DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/28/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Independent claims 1 and 16 have been amended to incorporate features of dependent claim 3, previously rejected under references Minari and Ogawa. Applicant argues that Ogawa does not explicitly teach “that the diffusion region 6 is in the sidewall of each of the emitter layer 3 and the base layer 4, and also does not teach or suggest that the diffusion region 6 in sidewall of each of the emitter layer 3 is thicker than the diffusion region 6 in sidewall of the collector layer 10”, and that the diffused region is not formed within the base layer 4 itself (Remarks, p. 14).
A portion of Ogawa Fig. 1(B) is reproduced below. Ogawa at [0077] states that “The Zn diffused region 6 is formed in a ring shape in plan view as it is formed in the entire circumference along the exposed sidewall of the mesa structure 7. In other words, when taking a cross section parallel to the substrate 12 at any height of the mesa structure 7, the ring shape diffused region 6 is found there”, which includes emitter layer 3 and base layer 4. Further, Applicant has not argued the combination of references together or the motivation provided. The rejection is maintained.
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2, 7-8, and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minari (WO2018212175, cited in IDS, citations to U.S. PGPub 2020/0219908 for convenience) in view of Ogawa (U.S. PGPub 2011/0193133).
Regarding claim 1, Minari teaches a solid state imaging element comprising: a photoelectric conversion layer containing a compound semiconductor material, two semiconductor layers laminated and disposed on an opposite side of a light incident surface of the photoelectric conversion layer, wherein the two semiconductor layers includes a first semiconductor layer containing impurities of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer containing impurities of a second conductivity type, and the first conductivity type is different from the second conductivity type; and a diffusion layer in a sidewall of each of the photoelectric conversion layer and the two semiconductor layers, wherein the two semiconductor layers have a width in a plane direction excluding the diffusion layer in the sidewall of layer of the two semiconductor layers, wherein the width of the two semiconductor layers is narrower than a width of the photoelectric conversion layer in a plane direction excluding the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer (conversion layer 14, [0110], first semiconductor layer 12, n-type, second semiconductor layer 13, p-type, [0114], diffusion layer D, p-type, [0172]-[0180], [0108], [0181]-[0183], Fig. 25).
Minari does not explicitly teach wherein the diffusion layer contains impurities of an impurity concentration higher than an impurity concentration of the two semiconductor layers.
Minari teaches wherein the impurity concentration of the diffusion layer is controlled within a range of 1×1017 cm−3 to 5×1019 cm−3 to reduce dark currents and wherein within the range the concentration is controlled to be high enough suppress dark current and low enough not to cause crystal defects ([0114]). Therefore, the impurity concentration of the diffusion layer is a result-effective variable. Mere optimization of a result effective variable is prima facie obvious. See MPEP 2144.05IIB.
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date to modify the teachings of Minari such that the diffusion layer contains impurities of an impurity concentration higher than an impurity concentration of the two semiconductor layers.
Minari does not explicitly teach wherein the diffusion layer in the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer.
