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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Amendment and Status of Application
This notice is in response to the amendments filed 09 September 2025. Claims 1-14 are pending in the instant application where claims 1-14 have been amended. Examiner notes applicant’s remarks that at least claim 2 was asserted as being anticipated by “Takeishi” – as applicant notes, this was a typographical error which should have read “Tateishi”, and examiner appreciates it being brought to their attention. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome each and every objection and rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in the Non-Final Office Action dated 09 June 2025, and are hereby withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07 September 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding applicant’s argument (remarks page 4 paragraph 1) that while Tateishi describes that the first region 150 has a thickness between 5nm and 50nm and therefore includes four corners, that Tateishi illustrates each corner comprises three planes of the second metal layer 124 intersecting at a vertex, but that Tateishi does not describe a corner that includes three reflection planes and a vertex such that an intersection of the three reflection planes is at the vertex, examiner disagrees. The second metal layer 124 has a reflectance value, and therefore each side forming the second metal layer 124 (in this case each side of the cube shaped recess) has a reflectance value associated with them; therefore, the planes intersecting at a vertex are considered reflection planes and because each vertex results in a meeting of three planes, an intersection of the three reflection planes is at the vertex, as claimed.
Applicant’s inclusion of relevant sections from the specification are noted, but are not persuasive. The stated goal of “preventing reflected light from entering the adjacent pixel 9” is also noted, but is a shared goal of Tateishi, whereby the shape of the second metal layer reduces the amount of leakage light to the adjacent unit cell 120 (Tateishi [0128]).
The remaining arguments (claims 14 and dependent claims 2-13) are dependent on the assertion that Tateishi does not disclose “each of the plurality of recesses includes four corners, each of the four corners is a corner cube including three reflection planes and a vertex, an intersection of the three reflection planes is at the vertex”, and this argument has been addressed in the preceding paragraphs.
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.
Claim 12 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 written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The specification originally filed on 07 September 2023 does not disclose the elements recited in claim 12. Information contained in any one of the specification, claims, or drawings of the application as filed may be added to any other part of the application without introducing new matter. MPEP 2163.06, see also 35 U.S.C. 132 – No amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention.
Regarding claim 12, the claim recites the following limitation “the pixel separation unit extends from the first side of the substrate towards the second side of the substrate”. Claim 1 has indicated that the first side of the substrate is the side of the substrate with a wiring layer and that the second side of the substrate is the side of the substrate with a light receiving surface. However, the claim as written claims that the pixel separation unit is extending from the side with the wiring layer towards the side with the light receiving surface (from first side to second side); neither the specification nor drawings provide support for this direction of extension for the pixel separation unit 31 (i.e. see fig. 3 where pixel separating unit 31 extends from the top of the page towards the bottom of the page).
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-8, 10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2022/0028913 A1 by Yoshinori Tateishi (herein after “Tateishi”).
Regarding claim 1, Tateishi discloses a light detection device, comprising:
a substrate including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0089] disclose a unit cell 120 provided on a substrate 100 [substrate] which includes a microlens, one color filter, at least one light detecting element, etc.; the light detecting element includes a photoelectric conversion film 130 (which spans multiple unit cells 120, seen in fig. 6; thus, a photoelectric conversion unit as claimed is considered as the part of the film 130 within one unit cell – so for a plurality of unit cells 120, a plurality of photoelectric conversion units are contained), and;
a wiring layer on a first side of the substrate, wherein the first side of the substrate is opposite to a second side of the substrate, the second side of the substrate includes a light receiving surface of the substrate (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0089] discloses an interconnection structure 106 and a lower electrode structure 121 [taken together as a wiring layer]; ]; all structure is built upon the substrate (i.e. the substrate “includes” the various components), including a light receiving surface represented here as the upper surface of an upper electrode 132 [the second surface which receives incident light, opposite to the wiring layer] – the wiring layer [on a first side of the substrate] is on an opposite side of said surface of the upper electrode 132),
the wiring layer includes a reflection layer,
the reflection layer overlaps at least a part of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units,
