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
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 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.
Claims 1 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Deneuville ( Pub. No. US 20210305206 A1 ), hereinafter Deneuville.
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Regarding Independent Claim 1, Deneuville teaches a visible and infrared image sensor, comprising:
- a first active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1; [0031], sensor C1 comprising a plurality of 2D image pixels P1 ) for detecting visible radiation ( Deneuville, [0034], The pixels P1 of sensor C1 are capable of capturing the visible light emitted by the scene to form a 2D image of the scene ), in which a plurality of visible detection pixels ( Deneuville, [0034], The pixels P1 of sensor C1 are capable of capturing the visible light ) are defined; and
- superimposed on the first active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1 ), a second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2; [0032], sensor C2 being placed against the back side of sensor C1 and comprising a plurality of a pixels of depth P2 respectively arranged opposite windows F of sensor C1, each pixel of depth P2 comprising a SPAD-type photodiode ) for detecting infrared radiation ( Deneuville, [0034], in near infrared, for example, in the range from 700 to 1,000 μm. In operation, the light signal generated by the light source is emitted towards the scene (for example, via one or a plurality of lenses), in the form of light pulses, for example, periodic pulses. The return light signal reflected by the scene is captured by depth pixels P2 of sensor C2 ), in which a plurality of infrared detection pixels ( Deneuville, [0034], The return light signal reflected by the scene is captured by depth pixels P2 of sensor C2 ) are defined,
the sensor further comprising, on the side of the face of the second active layer opposite the first active layer, a control integrated circuit ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 140, 141, 150; [0053], an interconnection stack 140, formed of alternated dielectric and conductive layers coating the rear surface of substrate 130, having electric connection tracks and/or terminals 141 connecting pixels P2 of the sensor to a peripheral control and power supply circuit, not shown; [0062], a support substrate 150, for example, a silicon substrate. As a variant, the support substrate may be replaced with an additional control and processing circuit (not shown) ) superimposed on the first ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1 )and second ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) active layers,
wherein the sensor comprises isolation trenches ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 135; [0055], a vertical insulating wall 135 ) extending vertically through at least part of the thickness of the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ), and laterally delimiting in the second active layer islands or mesas ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, [0055], photodiode 133 of the pixel ) forming the infrared detection pixels ( Deneuville, [0055] In the shown example, in each pixel P2 of sensor C2, photodiode 133 of the pixel is totally surrounded with a vertical insulating wall 135 crossing substrate 130 across its entire thickness. Wall 135 particularly has an optical insulation function and may further have an electric insulation function. As an example, vertical insulating wall 135 is made of a dielectric material, for example, silicon oxide ).
Regarding Claim 2, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein said isolation trenches ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 135 ) pass entirely through ( Deneuville, [0055], a vertical insulating wall 135 crossing substrate 130 across its entire thickness ) the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 130; [0032], second semiconductor substrate 130 ).
Regarding Claim 3, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein said isolation trenches ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 135 ) extend over only part ( Deneuville, [0058], The secondary circuits may for example be at least partly arranged inside and on top of the rear surface of the portions of substrate 130 located outside of the vertical insulating walls 135 of the pixels ) of the thickness of the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2; [0032], second sensor C2 ).
Regarding Claim 4, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the second active layer defines, in each infrared detection pixel, a vertical resonant optical cavity for said infrared radiation ( Deneuville, [0052], In this example, the stack of layers 128-126a, 126b-132 forms an antireflection stack favoring the passage of light from each transmissive window F of sensor C1 to the photosensitive region of the underlying pixel P2; [0059], Although this is not shown in FIG. 1, sensor C2 may further, as a variant, comprise a metal shield substantially coating the entire front surface of substrate 130, … The metal shield is for example arranged between substrate 130 and dielectric layer 132. Here again, the function of metal shield is an optical insulation function, aiming at avoiding for light rays received by a pixel P1 close to window F to activate the SPAD photodiode of the corresponding pixel P2. As a variant, the metal shield is not continuous but is formed of a plurality of separate rings respectively surrounding, in top view, the photodetection areas of the different pixels P2 of the sensor. An advantage is that this enables to limit parasitic light reflections by the metal shield towards the pixels P1 of sensor C1 ).
