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 .
This Office Action is in response to the election filed July 10, 2026.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-6 in the reply filed on July 10, 2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 20. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 100. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “embodiment”, “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
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: IMAGE SENSING DEVICE INCLUDING OXIDE AND TRANSFER TRANSISTORS.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu (CN 115274718 A).
In regard to claim 1, Wu teaches an image sensing device 300, comprising: a substrate 310; a photodiode PD5a/PD3a formed in the substrate 310; a transfer transistor TG5a/TG3a formed on the substrate 310; and an oxide transistor DXa formed over the transfer transistor TG5a/TG3a, wherein the oxide transistor DXa comprises: a gate electrode 334 formed over the transfer transistor TG5a/TG3a; a gate isolation layer 348 formed on the gate electrode 334; an oxide layer 338 formed on the gate isolation layer 348; a first electrode 335 formed on one side of the oxide layer 338; and a second electrode 345 formed on another side of the oxide layer 338 (Figure 3, pages 15-19).
In regard to claim 2, Wu teaches a floating diffusion region FD2a formed over the photodiode PD5a/PD3a and below the transfer transistor TG5a/TG3a (Figure 3, pages 15-19).
In regard to claim 3, Wu teaches an electrically conductive path structured to electrically connect the oxide transistor DXa and the floating diffusion region FD2a to each other (Figure 3, pages 15-19).
In regard to claim 4, Wu teaches the gate electrode 335 comprising doped polysilicon (Figure 3, pages 15-19).
In regard to claim 5, Wu teaches the gate isolation layer 348 comprising a silicon oxide (Figure 3, pages 15-19).
In regard to claim 6, Wu teaches the oxide layer 338 comprising an oxide-based thin film transistor (TFT) material (Figure 3, pages 15-19).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to image sensing devices:
Mao et al. (US 2013/0056809 A1) Or-Bach et al. (US 7,964,916 B2)
Or-Bach et al. (US 8,237,228 B2) Roy et al. (US 2010/0032734 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached at 571-270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
September 8, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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