the reflection layer overlaps in a stacking direction of the substrate and the wiring layer (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0092] disclose the lower electrode structure 121 [reflection layer], noted in the preceding limitation to be part of the wiring layer; the layer 121 is shown to overlap at least a part of the photoelectric conversion film 130, where the stacking direction is in a positive y-direction of fig. 6 starting from the substrate [stacking direction in which the substrate and then the wiring layer are stacked]; thus, the entirety of the lower electrode structure 121 overlaps the entirety of the photoelectric conversion film – the lower electrode structure [i.e. the reflection layer] is considered the entirety of the layer in the cross section of fig. 6, including the gaps between each lower electrode, as is shown in the annotated fig. 6 below; [0092] and fig. 7 disclose the lower electrode layer comprises a first metal layer 123 which has a function of reflecting light [i.e. the lower electrode structure reflects light] and a second metal layer 124 which protects the first metal layer – fig. 7 shows the more detailed structure of the lower electrode structure 121 shown in fig. 6), and the reflection layer includes a plurality of recesses on a side of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Tateishi fig. 6 shows a cross-section of the photoelectric conversion device where the cross-section is indicative of a rectangular lower electrode structure, however, figs. 9A-9B show an alternative lower electrode structure where a divot is shown in the middle of the lower electrode structures 121 [the “divots” here are the plurality of recesses, and are on a side of the photoelectric conversion film 130]; the
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divots are disclosed in [0125] as a first region 150; [0124] discloses that the sole change between fig. 6 and fig. 9B is the structure of the light detection element, where all other components are identical and thus the device with lower electrode structure of fig. 9B is effectively the same device as fig. 6 (including having identical reference numerals 121-127),
each of the plurality of recesses includes four corners (Tateishi fig. 9A-9B show a first region 150 as a low point within the lower electrode structure 121 – [0125] i.e. the low point has a thickness that is less than that of the surrounding region 152; the resultant shape of each recess includes four corners shown in fig. 9A and circled below)
each of the four corners is a corner cube including three reflection planes and a vertex (Tateishi fig. 9B as annotated below shows multiple reflection planes labeled with arrows and the filled circle, where a vertex is marked by a square; the boundary between first region 150 and second region 152 is defined by a second metal layer 124 sitting atop a first metal layer 123 which collectively define the lower electrode 122; each corner of the recess therefore has three reflection planes which define it (reflection planes since the recesses are formed within the claimed “reflection layer”))
an intersection of the three reflection planes is at the vertex (Tateishi annotated fig. 9B below shows the intersection of the reflection planes intersecting at the square vertex)
the plurality of recesses is in a plurality of portions of the reflection layer (the lower electrode structure is shown to repeat given the cross section of the light detection device of fig. 6 with the lower electrode structure shown in figs. 9A and 9B, therefore there are a plurality of recesses since there are a plurality of the lower electrode structures; also, [0089] discloses that the number of light detection elements included in a unit cell 120 is not limited – i.e. a plurality of lower electrode structures [and therefore a plurality of recesses in a plurality of portions of the reflection layer] may be included within one unit cell), and
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the plurality of portions overlaps the plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Given the stacking direction identified above as being in the positive y-direction starting at the substrate, the plurality of recesses in a plurality of portions of the reflection layer overlap with the photoelectric conversion layer 130).
Regarding claim 2, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, and further teaches the device wherein a shape of each of the plurality of recesses is a quadrangular prism (Tateishi fig. 9A; the region shown in the figure via a top-down view is a square; a three-dimensional view of that shown in the figure results in a quadrangular prism-shaped recess which comprises four corners (i.e. the same four corners shown in fig. 9A).
Regarding claim 3, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 2, and further teaches the device wherein each of the plurality of recesses includes a plurality of internal sides, and lengths of the plurality of internal sides are the same (Tateishi fig. 9B shows a cross-sectional view of the lower electrode structure where at least two sides are shown [the vertical walls of the recess] and the heights of the corresponding sides of the first region 150 and second region 152 of fig. 9A are shown to be symmetric, and the planar view of 124 in fig. 9A represents the sides of the recess being equal in length [length of the plurality of internal sides are the same]; for support on the symmetric internal dimensions of figs 9A and 9B, the embodiment of figs. 10A and 10B is referenced which show asymmetrical recesses in the lower electrode structure 121, i.e. the internal dimensions of figs. 10A/10B are not necessarily the same).