Regarding Claim 5, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the first active layer and the second active layer are separated by a non-metallic interface layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 126a, 126b; [0049], layer 126a, layer 126b ), the interface layer being in contact, by a first face ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 126a ), with the first active layer and, by a second face ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 126b ), with the second active layer ( Deneuville, [0049], For this purpose, sensor C1 comprises a layer 126a, for example, made of silicon oxide, coating its rear surface. Further, sensor C2 comprises a layer 126b of same nature as layer 126a, for example, of silicon oxide, coating its front surface. The rear surface of layer 126a is placed into contact with the front surface of layer 126b to perform a molecular bonding of sensor C2 to sensor C1 ).
Regarding Claim 6, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 5, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the interface layer is made of silicon oxide ( Deneuville, [0049], sensor C1 comprises a layer 126a, for example, made of silicon oxide, … sensor C2 comprises a layer 126b of same nature as layer 126a, for example, of silicon oxide, … ).
Regarding Claim 7, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 5, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the interface layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 126a, 126b ) comprises electrical routing elements ( Deneuville, [0049], sensor C1 comprises a layer 126a … sensor C2 comprises a layer 126b; [0035], Sensor C1 further comprises an interconnection stack 110, formed of alternated dielectric and conductive layers coating the rear surface of substrate 100, where electric connection tracks and/or terminals 111 connecting pixels P1 of the sensor to a peripheral control and power supply circuit, not shown, are formed; [0053], Sensor C2 further comprises an interconnection stack 140, formed of alternated dielectric and conductive layers coating the rear surface of substrate 130, having electric connection tracks and/or terminals 141 connecting pixels P2 of the sensor to a peripheral control and power supply circuit, not shown, formed therein ) made of doped polycrystalline silicon.
Regarding Claim 8, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the first active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1 ) is made of silicon ( Deneuville, [0031], a first sensor C1 formed inside and on top of a first semiconductor substrate 100, for example, a single crystal silicon substrate ).
Regarding Claim 9, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) is made of an inorganic semiconductor material ( Deneuville, [0032] a second sensor C2 formed inside and on top of a second semiconductor substrate 130, for example, a single crystal silicon substrate ).
Regarding Claim 10, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) contains germanium or silicon ( Deneuville, [0032] a second sensor C2 formed inside and on top of a second semiconductor substrate 130, for example, a single crystal silicon substrate ), for example a silicon-germanium alloy (Site), a silicon-germanium- carbon alloy (SiGeC).
Regarding Claim 11, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
wherein the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) contains InGaAs or any other sensing semiconductor material from the III-V semiconductor ( Deneuville, [0003], As an example, the pixels of such a sensor may use SPAD-type photodiodes (single photon avalanche diodes); [0018], According to an embodiment, each depth pixel of the second sensor comprises a SPAD-type photodiode ) family.
Regarding Claim 12, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
comprising a reflective layer ( Deneuville, [0094], embodiments where each depth pixel P2 of sensor C2 comprises a SPAD-type photodiode have been described hereabove. … the depth pixel may be formed in any other technology adapted to the implementation of a measurement of the time of flight of a light signal emitted by a light source and reflected by the scene ), for example made of metal ( Deneuville, [0055], As a variant, vertical insulating wall 135 is a multilayer wall comprising … or a plurality of intermediate layers comprising at least one metal layer; [0059] Although this is not shown in FIG. 1, sensor C2 may further, as a variant, comprise a metal shield substantially coating the entire front surface of substrate 130 ) or a doped semiconductor material, on the side of the face of the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) opposite the first active layer.
Regarding Claim 13, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
further comprising a doped semiconductor layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 132; [0051], a layer 132 of a material having a refraction index different from that of layers 126a and 126b, for example, a layer made of the same material as layer 128, for example, silicon nitride ; [0059], The metal shield is for example arranged between substrate 130 and dielectric layer 132 ) arranged between the first active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1 ) and the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) and electrically connecting ( Deneuville, [0088], layer 132 is in contact, by its lower surface, with the upper surface of thinned substrate 130 and of vertical insulating walls 135; [0055], As a variant, vertical insulating wall 135 is a multilayer wall comprising … one or a plurality of intermediate layers comprising at least one metal layer ), via their face facing the first active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1 ), the infrared detection pixels ( Deneuville, [0034], The return light signal reflected by the scene is captured by depth pixels P2 of sensor C2 ) of the sensor.
