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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/12/2025 is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Aran et al. (US 20220365024 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Aran et al. discloses a system, the system comprising:
a silicon substrate 129 covered in an insulating layer 119 (not shown in Fig. 4 but shown in Fig. 7: 119, 129, paragraph 0179), configured with:
an array 403 of sensors 406 (Fig. 4: 403, 406, paragraph 0167);
a plurality of drain terminals 402 (Fig. 4: 402, paragraph 0169);
and a source terminal 412 (Fig. 4: 412, paragraph 0170),
wherein: each drain terminal 402 of the plurality of drain terminals 402 is configured to be electrically connected to a sensor 406 of the array 403 of sensors 406 (Fig. 4: 402, 406, 403, paragraph 0169),
the source terminal 412 is configured to be electrically connected, via a common line, to each sensor 406 of the array 403 of sensors 406 (Fig. 4: 412, 403, 406, paragraph 0170),
and the common line traverses the array of sensors in a serpentine pattern (Fig. 4: 412, paragraph 0170).
Regarding Claim 2, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the array 403 of sensors 406 comprises graphene sensors (paragraph 0063).
Regarding Claim 3, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein a sensor 406 of the array 403 of sensors 406 is configured to form a channel between the source terminal 412 and one drain terminal 402 of the plurality of drain terminals 402 (Fig. 4: 412, 402, paragraph 0147, 0167).
Regarding Claim 4, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein a conductivity of a sensor of the array of sensors is determined when an electric field applied at a gate terminal 407 (paragraph 0132, 0170, 0250).
Note that paragraphs 0170 and 0250 states a voltage is applied to the gate electrode.
Regarding Claim 5, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein a conductivity of a sensor of the array of sensors is determined according to a biological sample 120 applied to the sensor (see Fig. 7: 120, paragraph 0120).
Regarding Claim 6, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a gate layer 108 on a plane above the silicon substrate 129 (Fig. 7: 108, 129, paragraph 0179, 0180).
Note that the reference gate electrode 127 is formed in the metallization layer 108 and hence layer 108 is interpreted as the gate layer.
Regarding Claim 7, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 6, wherein the gate layer 108 and a sensor, of the array of sensors, are configured to be electrically connected via a biological sample applied to the sensor (paragraph 0063, 0132).
Note that according to paragraphs 0063, the FETs are liquid-gated, meaning that current through the channel is modulated by interaction of ions, molecules, or moieties within the biological sample in the form of a liquid. Thus, the gate layer and the sensor in the channel are electrically coupled through the biological sample via ionic/electrolytic coupling.
Regarding Claim 8, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 6, wherein the gate layer 108 is configured to be electrically connected to a terminal 127 on the silicon substrate 129 (Fig. 7: 108, 127, 129, paragraph 0180).
Regarding Claim 9, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 6, wherein the gate layer 108 comprises a plurality of windows 136 that allow a biological sample 120 to be added to a sensor 106 of the array 103 of sensors 106 (Fig. 7: 136, 108, paragraph 0185).
Note that Fig. 4 does not explicitly show the windows but mentions it in paragraph 0171 as liquid wells 402 (see Fig. 4: 402, paragraph 0171). Fig. 7 reading on a different embodiment shows the windows 136 explicitly in a cross-sectional view and thus is relied upon to teach the above limitations.
Regarding Claim 10, Aran et al. discloses the system of claim 6, wherein: system comprise a cap 134 that covers the array 103 of sensors 106, and the gate layer 108 is applied to the cap 134 (Fig. 7: 134, paragraph 0133, 0185).
