure energy of an exposure apparatus to a detection device,
wherein the detection device comprises a plurality of detection units, each of the plurality of detection units comprises [[a]] an n-type transistor, a p-type transistor, and an energy sensing pad coupled with gates of the n-type transistor and the p-type transistor;
performing a first post-exposure reading operation on the p-type transistor of one of the plurality of detection units; and
performing a second post-exposure reading operation on the n-type transistor of [[said]] the one of the plurality of detection units.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 4-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
4. (Proposed Amendments) The method of claim 1, further comprising:
performing an initialization operation prior to directing the exposure energy of the exposure apparatus to the detection device,
wherein the initialization operation comprises providing a potential difference between two source/drain nodes of the p-type transistor of [[said]] the one of the plurality of detection units.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities:
5. (Proposed Amendments) The method of claim 4, further comprising:
performing a first pre-exposure reading operation on the p-type transistor of [[said]] the one of the plurality of detection units after the initialization operation;
comparing data of the first pre-exposure reading operation with data of the first post-exposure reading operation; and
adjusting the exposure apparatus according to a comparison result between the data of the first pre-exposure reading operation and the data of the first post-exposure reading operation.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities:
6. (Proposed Amendments) The method of claim 4, further comprising:
performing a second pre-exposure reading operation on the n-type transistor of [[said]] the one of the plurality of detection units after the initialization operation;
comparing data of the second pre-exposure reading operation with data of the second post-exposure reading operation; and
adjusting the exposure apparatus according to a comparison result between the data of the second pre-exposure reading operation and the data of the second post- exposure reading operation.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 8-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
8. (Proposed Amendments) A method, comprising:
providing a detection device comprising a plurality of detection units,
wherein each of the plurality of detection units comprises [[a]] an n-type transistor, a p-type transistor, and an energy sensing pad coupled with gates of the n-type transistor and the p-type transistor;
exposing [[the]] energy sensing pads (a lack of an antecedent basis) of the plurality of detection units to a substance;
performing a first post-exposure reading operation on the p-type transistor of one of the plurality of detection units; and
performing a second post-exposure reading operation on the n-type transistor of [[said]] the one of the plurality of detection units.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities:
11. (Proposed Amendments) The method of claim 8, further comprises:
supplying a bias voltage to the energy sensing pad of [[said]] the one of the plurality of detection units when exposing the energy sensing pads of the plurality of detection units to the substance.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities:
12. (Proposed Amendments) The method of claim 8, wherein the energy sensing pad and the gates of the n- type transistor and the p-type transistor are electrically floating when exposing the energy sensing pads of the plurality of detection units to the substance.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 13-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
13. (Proposed Amendments) A detection device, comprising:
at least one detection unit, wherein the at least one detection unit comprises:
[[a]] an n-type transistor and a p-type transistor,
wherein each of the n-type transistor and the p-type transistor comprises a gate electrode, a first source/drain node, and a second source/drain node; and
an energy sensing pad coupled to the gate electrode of the n-type transistor and the gate electrode of the p-type transistor;
a source line coupled with the first source/drain node of the n-type transistor and the first source/drain node of the p-type transistor of the at least one detection unit;
a first bit line coupled with the second source/drain node of the p-type transistor of the at least one detection unit; and
a second bit line coupled with the second source/drain node of the n-type transistor of the at least one detection unit.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 14-17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
14.(Proposed Amendments) The detection device of claim 13, further comprising:
an interconnect structure over the n-type transistor and the p-type transistor,
wherein the interconnect structure comprises a plurality of conductive features, and a portion of the plurality of conductive features connects the gate electrode of the n-type transistor and the gate electrode of the p-type transistor to the energy sensing pad.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities:
16. (Proposed Amendments) The detection device of claim 14, wherein a material of the energy sensing pad is different from a material of the plurality of conductive features.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities:
17. (Proposed Amendments) The detection device of claim 14, wherein the energy sensing pad is higher than the plurality of conductive features.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities:
18. (Proposed Amendments) The detection device of claim 13, wherein the energy sensing pad comprises a metal having a work function between about 3.5 eV to about 6.5 eV.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities:
19. (Proposed Amendments) The detection device of claim 13, wherein the energy sensing pad [[is]] comprises a sensing film made of SnSe2.
Appropriate correction is required.

Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION. —The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.

The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.

Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 17 recites a limitation “the energy sensing pad is higher than the plurality of conductive features” in lines 1-2, which renders the claim indefinite. The limitation fails to specify a direction relative to another structural element.

Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claims 1-7, the prior art failed to disclose or fairly suggested a method as claimed.

With respect to claims 8-12, the prior art failed to disclose or fairly suggested a method as claimed.

With respect to claims 13-16 and 18-20, the prior art failed to disclose or fairly suggested a detection device as claimed.

Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hwu et al. (U. S. Patent No. 12,426,317 B2) disclosed a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof.
King et al. (U. S. Patent No. 12,009,177 B2) disclosed a detection using a semiconductor detector.
King et al. (U. S. Patent No. 11,824,133 B2) disclosed a detection using a semiconductor detector.
Ziqing Li et al., Low-dimensional wide-bandgap semiconductors for UV photodetectors, Nature Reviews Materials, Volume 8, 587–603 (2023).

Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Allen C. Ho, whose telephone number is [phone]. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10AM - 6PM.
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Allen C. Ho, Ph.D
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2884

/Allen C. Ho/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884 [e-mail]

Prosecution Timeline

• Nov 24, 2023: Application Filed
• Jan 09, 2026: Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
• Apr 08, 2026: Response Filed