Regarding Claim 14, Deneuville teaches the sensor as claimed in claim 1, on which this claim is dependent, Deneuville further teaches:
comprising conductive vias ( [0055], As a variant, vertical insulating wall 135 is a multilayer wall comprising … one or a plurality of intermediate layers comprising at least one metal layer ) extending vertically through the isolation trenches ( Deneuville, [0055], a vertical insulating wall 135 crossing substrate 130 across its entire thickness ), and electrically connecting active elements of the visible detection pixels to the control integrated circuit ( Deneuville, [0053], Sensor C2 further comprises an interconnection stack 140, formed of alternated dielectric and conductive layers coating the rear surface of substrate 130, having electric connection tracks and/or terminals 141 connecting pixels P2 of the sensor to a peripheral control and power supply circuit, not shown, formed therein; [0035], Sensor C1 further comprises an interconnection stack 110… where electric connection tracks and/or terminals 111 connecting pixels P1 of the sensor to a peripheral control and power supply circuit, not shown, are formed ).
Regarding Independent Claim 15, Deneuville teaches a method for manufacturing a visible and infrared image sensor, comprising the following successive steps:
a) providing a first active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1; [0031], sensor C1 comprising a plurality of 2D image pixels P1 ) for detecting visible radiation ( Deneuville, [0034], The pixels P1 of sensor C1 are capable of capturing the visible light emitted by the scene to form a 2D image of the scene ), in which a plurality of visible detection pixels ( Deneuville, [0034], The pixels P1 of sensor C1 are capable of capturing the visible light ) are defined;
b) attaching, by direct bonding ( Deneuville, [0049] In this example, the rear surface of sensor C1 is bonded to the front surface of sensor C2 by molecular bonding ), to the first active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1 ) a second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2; [0032], sensor C2 being placed against the back side of sensor C1 and comprising a plurality of a pixels of depth P2 respectively arranged opposite windows F of sensor C1, each pixel of depth P2 comprising a SPAD-type photodiode ) for detecting infrared radiation ( Deneuville, [0034], in near infrared, for example, in the range from 700 to 1,000 μm. In operation, the light signal generated by the light source is emitted towards the scene (for example, via one or a plurality of lenses), in the form of light pulses, for example, periodic pulses. The return light signal reflected by the scene is captured by depth pixels P2 of sensor C2 );
c) forming isolation trenches ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 135; [0055], a vertical insulating wall 135 ) extending laterally through the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ), and laterally delimiting in the second active layer islands or mesas ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, [0055], photodiode 133 of the pixel ) defining a plurality of infrared detection pixels ( Deneuville, [0055] In the shown example, in each pixel P2 of sensor C2, photodiode 133 of the pixel is totally surrounded with a vertical insulating wall 135 crossing substrate 130 across its entire thickness. Wall 135 particularly has an optical insulation function and may further have an electric insulation function. As an example, vertical insulating wall 135 is made of a dielectric material, for example, silicon oxide ) in the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ); and
d) arranging, on the side of the face of the second active layer ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) opposite the first active layer, a control integrated circuit ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, 140, 141, 150; [0053], an interconnection stack 140, formed of alternated dielectric and conductive layers coating the rear surface of substrate 130, having electric connection tracks and/or terminals 141 connecting pixels P2 of the sensor to a peripheral control and power supply circuit, not shown; [0062], a support substrate 150, for example, a silicon substrate. As a variant, the support substrate may be replaced with an additional control and processing circuit (not shown) ) superimposed on the first ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C1 ) and second ( Deneuville, FIG. 1, C2 ) active layers.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Da-Wei Lee whose telephone number is (703)756-1792. The examiner can normally be reached M -̶ F 8:00 am -̶ 6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marlon Fletcher can be reached at 571-272-2063. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DA-WEI LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/MARLON T FLETCHER/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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