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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/12/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakurai et al. US 6,633,334.
Re claim 1, Sakurai discloses an imaging device (solid-state image pickup device) composed of a plurality of pixels, wherein a first pixel (pixel including PD2) among the plurality of pixels includes: a first photoelectric conversion element (PD2); a first power storage unit (FD2); a first transfer element (TX2) that enables a conductive state or a non-conductive state between the first photoelectric conversion element (PD2) and the first power storage unit (FD2); and a first amplifying element (SF2) that amplifies an image signal on the basis of a charge stored by photoelectric conversion in at least any of adjacent pixels, including a second pixel (pixel including PD1), that are adjacent to the first pixel (pixel including PD2), the second pixel including: a second amplifying element (SF1) that amplifies an image signal based on a charge stored in the first power storage unit (FD2) by photoelectric conversion of the first photoelectric conversion element (PD2), and a second distance between the first power storage unit (FD2) and the second amplifying element (SF1) is shorter than a first distance between the first power storage unit (FD2) and the first amplifying element (SF2) (a signal is read out from PD2 using amplifier SF1 and output portion OUT1 on adjacent photodiode PD1 side and although only a signal read out photodiode PD2 is described, this readout structure also applies to remaining photodiode portions)(figures 4,5; col. 4, line 62-col. 5, line 47).
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 (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 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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakurai et al. US 6,633,334 in view of Masagaki US 2021/0272987.
Re claim 12, the Sakurai reference discloses all of the limitations of claim 1 above. However, although the Sakurai reference discloses all of the limitations above including a solid-state image sensor, it fails to specifically disclose that the plurality of pixels have an oxide film embedded structure and an implantation separation structure as an element separation region portion.
Masagaki discloses that it is well known in the digital imaging art for an image sensing device to include an oxide film embedded structure (CMOS image sensor) and an implantation element separation region (element separation sections a located between adjacent pixels) (figure 1; paragraph 61). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to have been motivated to include the teaching of including an oxide film embedded structure and an implantation element separation region as disclosed by the Masagaki reference in the imaging device disclosed by the Sakurai reference. Doing so would provide a means for ensuring that adjacent pixels in a solid-state image sensor are electrically isolated from one another.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-11 and 13-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Re claims 2-11 and 13-15, the prior art fails to teach or suggest, an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels having the specific configurations disclosed in claims 2-11 and 13-15, wherein a first pixel among the plurality of pixels includes: a first photoelectric conversion element; a first power storage unit; a first transfer element that enables a conductive state or a non-conductive state between the first photoelectric conversion element and the first power storage unit; and a first amplifying element that amplifies an image signal on the basis of a charge stored by photoelectric conversion in at least any of adjacent pixels, including a second pixel, that are adjacent to the first pixel, the second pixel including: a second amplifying element that amplifies an image signal based on a charge stored in the first power storage unit by photoelectric conversion of the first photoelectric conversion element, and a second distance between the first power storage unit and the second amplifying element is shorter than a first distance between the first power storage unit and the first amplifying element, further comprising a through trench arranged between the first pixel and the adjacent pixels; and a first element separation region portion that isolates and separates the first amplifying element and the first power storage unit by an insulating substance, wherein a width between the first amplifying element and the first power storage unit in the first element separation region portion is greater than a width of the through trench. The prior art fails to specifically disclose an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels including first and second photoelectric conversion elements, first and second power storage units, transfer elements and amplifying elements configured and arranged in the exact configuration disclosed in the specification and the claims.