Regarding Claim 11, Aran et al. discloses a method, the method comprising:
adding a biological sample 120 onto each sensor 406 in an array 403 of sensors 406 on a silicon substrate 129 (Fig. 4: 129, 120, Fig. 4: 403, 406, paragraph 0152, 0167, 0179) ;
Note that the silicon substrate and the biological sample is not explicitly shown in Fig. 4 but shown in Fig. 7 reading on a different embodiment.
applying a first electrical signal to a common source terminal 412 on the silicon substrate (paragraph 0250),
wherein the common source terminal 412 is electrically connected, via a common line in a serpentine pattern, to each sensor 406 of the array 403 of sensors 406 (Fig. 4: 412, 403, 406, paragraph 0170);
applying a second electrical signal to a common gate terminal 407 on the silicon substrate, and determining a conductivity of a sensor 406 in the array 403 of sensors 406 at a corresponding drain terminal 402 of a plurality of drain terminals 402 (Fig. 4: 407, 402, 403, 406, paragraph 0169, 0170, 0250).
Regarding Claim 12, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the array 403 of sensors 406 comprises graphene sensors (paragraph 0063).
Regarding Claim 13, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein a sensor 406 of the array 403 of sensors 406 is configured to form a channel between the common source terminal 412 and one drain terminal 402 of the plurality of drain terminals 402 (Fig. 4: 412, 402, paragraph 0147, 0167).
Regarding Claim 14, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the conductivities of two or more sensors in the array of sensors are determined in parallel (paragraph 0191).
Note that paragraph 0191 states that the system allows for detection of multiple target analytes simultaneously. For example, one sensor is functionalized to detect a nucleic acid and another to detect a protein. Thus, the system will allow for the conductivities of these two sensors to be determined in parallel in order to detect multiple target analytes simultaneously.
Regarding Claim 15, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the conductivity of the sensor 406 of the array 403 of sensors 406 is determined according to a current measured at the corresponding drain terminal 402 (Fig. 4: 402, 403, 406, paragraph 0250, 0251).
Regarding Claim 16, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the gate terminal 127 is electrically connected to a gate layer 108 on a plane above the silicon substrate 129 (Fig. 7: 108, 127, 129, paragraph 0180).
Note that the reference gate electrode 127 is formed in the metallization layer 108 and hence layer 108 is interpreted as the gate layer.
Regarding Claim 17, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the gate layer 108 and a sensor, of the array of sensors, are configured to be electrically connected via a biological sample applied to the sensor (paragraph 0063, 0132).
Note that according to paragraphs 0063, the FETs are liquid-gated, meaning that current through the channel is modulated by interaction of ions, molecules, or moieties within the biological sample in the form of a liquid. Thus, the gate layer and the sensor in the channel are electrically coupled through the biological sample via ionic/electrolytic coupling.
Regarding Claim 18, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the method comprise covering the silicon substrate 129 with the gate layer 108 (Fig. 7: 129, 108, paragraph 0179).
Regarding Claim 19, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the biological sample 120 is added onto each sensor 106 of the array 103 of sensors 106 via a plurality of windows 136 in the gate layer 108 (Fig. 7: 136, 108, paragraph 0185).
Note that Fig. 4 does not explicitly show the windows but mentions it in paragraph 0171 as liquid wells 402 (see Fig. 4: 402, paragraph 0171). Fig. 7 reading on a different embodiment shows the windows 136 explicitly in a cross-sectional view and thus is relied upon to teach the above limitations.
Regarding Claim 20, Aran et al. discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the method comprises covering the silicon substrate with a cap 134 that covers the array of sensors (paragraph 0133, 0185).
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al. (US 20240376529 A1) discloses a graphene-based FET bio-sensor
Torriceli et al. (US 20230036979 A1) discloses a graphene-based FET bio-sensor
Elias et al. (US 20220136996 A1) discloses a graphene-based FET bio-sensor
Shimomura (US 20130095650 A1) discloses a FET with drain and source electrodes having a serpentine pattern
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAMNA F IQBAL whose telephone number is 571-272-1587. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8.30 am - 5.30 pm EST.
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/HAMNA FATHIMA IQBAL/Examiner, Art Unit 2817 07/14/2026
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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