DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This office action is in response to application filed on 09/07/2023.
Currently claims 1-8 are pending in the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/07/2023 was filed before the mailing date of the office action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement was considered by the examiner.
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 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 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by US 2021/0036176 A1 (Fujimoto).
Regarding claim 1, Fujimoto discloses, a light receiving device (100; optical semiconductor element; Fig. 2; [0049]) including an element portion (as annotated on Fig. 2; [0049]) in which at least a first contact layer (22; first contact layer), a light absorbing layer (3; light-receiving layer), and a second contact layer (42; second contact layer) are laminated in this order on a substrate (1) (Fig. 2; [0049], [0052], [0056]), comprising:
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a first insulating portion (91; first insulating film) covering the substrate (1) and the element portion (Fig. 2; [0049], [0082]); and
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a separation portion (vertical portion of 92, second insulating film; Fig. 24; [0082]) being formed by a second insulating portion (92) perpendicularly to a substrate surface (horizontal surface of 1) between a pad region (left and right sides of element portion) and an element region (light receiving element) including the element portion (Fig. 2; [0049], [0082]),
Note: Both Fig. 2 and Fig. 24 are part of first embodiment.
the second insulating portion (92) being made of a material different from a material of the first insulating portion (91) (different refractive indices; [0082]),
the pad region (left and right sides of element portion) including a first pad (7; first lead-out wire) connected with the first contact layer (22) via an electrode wiring (5; first contact electrode) or a second pad (8; second lead-out wire) connected with the second contact layer (42) via an electrode wiring (6; second contact electrode) (Fig. 2; [0049]).
Regarding claim 2, Fujimoto discloses, the light receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating portion (91) is covered with the second insulating portion (92) (Fig. 24; [0082]).
Regarding claim 3, Fujimoto discloses, the light receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the separation portion (vertical portion of 92) has a wall shape filled with the material of the second insulating portion (92) (Fig. 24; [0082]).
Regarding claim 4, Fujimoto discloses, the light receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the separation portion (vertical portion of 92) includes the second insulating portion (92) that covers a side surface of the pad region (as evident in Figs. 2 and 24), and the second insulating portion (92) that covers a side surface of the element region (as evident in Figs. 2 and 24).
Regarding claim 6, Fujimoto discloses, the light receiving device according to claim 1, wherein entirety except the first pad (7) and the second pad (8) is covered with the second insulating portion (92) (Figs. 2 and 24; [0082]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 7-8 are objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent forms including all of the limitations of the base claims and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 5, the closest prior art, US 2021/0036176 A1 (Fujimoto), fails to disclose, “the light receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating portion has a pattern shape including an internal angle larger than 900 in a surface parallel to the substrate”, in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 7, the closest prior art, US 2021/0036176 A1 (Fujimoto), fails to disclose, “the light receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the element portion has a cylindrical mesa structure, and the light receiving device is a semiconductor light receiving device that is connected with the second pad and has a reflective electrode formed on the second contact layer”, in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 8, the closest prior art, US 2021/0036176 A1 (Fujimoto), fails to disclose, “the light receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating portion is made of a polymer material, and the second insulating portion is made of an inorganic insulating material including any one of SiN, SiO2, and WSiN, or a multilayer film of SiN, SiO2, and WSiN”, in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Examiner’s Note
The examiner included a few prior arts which were not used in the rejection but are relevant to the disclosure.
US 2014/0001592 A1 (Yamabi) - A semiconductor light-receiving element is disclosed including a light-receiving portion that is provided on a semi-insulating substrate and has a mesa shape in which semiconductor layers are laminated; a lamination structure of insulating films that is provided on a part of a side face of the light-receiving portion and has a structure in which a first insulating film comprised of a silicon nitride film, a second insulating film comprised of a silicon oxynitride film and a third insulating film comprised of a silicon nitride film are laminated in contact with each other; and a resin film that is provided adjacent to the light-receiving portion, the resin film being sandwiched in or between any of the first insulating film, the second insulating film and the third insulating film.
US 11,916,027 B2 (Fuji) - An isolator is disclosed including first and second electrodes, first and second insulating portions, and a first dielectric portion. The first insulating portion is provided on the first electrode. The second electrode is provided on the first insulating portion. The second insulating portion is provided around the second electrode along a first plane perpendicular to a first direction. The second insulating portion contacts the second electrode. The first dielectric portion is provided between the first and second insulating portions. At least a portion of the first dielectric portion contacts the second electrode and is positioned around the second electrode along the first plane.
US 11,133,427 B2 (Iguchi) - A light receiving device is disclosed including a substrate, a first contact layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, a light receiving layer disposed on the first contact layer, an intermediate layer disposed on the light receiving layer, a wide-gap layer having a pn junction disposed on the intermediate layer, a second contact layer disposed on the wide-gap layer, and a groove formed for pixel isolation by removing the second contact layer and part of the wide-gap layer, wherein the intermediate layer has a wider band gap than the light receiving layer, and wherein the wide-gap layer has a wider band gap than the intermediate layer.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to S M SOHEL IMTIAZ whose telephone number is (408) 918-7566. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5PM, M-F, PST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine S. Kim can be reached at 571-272-8458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S M SOHEL IMTIAZ/Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2812
11/03/2025