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 .
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Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/03/2024 and 12/26/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner and made of record.
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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuroda, Fumihiko (US 5121182 A) “Kuroda et al.” in view of YASUOKA, NAMI (JP 7087308 B2) “YASUOKA et al.”
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Kuroda et al. Figs. 1-18 discloses, a photoelectric detector, comprising:
a waveguide layer (“an optical waveguide 13” Column 5, Lines 21-22);
an absorption layer (“light absorption layer 14” Column 5, Lines 29-30), located on the waveguide layer (Figs. 3-4 shows 14 is on 13) or at least partially embedded in the waveguide layer; and
a cladding material (“the whole semiconductor structure is buried in the undoped InP layer 25 as shown in FIG. 16F” ¶ Column 10, Lines 1-2), covering top portions (Fig. 16F-18 shows 25 is covering the top portions of 13 and 14) and side walls of the absorption layer (Fig. 16F-18 shows 25 is covering side walls of 14),
wherein at least one end surface of the photoelectric detector is a light incident surface (“the incident side of the light absorption region” Column 10, Lines 49-50), and light energy absorbed by a portion of the absorption layer adjacent to the light incident surface is smaller than light energy absorbed by other portions of the absorption layer (“the rate of light absorbed into the light absorption layer 14 small on the incident side of the light absorption region 17 and setting it gradually larger” Column 10, Lines 48-52).
However, Kuroda et al. does not explicitly show a cladding material, covering side walls of the waveguide layer.
In the similar field of endeavor of photodetectors YASUOKA et al. Fig. 8A-8J discloses a cladding material (“surrounded by SiO .sub.2 clad layers 9, 12 and 16 [see, for example, FIG. 8 (J)]” ¶ [0023]; “an Si film 15 as a passivation film is formed so as to cover the surface of the Ge layer 3” ¶ [0055]), covering side walls (Fig. 8A-8J shows a cladding material, covering side walls of the waveguide layer 2) of the waveguide layer (“waveguide core layer 1 and the guide waveguide core layer 2” ¶ [0020]).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify cladding layer of Kuroda et al. et al. with the Cladding layer of YASUOKA et al. in order to be applied to a balanced light receiver (YASUOKA et al., ¶ [0056]).
Regarding Claim 2, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. Kuroda et al. Figs. 2-3 further discloses, wherein a width of an end surface of the absorption layer adjacent to the light incident surface is smaller than a width of other portions of the absorption layer (“The end face of the light absorption layer 14 may be so formed that two sides thereof may be made to diverge in a tapered form” Column 6, Lines 33-35).
Regarding Claim 3, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. Kuroda et al. Figs. 2-3 further discloses, wherein a width of an end surface of the waveguide layer adjacent to the light incident surface is greater than a width of other portions of the waveguide layer (“FIG. 2, the effect of this invention can be further enhanced by forming the optical waveguide 13 narrower in a tapered form. This is because light propagating along the optical waveguide 13 is cut off by the tapered configuration of the optical waveguide 13 so that light can be leaked out to the exterior of the optical waveguide 13 without fail.” Column 6, Lines 38-44).
Regarding Claim 4, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. Kuroda et al. Figs. 1-4 further discloses, wherein an orthographic projection of the absorption layer on an upper surface of the waveguide layer is at least partially located (Figs. 1-4 shows an orthographic projection of the absorption layer 14 on an upper surface of the waveguide layer 13 is at least partially located within the upper surface of the waveguide layer 13) within the upper surface of the waveguide layer (“the light absorption layer 14 is formed on the optical waveguide 13” Column 5, Lines 54-55).
Regarding Claim 5, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 4. However, Kuroda et al. does not disclose, wherein the orthographic projection of the absorption layer on the upper surface of the waveguide layer is located within the upper surface of the waveguide layer, and a center line of the absorption layer is deviated from a center line of the waveguide layer.
In the similar field of endeavor of photodetectors YASUOKA et al. Fig. 8A-8J discloses wherein the orthographic projection of the absorption layer (“the light absorption layer 3” ¶ [0013]) on the upper surface of the waveguide layer is located within the upper surface of the waveguide layer (Figs. 1-2 shows wherein the orthographic projection of the absorption layer 3 on the upper surface of the waveguide layer 2 is located within the upper surface of the waveguide layer 2), and a center line of the absorption layer is deviated from a center line of the waveguide layer (“the position of the light absorption layer 3 is shifted to one side in the width direction with respect to the center position in the width direction of the input waveguide core layer 1,” ¶ [0013]).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify absorption layer and waveguide layers of Kuroda et al. et al. with the absorption layer and waveguide layers of YASUOKA et al. so that the high-speed characteristics can be maintained even when the input light intensity to the light receiver 4 is increased, for example (YASUOKA et al., ¶ [0013]).
