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 4/16/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Meyer et al. (US Patent Appl. Pub. No. 2019/0148569 A1).
[Re claim 12] Meyer discloses the image sensor comprising: a semiconductor substrate (1101); a dielectric stack (1102, 1103, 1104) formed on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a resistor (1109) formed within the dielectric stack, wherein the resistor comprises a resonant cavity (1109) configured to resonate in response to receiving light in a target range of wavelengths (see figure 11A and paragraph [0056], [0160]).
[Re claim 13] Meyer discloses the image sensor wherein the target range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths between 1000 and 3000 nanometers (see paragraph [0056]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 1-11 and 19-20 allowed.
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: Claim 1 allowable because of the prior art, either singly or in combination, fails to anticipate or render obvious, the device, wherein an interconnect stack formed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a phase change resistor formed in the interconnect stack and configured to sense light in a second range of wavelengths different than the first range of wavelengths. These features in combination with the other elements of the claim are neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: Claim 19 allowable because of the prior art, either singly or in combination, fails to anticipate or render obvious, the device, wherein a first imaging pixel having a first photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate and having a first plurality of resonant cavities formed in an interconnect stack disposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a second imaging pixel having a second photodiode formed in the semiconductor substrate and having a second plurality of resonant cavities formed in the interconnect stack. These features in combination with the other elements of the claim are neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art of record.
Claims 2-11 and 20 depend from claim 1 or 19 so they are allowable for the same reason.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYOUNG LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1982. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 10am to 6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eliseo Ramos-Feliciano can be reached at (571)272-7925. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYOUNG LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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