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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention I and Species II in the reply filed on 09/17/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that claim 1 constitutes a generic claim that encompasses Species II-IV and so supports examination of claims under the generic claim. This is not found persuasive because although examiner agrees with the conclusion that claim 1 is generic to Species II-IV, Claim I is currently rejected as discussed below and the reason for restriction presented in the Restriction still hold so that claims to Species III-IV are currently restricted. Examiner does however note that claims that require all the limitations of a generic claim that is ultimately found allowable will be considered for rejoinder.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: IMAGING APPARATUS WIRING LAYER.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 of this title, 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 1-3 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et. Al. (US 20190181177 A1 hereinafter Kobayashi) and further in view of Yang et. Al. (US 20220173138 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kobayashi teaches in Figs. 20-23 with associated text an apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels (group of 2 or more adjacent units 21); a layer (substrate including 34, 39 and everything therein (Fig. 20-22, [0183]) a first surface (upper surface) and a second surface (lower surface) opposite the first surface, wherein the layer includes a plurality of photodiodes (structures between isolations 39) (Fig. 20-22, [0182]); and a wiring layer 23M disposed on a first surface side (Fig. 20 and 23, [0187]), wherein the wiring layer includes first wiring 63M1 and second wiring 52M1 (Fig. 20 and 23, [0187]), and wherein a width of the first wiring (first width) disposed between the second wiring of the first photodiode and the second wiring of the second photodiode is greater than a width of the first wiring (second width) disposed between the plurality of pixels in the first direction (see annotated Fig. below).
Kobayashi does not specify each of the plurality of pixels includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode located adjacent to the first photodiode 13 in a first direction, and a microlens disposed on a second surface side so as to be common to the first photodiode and the second photodiode,
Yang discloses in Figs. 1-2A and 16 with associated text each of a plurality of pixels includes a first photodiode (13 of B4 for example), a second photodiode (13 of A5 for example) located adjacent to the first photodiode in a first direction, and a microlens 31 disposed on a second surface side so as to be common to the first photodiode and the second photodiode (Figs. 1 and 2A, [0063] and [0075])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the microlens and photodiode arrangement of Yang in the apparatus of Kobayashi because according to Yang by using such an arrangement the incident light will be stronger on the center than on the periphery of the pixel array PA due to the (converging) light-adjusting structure 31. For pixel uniformity, the aperture ratio of each pixel may be modified to improve the pixel uniformity [0078]).
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Regarding claim 2, Kobayashi teaches the first wiring provides a voltage to one of terminals of the photodiode, and the second wiring provides a voltage to the other terminal ([0185] and [0186]).
Regarding claim 3, Kobayashi teaches the first photodiode includes a first region (32a and 32) of a first conductivity type and a second region (33 through 34) of a second conductivity type configured to form PN junction with the first region (Figs. 20-22, [0118]) in this order from the first surface side, and wherein the second wiring of the first photodiode overlaps the first region of the first photodiode in plan view (Fig. 20).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON J GRAY whose telephone number is (571)270-7629. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Toledo Fernando can be reached on 5712721867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AARON J GRAY/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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