Ogawa teaches two semiconductor layers comprising a p-n junction formed on a photoelectric conversion layer, a diffusion layer disposed in sidewalls of the photoelectric conversion layer and the two semiconductor layers, wherein the diffusion layer in the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer (Fig. 1(B), 3, 4, 41, 6, [0074]-[0076]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Ogawa with Minari such that the diffusion layer in the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer for the purpose of setting back the p-n junction to reduce influence of leakage currents (Ogawa, [0059], [0081], [0100]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches wherein the second semiconductor layer is disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the photoelectric conversion layer, and the diffusion layer includes the impurities of the second conductivity type having the impurity concentration higher than an impurity concentration of the second semiconductor layer (Minari, Fig. 25, [0114], see rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches wherein the width in the plane direction of the two semiconductor layers including the diffusion layer in the sidewall of each layer of the two semiconductor layers is continuously narrowed from the side of the light incident surface of the photoelectric conversion layer including the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer toward the two semiconductor layers (Minari, Fig. 25).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches wherein the second semiconductor layer is between the first semiconductor layer and the photoelectric conversion layer (Minari, [0108]), the solid-state imaging element further comprises a first insulating film on the first semiconductor layer and inside the first semiconductor layer in plan view from an opposite side of the light incident surface (Minari, Fig. 25, [0119]), and the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the first semiconductor layer is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the second semiconductor layer (Ogawa, Fig. 1(B)).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches wherein the two semiconductor layers each including the diffusion layer in the sidewalls have a width in the plane direction gradually narrowed from the photoelectric conversion layer including the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the diffusion layer (Minari, Fig. 25).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches wherein the diffusion layer in the sidewall of each layer of the two semiconductor layers has a thickness substantially same as a thickness of the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer (Minari, Fig. 25).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches wherein the diffusion layer in the sidewall of each layer of the two semiconductor layers is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer (Ogawa, Fig. 1(B)).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches an electrode wherein the two semiconductor layers are between the electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer, the photoelectric conversion layer is configured to photoelectrically convert charges, and the electrode is configured to read out charges photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion layer, and wherein the diffusion layer in the sidewall of each layer of the two semiconductor layers is close to the electrode while being spaced apart from the electrode (Minari, Fig. 25, 11, [0106]-[0107]).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches an electrode, wherein the two semiconductor layers are between the electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer, the photoelectric conversion layer is configured to photoelectrically convert charges, and the electrode is configured to read out the charges photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion layer (Minari, 11, [0106]-[0107]) and a fourth semiconductor layer between the two semiconductor layers and the electrode, wherein the fourth semiconductor layer has a conductivity type different from a conductivity type of the photoelectric conversion layer, wherein the diffusion layer of the sidewall of each layer of the two semiconductor layers is disposed so as to be close to the fourth semiconductor layer while being spaced apart from the fourth semiconductor layer (Minari, Fig. 47, 33, [0236]-[0238]). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill to modify the teachings of Minari to include the contact layer for the purpose of making it easier to read out signal charges (Minari, [0238]).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Minari and Ogawa teaches wherein the two semiconductor layers have band gap energy larger than band gap energy of the photoelectric conversion layer (Minari, [0130]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minari (WO2018212175, cited in IDS, citations to U.S. PGPub 2020/0219908 for convenience) in view of Suzuki (U.S. PGPub 2020/0292391).
Regarding claim 16, Minari teaches a manufacturing method of a solid-state imaging element, the manufacturing method comprising: forming a laminate of a photoelectric conversion layer that includes a compound semiconductor material and two semiconductor layers that includes a first semiconductor layer containing impurities of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer containing impurities of a second conductivity type, and the first conductivity type is different from the second conductivity type, forming a first groove that exposes sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers and a sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer; (Fig. 23A, 14, 12, 13, G1, [0174]-[0176], [0018]; Fig. 24, [0182]), and forming a diffusion layer in the sidewalls of the photoelectric conversion layer and the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers, the diffusion layer includes impurities of an impurity concentration higher than an impurity concentration of the two semiconductor layers (Figs. 23B, 24; [0179], [0183]) but does not explicitly teach removing a part of the two semiconductor layers from a side of the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers.
Suzuki teaches forming a laminate including a photoelectric conversion layer, forming a first groove that exposes sidewalls of the laminate, and removing a part of the sidewalls of the laminate (Fig. 2B, [0056]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Suzuki with Minari such that the method comprises removing a part of the two semiconductor layers from a side of the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers for the purpose of removing damage formed during mesa etching (Suzuki, [0056]).
Minari does not explicitly teach wherein the diffusion layer in the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer.
Ogawa teaches two semiconductor layers comprising a p-n junction formed on a photoelectric conversion layer, a diffusion layer disposed in sidewalls of the photoelectric conversion layer and the two semiconductor layers, wherein the diffusion layer in the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer (Fig. 1(B), 3, 4, 41, 6, [0074]-[0076]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Ogawa with Minari such that the diffusion layer in the sidewalls of the two semiconductor layers is thicker than the diffusion layer in the sidewall of the photoelectric conversion layer for the purpose of setting back the p-n junction to reduce influence of leakage currents (Ogawa, [0059], [0081], [0100]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 10, 14-15, and 17-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Reasons for allowability of these claims were provided in the Office action dated 1/28/26 and remain valid.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/ALIA SABUR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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