Regarding claim 5, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, and further teaches the device wherein the reflection layer in includes a plurality of quadrangular prism-shaped protrusions on a surface of the reflection layer, and a side of the surface of the reflection layer is opposite to the first side of the substrate (Takeishi annotated fig. 6 above shows the reflection layer; in the figure, three quadrangular prism shaped protrusions are seen extending from layer 128, in the annotated figure above as being a part of the reflection layer [protrusions are on a surface of the reflection layer]; as the interconnection structure 106 is between the reflection layer and the substrate, the protrusions are on a surface on a side opposite the substrate).
Regarding claim 6, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, and further teaches the device wherein the reflection layer is in the wiring layer (Tateishi fig. 6; the wiring layer comprises the lower electrode 121 [reflection layer] and the interconnection structure 106 – see claim 1; therefore the reflection layer is in the wiring layer).
Regarding claim 7, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, and further teaches the device wherein a part of the reflection layer is in the substrate (Tateishi fig. 6; as disclosed within claim 1 above, the substrate is formed by two sides, the first side being the bottom of the writing layer and the second being the upper electrode 132; the reflection layer is a layer between those first and second sides, and therefore a part of the reflection layer is in the substrate) and the part of the reflection layer is on the first side of the substrate (Tateishi fig. 6; as with claim 1 above, the wiring layer is comprised of the interconnection structure 106 and the lower electrode structure 121 [reflection layer], and the first side of the substrate has been associated with the wiring layer in claim 1 above; therefore, part of the reflection layer is on the first side of the substrate when compared to the light receiving side [second side of the substrate]).
Regarding claim 8, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, and further teaches the device, wherein the reflection layer includes a plurality of reflection plates,
each of the plurality of reflection plates corresponds to a respective photoelectric conversion unit of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Tateishi annotated fig. 6 above shows the reflection layer; as mentioned in claim 1, the reflection layer includes the first and second metal layers 123 and 124 [taken together as a reflection plate], and the reflection layer shown has three pillars, so that there are multiple reflection plates; each corresponds to a unit cell 120 [corresponds to the respective photoelectric conversion unit of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units – i.e. each unit cell]),
at least one reflection plate of the plurality of reflection plates includes the plurality of recesses (Tateishi fig. 9B shows the cross-section for the recessed area first discussed in claim 1; the cross section of fig. 6 shows a plurality of pillars which contain a plurality of reflection plates – therefore, at least one reflection plate (i.e. two reflection plates) include a plurality of recesses (two recesses)), and
each of the plurality of reflection plates is outside a region including a gate electrode of a transistor (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0084] disclose a gate electrode 104 of transistor 101 and the reflection plates (first and second metal layers 123 and 124); the reflection plates are seen on the far side of the wiring layer compared with the gate electrode 104 [i.e. outside a region include a gate electrode of a transistor])
the gate electrode is on the first side of the substrate (Tateishi fig. 6 shows the gate electrode at the bottom of the wiring layer [i.e. on the first side of the substrate]; see claim 1 – the second side of the substrate opposite the first is the upper electrode layer 132 (layer 132 on an opposite side compared to wiring layer)).
Regarding claim 10, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 8, and Tateishi further teaches the device wherein the plurality of recesses is on an outer edge of a surface of the at least one reflection plate (Tateishi figs. 9A and 9B show the recessed portion of the lower electrode portion; each recess is recessed by decreasing the thickness of a central square portion – therefore, the recess is formed on an outer edge of the thicker portion 152 of the second metal layer 124 compared with the thinner portion of the second metal layer 124 [outer edge of a surface of the at least one reflection plate]).
