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 .
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 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 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.
Claims 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 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.
In claim 3 ll. 2 it is indefinite as to whether the limitation “photodetection layer is positioned on a top side of the voltage drain” means the layer is on top of the drain or is position adjacent to the drain.
In claim 3 ll. 4-5 it is indefinite as to what the limitation “voltage source is positioned on a top side of the voltage source” means.
Claims 4-6 do not clear up the deficiencies in claim 3.
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.
Claims 1-10 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zheng (US 2021/0111349).
With regard to claim 1, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses an apparatus 200 comprising: a photodetection layer 227, wherein: the photodetection layer 227 comprises one 205 or more photodetection materials (“single wall carbon nanotube 205”, par [0097]), and the photodetection layer 227 is configured to generate a photoresponse in response to an incident source (“absorbs light”, par [0076]); a voltage source 223 electrically connected with the photodetection layer 227; and a voltage drain 225 electrically connected with the voltage source 223 and the photodetection layer 227, wherein the voltage drain 225 and the voltage source 223 are configured to measure the photoresponse (“flow electrical current from absorption of a photon”, par [0077]) generated by the photodetection layer 227, wherein a photoresponse matrix 200 associated with the apparatus 200 is configured with values determined based at least in part on the photoresponse (“flow electrical current from absorption of a photon”, par [0077]) of the photodetection layer 227 generated in response to one or more applied electrical voltage biases 230 to tune (“mediate electrical current conductivity across single wall carbon nanotube 205”, par [0096]) photodetection layer 227 properties of the photodetection layer 227.
With regard to claim 2, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the voltage source 223 and the voltage drain 225 each comprise a conductive metal (“Source electrode 223 and drain electrode 225 are electrically conductive and can be a metal”, par [0096]).
With regard to claim 3, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses a base substrate 221, wherein the voltage drain 225 is positioned on a top side of the base substrate 221, the photodetection layer 227 is positioned a top side of the voltage drain 225, and the voltage source 223 is positioned on a top side of the voltage source 223; and a plurality of quantum well structures 205 defined by the photodetection layer 227.
With regard to claim 4, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses the plurality of quantum well structures 205 further comprise a plurality of quantum well groups each of which is associated with a peak absorption wavelength (“wavelengths of light”, par [0080]).
With regard to claim 5, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the base substrate 221 comprises a group III- group IV material (“Substrate 221 can include an element from group III”, par [0079]), silicon, or germanium.
With regard to claim 6, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the base substrate 221 is configured to epitaxially grow (“grown”, par [0122]) the plurality of quantum wells (“CNT arrays”, par [0122]).
With regard to claim 7, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the apparatus further comprising a first gate electrode 230 configured to apply an electrical voltage bias (“electrical bias to gate electrode 230”, par [0077]) to the photodetection layer 227.
With regard to claim 8, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the top surface of the first gate electrode 230 comprises a mirror configured to reflect at least a portion of the incident source to the photodetection layer 227.
With regard to claim 9, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses a dielectric layer (“substrate 221 can be, e.g., silicon dioxide”, par [0079]) is positioned between the voltage source 223 and the first gate electrode 230 and the voltage drain 224 and the first gate electrode 230. With regard to claim 10, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the photodetection layer 227 is suspended above the mirror 230 by a separation distance (distant between bottom of 227 and top of 230), and wherein the photodetection layer 227 is substantially parallel with respect to the mirror 230.
With regard to claim 12, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the photodetection layer 227 comprises one 205 or more nanostructures configured to extend from a first end 224 of the photodetection layer 227 to a second end 226 of the photodetection layer 227.
With regard to claim 13, figs. 1-2 of Zheng discloses 1-2 of Zheng discloses that the one 205 or more nanostructures each define a nanostructure width (width of 205) and are separated by a nanostructure separation distance (distance between 205).
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.
Claims 11 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng (US 2021/0111349) in view Beechem, III et al. (US 9,293,627) (“Beechem”).
With regard to claim 11, Zheng does not disclose that the separation distance ranges between approximately 0.1-10 micron.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that the separation distance (“locate the back gate 12 about 100 nm away from the graphene 15”, col. 4 ll. 20-21) ranges between approximately 0.1-10 micron (“about 100 nm” col. 4 ll. 20-21).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the gate insulating layer of Zheng with the thickness as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
With regard to claim 14, Zheng does not disclose that a second gate electrode configured to apply an electrical voltage bias to the photodetection layer either in addition to or in lieu of the electrical voltage bias applied by the first gate electrode.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that a second gate electrode 12 configured to apply an electrical voltage bias to the photodetection layer 15 either in addition to or in lieu of the electrical voltage bias applied by the first gate electrode 12.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the photodetector of Zheng with the top gate as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
With regard to claim 15, Zheng does not disclose that the photodetection layer is positioned between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that the photodetection layer 15 is positioned between the first gate electrode 12 and the second gate electrode 19.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the photodetector of Zheng with the top gate as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
With regard to claim 16, Zheng does not disclose that the voltage source and voltage drain are positioned between the second gate electrode and the photodetection layer.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that the voltage source 16 and voltage drain 17 electrode are positioned between the second gate electrode 19 and the photodetection layer 15.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the photodetector of Zheng with the top gate as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
With regard to claim 17, Zheng does not disclose a bottom surface of the second gate electrode comprises a dielectric layer such that the second gate electrode is electrically isolated from the voltage source and voltage drain.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that a bottom surface (bottom of 19) of the second gate electrode 19 comprises a dielectric layer 18 such that the second gate electrode 19 is electrically isolated from the voltage source 16 and voltage drain 17.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the photodetector of Zheng with the top gate as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
With regard to claim 18, Zheng does not disclose that the photodetection layer is positioned between a top dielectric layer and a bottom dielectric layer.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that the photodetection layer 15 is positioned between a top dielectric layer 18 and a bottom dielectric layer 11.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the photodetector of Zheng with the top gate as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
With regard to claim 19, fig. 2 of Zheng discloses that the bottom dielectric layer comprises one or more of boron nitride, silicon oxide (“silicon dioxide”, par [0079]), silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, or hafnium oxide.
Zhen does not disclose that the top dielectric layer comprises one or more of boron nitride, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, or hafnium oxide.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that the top dielectric layer 18 comprises one or more of boron nitride, silicon oxide (“SiO2”, col. 4 ll. 30), silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, or hafnium oxide.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the photodetector of Zheng with the top gate as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
With regard to claim 20, Zheng does not disclose that the photodetection layer is positioned between a top dielectric layer and a bottom dielectric layer.
However, fig. 2a of Beechem discloses that the photodetection layer 15 is positioned between a top dielectric layer 18 and a bottom dielectric layer 11.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the photodetector of Zheng with the top gate as taught in Beechem in order to provide a tunable BLG-based detector comprises a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) structure with enhanced absorption. See col. 3 ll. 53-55 of Beechem.
Conclusion
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/BENJAMIN TZU-HUNG LIU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893