Re claims 16 and 19, the prior art fails to teach or suggest, an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels having the specific configurations disclosed in claims 16 and 19, wherein a first pixel among the plurality of pixels includes: a first photoelectric conversion element; a first power storage unit; a first transfer element that enables a conductive state or a non-conductive state between the first photoelectric conversion element and the first power storage unit; and a first amplifying element that amplifies an image signal on the basis of a charge stored by photoelectric conversion in at least any of adjacent pixels, including a second pixel, that are adjacent to the first pixel, the second pixel including: a second amplifying element that amplifies an image signal based on a charge stored in the first power storage unit by photoelectric conversion of the first photoelectric conversion element, and a second distance between the first power storage unit and the second amplifying element is shorter than a first distance between the first power storage unit and the first amplifying element, wherein a fourth pixel that is different from the first pixel and the second pixel among the plurality of pixels and is adjacent to the first pixel includes: a fourth photoelectric conversion element; and a fourth power storage unit, the fourth power storage unit being connected to the first power storage unit. The prior art fails to specifically disclose an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels including first and second photoelectric conversion elements, first and second power storage units, transfer elements and amplifying elements configured and arranged in the exact configuration disclosed in the specification and the claims.
Re claims 17 and 18, the prior art fails to teach or suggest, an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels having the specific configurations disclosed in claims 17 and 18, wherein a first pixel among the plurality of pixels includes: a first photoelectric conversion element; a first power storage unit; a first transfer element that enables a conductive state or a non-conductive state between the first photoelectric conversion element and the first power storage unit; and a first amplifying element that amplifies an image signal on the basis of a charge stored by photoelectric conversion in at least any of adjacent pixels, including a second pixel, that are adjacent to the first pixel, the second pixel including: a second amplifying element that amplifies an image signal based on a charge stored in the first power storage unit by photoelectric conversion of the first photoelectric conversion element, and a second distance between the first power storage unit and the second amplifying element is shorter than a first distance between the first power storage unit and the first amplifying element, wherein a fifth pixel that is different from the first pixel and the second pixel among the plurality of pixels and is adjacent to the second pixel includes: a fifth amplifying element that amplifies an image signal based on a charge stored in the first power storage unit by photoelectric conversion of the first photoelectric conversion element. The prior art fails to specifically disclose an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels including first and second photoelectric conversion elements, first and second power storage units, transfer elements and amplifying elements configured and arranged in the exact configuration disclosed in the specification and the claims.
Re claim 20, the prior art fails to teach or suggest, an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels having the specific configurations disclosed in claim 20, wherein a first pixel among the plurality of pixels includes: a first photoelectric conversion element; a first power storage unit; a first transfer element that enables a conductive state or a non-conductive state between the first photoelectric conversion element and the first power storage unit; and a first amplifying element that amplifies an image signal on the basis of a charge stored by photoelectric conversion in at least any of adjacent pixels, including a second pixel, that are adjacent to the first pixel, the second pixel including: a second amplifying element that amplifies an image signal based on a charge stored in the first power storage unit by photoelectric conversion of the first photoelectric conversion element, and a second distance between the first power storage unit and the second amplifying element is shorter than a first distance between the first power storage unit and the first amplifying element, wherein the first pixel further includes: a second power storage unit that stores an accumulated charge obtained by the first photoelectric conversion element; an element that has one end connected to the first power storage unit and the other end connected to the second power storage unit; and a reset element that has one end connected to the element. The prior art fails to specifically disclose an imaging device composed of a plurality of pixels including first and second photoelectric conversion elements, first and second power storage units, transfer elements and amplifying elements configured and arranged in the exact configuration disclosed in the specification and the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Taruki et al. US 2011/0128426 discloses a solid-state imaging apparatus including a readout structure for reducing parasitic capacitances.
Ma US 2020/0357835 discloses a variable width source-follower transistor for reduced noise on CMOS image sensors.
Dai et al. US 2018/0103221 discloses a method for fixed pattern noise reduction in image sensors.
Contacts
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kelly L. Jerabek whose telephone number is (571) 272-7312. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, George Eng can be reached at (571) 272-7495. The fax phone number for submitting all Official communications is (571) 273-7300. The fax phone number for submitting informal communications such as drafts, proposed amendments, etc., may be faxed directly to the Examiner at (571) 273-7312.
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/KELLY L JERABEK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
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