Regarding claim 14, Tateishi discloses an electronic device (Tateishi title discloses a photoelectric conversion device [electronic device]) comprising: a light detection device including a substrate and a wiring layer, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0089] disclose a unit cell 120 provided on a substrate 100 [substrate] which includes a microlens, one color filter, at least one light detecting element, etc.; fig. 6 and [0089] discloses an interconnection structure 106 and a lower electrode structure 121 [taken together as a wiring layer]; the light detecting element includes a photoelectric conversion film 130 (which spans multiple unit cells 120, seen in fig. 6; thus, a photoelectric conversion unit as claimed is considered as the part of the film 130 within one unit cell; so for a plurality of unit cells 120, a plurality of photoelectric conversion units are contained),
the wiring layer is on a first side of the substrate, the first side of the substrate is opposite to a second side of the substrate, the second side of the substrate includes a light receiving surface of the substrate (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0089] discloses an interconnection structure 106 and a lower electrode structure 121 [taken together as a wiring layer]; all structure is built upon the substrate (i.e. the substrate “includes” the various components), including a light receiving surface represented here as the upper surface of an upper electrode 132 [the second surface which receives incident light, opposite to the wiring layer] – the wiring layer [on a first side of the substrate] is on an opposite side of said surface of the upper electrode 132),
the wiring layer includes a reflection layer,
the reflection layer overlaps at least a part of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units,
the reflection layer overlaps in a stacking direction of the substrate and the wiring layer (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0092] disclose the lower electrode structure 121 [reflection layer], noted in the preceding limitation to be part of the wiring layer; the layer 121 is shown to overlap at least a part of the photoelectric conversion film 130, where the stacking direction is in a positive y-direction of fig. 6 starting from the substrate [stacking direction in which the substrate and then the wiring layer are stacked]; thus, the entirety of the lower electrode structure 121 overlaps the entirety of the photoelectric conversion film – the lower electrode structure [i.e. the reflection layer] is considered the entirety of the layer in the cross section of fig. 6, including the gaps between each lower electrode, as is shown in the annotated fig. 6 included within claim 1 above; [0092] and fig. 7 disclose the lower electrode layer comprises a first metal layer 123 which has a function of reflecting light [i.e. the lower electrode structure reflects light] and a second metal layer 124 which protects the first metal layer – fig. 7 shows the more detailed structure of the lower electrode structure 121 shown in fig. 6);
the reflection layer includes a plurality of recesses on a side of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Tateishi fig. 6 shows a cross-section of the photoelectric conversion device where the cross-section is indicative of a rectangular lower electrode structure, however, figs. 9A-9B show an alternative lower electrode structure where a divot is shown in the middle of the lower electrode structures 121 [the “divots” here are the plurality of recesses, and are on a side of the photoelectric conversion film 130]; the divots are disclosed in [0125] as a first region 150; [0124] discloses that the sole change between fig. 6 and fig. 9B is the structure of the light detection element, where all other components are identical and thus the device with lower electrode structure of fig. 9B is effectively the same device as fig. 6 (including having identical reference numerals 121-127),
each of the plurality of recesses includes four corners (Tateishi fig. 9A-9B show a first region 150 as a low point within the lower electrode structure 121 – [0125] i.e. the low point has a thickness that is less than that of the surrounding region 152; the resultant shape of each recess includes four corners shown in fig. 9A and circled below),
each of the four corners is a corner cube including three reflection planes and a vertex (Tateishi fig. 9B as annotated above within claim 1 shows multiple reflection planes labeled with arrows and the filled circle, where a vertex is marked by a square; the boundary between first region 150 and second region 152 is defined by a second metal layer 124 sitting atop a first metal layer 123 which collectively define the lower electrode 122; each corner of the recess therefore has three reflection planes which define it (reflection planes since the recesses are formed within the claimed “reflection layer”)),
an intersection of the three reflection planes is at the vertex (Tateishi annotated fig. 9B below shows the intersection of the reflection planes intersecting at the square vertex),
the plurality of recesses is in a plurality of portions of the reflection layer (the lower electrode structure is shown to repeat given the cross section of the light detection device of fig. 6 with the lower electrode structure shown in figs. 9A and 9B, therefore there are a plurality of recesses since there are a plurality of the lower electrode structures; also, [0089] discloses that the number of light detection elements included in a unit cell 120 is not limited – i.e. a plurality of lower electrode structures [and therefore a plurality of recesses in a plurality of portions of the reflection layer] may be included within one unit cell), and
the plurality of portions overlaps the plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Given the stacking direction identified above as being in the positive y-direction starting at the substrate, the plurality of recesses in a plurality of portions of the reflection layer overlap with the photoelectric conversion layer 130).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 4 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tateishi in view of US 2020/0076999 A1 by Kentaro Akiyama et al. (“Akiyama”).
Regarding claim 4, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1. Tateishi is silent to the light detection device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection layer includes one of polysilicon, tungsten, or copper.
However, Akiyama does address this limitation. Tateishi and Akiyama are considered to be analogous to the present invention because they are in the same field of photoelectric conversion devices.
