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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yokozawa (US 2006/0187381).
In reference to claim 1, Yokozawa (US 2006/0187381), hereafter “Yokozawa,” discloses an imaging device, with reference to Figure 1, comprising:
a first photoelectric conversion region, 103 at middle, disposed in a semiconductor substrate 101;
a second photoelectric conversion region, 103 at left, disposed in the semiconductor substrate 101 and adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion region, paragraph 73;
a first color filter 110B disposed on a light incident surface side of the first photoelectric conversion region;
a second color filter 110G disposed on a light incident surface side of the second photoelectric conversion region; and
a third color filter 109G disposed between the second photoelectric conversion region and the second color filter, paragraphs 77 and 78,
a first film 108 disposed between the first color filter 101B and the first photoelectric conversion region 103 and disposed between the second color filter 110G and the second photoelectric conversion region 103,
wherein the first film is in contact with the first color filter, the second color filter and the third color filter.
In reference to claim 2, Yokozawa discloses the first film 108 is formed of at least one of SiO2, SiN, SiON, SiCN, or SiOC, paragraph 75 (SiON).
In reference to claim 3, Yokozawa discloses wherein, in a cross-sectional view, a first width of the third color filter at a first side of the third color filter that is closer to the second color filter is greater than a second width of the third color filter at a second side of the third color filter that is closer to the second photoelectric conversion region, Figure 1.
In reference to claims 5-7, Yokozawa discloses a light-blocking film, 107, wherein, in the cross-sectional view, the light-blocking film is disposed adjacent a boundary line between the first and second photoelectric conversion regions and along a boundary line between the first and second color filters, wherein the light- blocking film is a material film, paragraph 75.
In reference to claim 15, Yokozawa discloses a first on-chip lens 112 disposed on a light incident surface side of the first color filter 110B; and a second on-chip lens 112 disposed on a light incident surface side of the second color filter 110G, paragraph 79.
In reference to claims 16 and 17, Yokozawa discloses the first color filter 110B is disposed between the first on-chip lens 112 and the first photoelectric conversion region 103, and
wherein the second and third color filters 110G, 109G are disposed between the second on-chip lens 112 and the second photoelectric conversion region 103, paragraph 79.
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 8-11, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokozawa (US 2006/0187381) in view of Oota et al. (US 2020/0013821).
In reference to claims 8 and 18, Yokozawa does not disclose an infrared-light attenuation filter disposed between the first photoelectric conversion region and the first color filter in the cross-sectional view.
Oota et al. (US 2020/0013821) discloses an imaging device including teaching an infrared-light attenuation filter, 22 in Figure 7, disposed between the first photoelectric conversion region (in substrate 1, paragraph 68) and the first color filter 31 in the cross-sectional view, paragraphs 126 and 127. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention an infrared-light attenuation filter to be disposed between the first photoelectric conversion region and the first color filter in the cross-sectional view. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce noise in a color sensing pixel by filtering near-infrared light, paragraph 101.
In reference to claim 9, Oota discloses wherein the infrared-light attenuation filter attenuates infrared light passed by the first color filter, paragraphs 101 and 113.
In reference to claim 10, Oota discloses the first film, 3 in Figure 7, is in contact with the infrared-light attenuation filter 22.
In reference to claim 11, Yokozawa discloses the first color filter 110B and the second color filter 110G are a same distance from a light incident surface side of the semiconductor substrate.
In reference to claim 19, Yokozawa discloses the second and third color filters are disposed between the second on-chip lens and the second photoelectric conversion region, paragraph 79.
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokozawa (US 2006/0187381) in view of Wang (US 9,425,227).
In reference to claim 12, Yokozawa discloses the first color filter 110B [is] of a first type, wherein the second color filter 110G is of a second type that [is] different than the first type, paragraphs 77 and 78.
Yokozawa does not disclose the third color filter is of a third type that is different than the first and second types.
Wang (US 9,425,227), hereafter “Wang,” discloses an imaging device including teaching a first color filter, 626 in Figure 6, is of a first type (G), a second color filter 632 is of a second type (R) that [is] different than the first type, wherein the third color filter 625 is of a third type (B) that is different than the first and second types, col. 4, lines 1-21. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the first color filter to be of a first type, the second color filter to be of a second type that is different than the first type, and the third color filter to be of a third type that is different than the first and second types. One would have been motivated to do so in order to stack color filters to form an infrared sensitive pixel amongst the visible light sensitive pixels, col. 1 lines 51-60 and col. 4 lines 53-61.