Regarding Claim 6, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 4. Kuroda et al. further discloses, wherein the orthographic projection of the absorption layer on the upper surface of the waveguide layer is partially located within the upper surface of the waveguide layer (Figs. 1-4 shows an orthographic projection of the absorption layer 14 on an upper surface of the waveguide layer 13 is at least partially located within the upper surface of the waveguide layer 13),
However, Kuroda et al. does not disclose, a center line of the absorption layer deviates from a center line of the waveguide layer.
In the similar field of endeavor of photodetectors YASUOKA et al. Fig. 8A-8J discloses, a center line of the absorption layer is deviated from a center line of the waveguide layer (“the position of the light absorption layer 3 is shifted to one side in the width direction with respect to the center position in the width direction of the input waveguide core layer 1,” ¶ [0013]).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify absorption layer and waveguide layers of Kuroda et al. et al. with the absorption layer and waveguide layers of YASUOKA et al. so that the high-speed characteristics can be maintained even when the input light intensity to the light receiver 4 is increased, for example (YASUOKA et al., ¶ [0013]).
Regarding Claim 7, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. Kuroda et al. Figs. 1-6 further discloses, wherein the waveguide layer is inclined at a certain angle with respect to an extending direction of the absorption layer (“the light absorption layer 14 is formed on the optical waveguide 13, light having traveled along the optical waveguide 13 is absorbed into the light absorption layer 14. At this time, if the end face of the light absorption layer 14 intersects the optical waveguide 13 at a small angle” Column 5, Lines 54-59).
Regarding Claim 8, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. Kuroda et al. Fig. 4 further discloses, wherein an end surface of the waveguide layer adjacent to the light incident surface is formed in a step shape (“the end face of the light absorption layer 14 which intersects the optical waveguide 13 is formed in a linear form, but the end face is not necessarily formed in a linear form and can be formed in a stepped form as shown in FIG. 4.” Column 6, Lines 63-67).
Regarding Claim 9, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. Kuroda et al. Fig. 3 further discloses, wherein the absorption layer comprises a first absorption layer, and a second absorption layer, the first absorption layer and the second absorption layer are integrally connected, the first absorption layer is located between the second absorption layer and the light incident surface, and a light energy absorption rate of the first absorption layer is lower than a light energy absorption rate of the second absorption layer.
Regarding Claim 10, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. Kuroda et al. Fig. 1-18 further discloses, wherein a light energy absorption rate of the absorption layer is gradually increased along a direction away from the light incident surface (“the rate of light absorbed into the light absorption layer 14 small on the incident side of the light absorption region 17 and setting it gradually larger” Column 10, Lines 48-52).
Regarding Claim 11, Kuroda et al. as modified by YASUOKA et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1. However, Kuroda et al. does not disclose, wherein the waveguide layer comprises a first waveguide layer, and a second waveguide layer, the second waveguide layer is embedded in the first waveguide layer, an upper surface of the second waveguide layer is higher than an upper surface of the first waveguide layer, and the absorption layer is located on the upper surface of the second waveguide layer or is at least partially embedded in the second waveguide layer.
In the similar field of endeavor of photodetectors YASUOKA et al. Figs. 1-12 discloses, wherein the waveguide layer (“the guide-waveguide core layer 2” ¶ [0018]) comprises a first waveguide layer (“region 2B” ¶ [0018]), and a second waveguide layer (“region 2A” ¶ [0018]), the second waveguide layer is embedded in the first waveguide layer, an upper surface of the second waveguide layer 2A is higher than an upper surface of the first waveguide layer 2B, and the absorption layer 3 is located on the upper surface of the second waveguide layer 2A (“the light absorption layer 3 may be provided above the doping region 2A” ¶ [0050]) or is at least partially embedded in the second waveguide layer.
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify absorption layer and waveguide layers of Kuroda et al. et al. with the absorption layer and waveguide layers of YASUOKA et al. so that the high-speed characteristics can be maintained even when the input light intensity to the light receiver 4 is increased, for example (YASUOKA et al., ¶ [0013]).
Conclusion
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/AKHEE SARKER-NAG/Examiner, Art Unit 2893 /YARA B GREEN/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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