Akiyama discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, “wherein the reflection layer includes one of polysilicon, tungsten, or copper” (Akiyama [0361] discloses that a light reflection layer includes metallic materials such as copper and/or tungsten; the light reflection layer 93 is shown in fig. 14B as being part of a pillar-like structure similar to the lower electrode structure 121 of Tateishi).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tateishi to incorporate wherein the reflection layer includes one of polysilicon, tungsten, or copper as suggested by Akiyama for the advantage of effectively reflecting any incident light onto the reflection layer, and preventing any transmission of light through the layer (Akiyama [0305]); this maximizes the light directed to the photoelectric conversion layer, and thus increases the amount of photoelectric conversion.
Regarding claim 11, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1. Tateishi is silent to the light detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a refractive index film that covers an inner surface of each of the plurality of recesses.
However, Akiyama does address this limitation.
Akiyama discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, “further comprising a refractive index film that covers an inner surface of each of the plurality of recesses” (Akiyama [0480] discloses that the light reflection layer formed with a light-blocking material layer which has a low complex refractive index [refractive index film] in the wavelength region in which the photoelectric conversion device functions; since the reflective layer of Tateishi comprises recesses, the light-blocking material layer of Akiyama would cover at least the inner surface of the recesses; Tateishi discloses an intermediate layer 128 which is formed on all parts of the reflection layer, and may be modified with the low refractive index layer of Akiyama).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tateishi to incorporate a low refractive index film that covers an inner surface of each of the recesses as suggested by Akiyama for the advantage of effectively reflecting any incident light onto the reflection layer, and preventing any transmission of light through the layer (Akiyama [0305]); this maximizes the light directed to the photoelectric conversion layer, and thus increases the amount of photoelectric conversion.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tateishi in view of US 2019/0280026 A1 by Koichi Takeuchi (“Takeuchi”).
Regarding claim 9, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 8, and further teaches the device comprising: a color filter layer on the second side of the substrate (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0088] disclose a color filter layer 136 disposed on a side of the light receiving surface, i.e. on the upper side of the upper electrode 132 [second side of the substrate]), wherein
the color filter layer includes a plurality of color filters, each of the plurality of color filters corresponds to the respective photoelectric conversion unit of the plurality of photelectric conversion units (Tateishi fig. 6 shows a unique pattern in the color filter layer 136 in each of the unit cells 120 [plurality of color filters each of the plurality of color filters corresponding to respective photoelectric conversion unit]),
the plurality of color filters are configured to transmit light of a specific wavelength, the transmitted light is incident on the plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Tateishi [0088] the color filter layer 136 includes color filters of a plurality of colors [i.e. for each filter, a specific wavelength of light will be allowed through], and light is incident on the photoelectric conversion unit in each of the unit cells 120),
each of the plurality of recesses is associated with a respective color filter of the plurality of color filters (Tateishi fig. 6 and [0088] discloses a color filter layer including color filters of a plurality of colors, represented in the fig as having differing patterns within each unit cell 120; the recess of the lower electrode (see fig. 9A-9B) is associated with a respective color filter [i.e. the color filter through which incident light passes on its way to the lower electrode structure]).
Tateishi is silent to the light detection device according to claim 8, wherein a size of each of the plurality of recesses is associated with a type of the respective color filter.
However, Takeuchi does address this limitation. Tateishi and Takeuchi are considered to be analogous to the present invention because they are in the same field of photoelectric conversion devices.
Takeuchi discloses the light detection device according to claim 8, “wherein a size of each of the plurality of recesses is associated with a type of the respective color filter” (Takeuchi fig. 2 and [0076] disclose a plurality of recesses formed within a substrate, and are different depending on the color filter associated with the recesses; fig. 24 shows a plurality of recesses within a substrate with different dimensions depending on color – i.e. 66nm for red wavelength, 42nm for blue wavelength etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tateishi to incorporate wherein a size of each of the plurality of recesses is associated with a type of the respective color filter as suggested by Takeuchi for the advantage of efficiently condensing the light transmitted through each of the color filters into a photoelectric conversion element without diffracting the light (Takeuchi [0079]).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tateishi in view of US 2022/0190017 A1 by Jun Sung Park et al. (“Park”) and further in view of US 2016/0111461 A1 by Jung Chok Ahn et al. (“Ahn”).