In reference to claims 13 and 14, Yokozawa discloses the first color filter 110B passes light within a first range of wavelengths, wherein the second color filter 110G passes light within a second range of wavelengths that is different than the first range of wavelengths, paragraphs 77 and 78.
Yokozawa does not disclose wherein the third color filter passes light within a third range of wavelengths that is different that the first and second ranges of wavelengths.
Wang discloses an imaging device including teaching a first color filter, 626 in Figure 6, passes light within a first range of wavelengths (G), a second color filter 632 passes light within a second range of wavelengths (R) that is different than the first range of wavelengths, wherein the third color filter 625 passes light within a third range of wavelengths (B) that is different that the first and second ranges of wavelengths, col. 4, lines 1-21. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the first color filter to pass light within a first range of wavelengths, wherein the second color filter passes light within a second range of wavelengths, and wherein the third color filter passes light within a third range of wavelengths wherein the first, second, and third ranges of wavelengths are different from one another. One would have been motivated to do so in order to stack color filters to form an infrared sensitive pixel amongst the visible light sensitive pixels, col. 1 lines 51-60 and col. 4 lines 53-61.
Claims 4 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokozawa (US 2006/0187381) in view of Choi et al. (US 2016/0065914).
In reference to claim 4, Yokozawa does not disclose, in the cross-sectional view, a third width of the second color filter is greater than the first width of the third color filter and the second width of the third color filter.
Choi et al. (US 2016/0065914) discloses an imaging device including teaching in the cross-sectional view, a third width of the second color filter, 390 in Figure 10, is greater than the width of the third color filter 290, paragraph 168. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for a third width of the second color filter to be greater than the first width of the third color filter and the second width of the third color filter. One would have been motivated to do so in order to extend the color filter over metal patterns, (600 of Choi, 107 of Yokozawa), paragraphs 168, 170, and 172 of Choi.
In reference to claim 20, Yokozawa discloses an imaging device, with reference to Figure 1, comprising:
a first photoelectric conversion region, 103 at middle, disposed in a semiconductor substrate 101;
a second photoelectric conversion region, 103 at left, disposed in the semiconductor substrate 101 and adjacent to the first photoelectric conversion region, paragraph 73;
a first color filter 110B disposed on a light incident surface side of the first photoelectric conversion region;
a second color filter 110G disposed on a light incident surface side of the second photoelectric conversion region; and
a third color filter 109G disposed between the second photoelectric conversion region and the second color filter, paragraphs 77 and 78,
a first film 108 disposed between the first color filter 101B and the first photoelectric conversion region 103 and disposed between the second color filter 110G and the second photoelectric conversion region 103,
wherein the first film is in contact with the first color filter, the second color filter and the third color filter.
Yokozawa does not disclose a plurality of wiring layers disposed in an insulation layer on a side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to a light incident surface side of the semiconductor substrate.
Choi teaches an imaging device including a plurality of wiring layers, 125 in Figure 10, disposed in an insulation layer 120 on a side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to a light incident surface side of the semiconductor substrate, (light is incident on photoelectric conversion devices 140 from a top side in Figure 10, device operation is further described in paragraph 67 for example). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the imaging device to comprise a plurality of wiring layers disposed in an insulation layer on a side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to a light incident surface side of the semiconductor substrate. To do so would have merely been to apply a known technique to improve similar devices in the same way, KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR), 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007), MPEP 2143 I. C. In this case, applying the color filter arrangement of Yokozawa to the backside irradiating imaging device known in the art, exemplified here by Choi.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wang (US 2016/0099272), Ito et al. (US 2021/0366964), Park et al. (US 2016/0315112), and Nakajiki et al. (US 2019/0206917) discloses related imaging devices including pixel sensitive to infrared radiation and related color filter structures.
Ito et al. (US 2021/0366964) and Nakajiki et al. (US 2019/0206917) have a common applicant and/or assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, they constitute prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2), but might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYAN R. JUNGE whose telephone number is (571)270-5717. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:30 CT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached at (571)270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRYAN R JUNGE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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