Regarding claim 12, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1. Tateishi is silent to the light detection device of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a pixel separation unit between adjacent photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and
the pixel separation unit extends from the first side of the substrate towards the second side of the substrate.
However, Park does address this limitation. Tateishi and Park are considered to be analogous to the present invention because they are in the same field of photoelectric conversion devices.
Park discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, “wherein the substrate includes a pixel separation unit between adjacent photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units (Park fig. 5 and [0045] discloses a pixel separation pattern 120 [pixel separation unit] which is shown between adjacent photoelectric conversion units 112).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tateishi to incorporate wherein the substrate includes a pixel separation unit between adjacent photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units as suggested by Park for the advantage of keeping photoelectric conversion elements separate for each specific color filter (i.e. keeping separate photoelectric conversion elements receiving red color patterns R1 from green color patterns G1 (Park [0066]), thereby reducing leakage light to adjacent cells.
Tateishi in view of Park is silent to the light detection device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel separation unit extends from the first side of the substrate towards the second side of the substrate.
However, Ahn does address this limitation. Tateishi, Park, and Ahn are considered to be analogous to the present invention because they are all drawn to light receiving units comprising filters and analog to digital conversion units for detecting light.
Ahn discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, “wherein the pixel separation unit extends from the first side of the substrate towards the second side of the substrate” (see rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) above; Ahn fig. 4 and [0098] discloses a cross-sectional view of a pixel [light detection device] which comprises an incidence layer, and a wiring layer [analogous to the light receiving surface and the wiring layer from Tateishi]; [0087]-[0088] and fig. 4 discloses a shallow trench isolation region (STI) 520 [pixel separation unit]; given the location of the pixel separation unit within Park above, and the location of the STI beginning on the wiring layer and extending up towards the light receiving surface, as required by the claim).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tateishi in view of Park to incorporate wherein the pixel separation unit extends from the first side of the substrate towards the second side of the substrate as suggested by Ahn for the advantage of assisting with the electronic isolation between pixel elements (Ahn [0088]), thereby reducing interference and/or crosstalk between elements.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tateishi in view of Park.
Regarding claim 13, Tateishi discloses the light detection device according to claim 1. Tateishi is silent to the light detection device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a pixel separation unit between adjacent photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and the pixel separation penetrates the substrate.
However, Park does address this limitation.
Park discloses the light detection device according to claim 1, “wherein the substrate includes a pixel separation unit between adjacent photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units” (Park fig. 5 and [0045] discloses a pixel separation pattern 120 [pixel separation unit] which is shown between adjacent photoelectric conversion units 112), “and the pixel separation penetrates the substrate” (Park fig. 5 shows the pixel separation pattern 120 extending from the surface 110a, termed the first face of a substrate 110 [a light receiving surface, as it receives light filtered by the color filter 170 (see [0063])], towards the surface 110b, termed the second face of the substrate 110 on an opposite side to the light receiving surface (as disclosed explicitly in [0053]; Park indicates two substrates – one where the conversion elements are formed and the other on which the entire unit is formed (see fig. 15); one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the photoelectric conversion units of Tateishi may be formed within a “substrate” which contains the upper electrode and said photoelectric conversion units – additionally, the substrate within Tateishi is formed by two sides disclosed as a light receiving surface [analogous to the upper electrode of Tateishi, the second side] and the bottom of the wiring layer [the first side], and therefore a pixel separation unit found between those corresponding layers will “penetrate the substrate”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tateishi to incorporate wherein the substrate includes a pixel separation unit between adjacent photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and the pixel separation penetrates the substrate as suggested by Park for the advantage of keeping photoelectric conversion elements separate for each specific color filter (i.e. keeping separate photoelectric conversion elements receiving red color patterns R1 from green color patterns G1 (Park [0066]), thereby reducing leakage light to adjacent cells.
Documents Considered but not Relied Upon
The following document(s) were considered but not relied up on for the rejection set forth in this action:
US 2015/0069564 A1 by Keisuke Hatano et al.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA M CARLSON whose telephone number is (571)270-0065. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:00AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tarifur R Chowdhury can be reached at (571) 272-2287. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHUA M CARLSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2877 /Michael P LaPage/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877