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
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) 1-9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nomura et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2006/0043511 A1; hereinafter Nomura)
With respect to claim 1, Nomura discloses an image sensor including a plurality of pixels (see Figure 8; ¶[0011]), each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprising: a first epitaxial layer [56] of a first conductive charge carrier type disposed on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate; a photoelectric conversion device [55] disposed on the first epitaxial layer, the photoelectric conversion device having a second conductive type that differs from the first conductive type; and a second epitaxial layer [50] of a second conductive charge carrier type disposed between the photoelectric conversion device and a second surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion device comprises an additional epitaxial layer of the second conductive type (see Figure 9B; ¶[0027]).
With respect to claim 2, Nomura discloses wherein the additional epitaxial layer of the photoelectric conversion device comprises a first charge carrier concentration of the second conductive type, wherein the second epitaxial layer comprises a second charge carrier concentration of the second conductive type, and wherein the first charge carrier concentration differs from the second charge carrier concentration (see Figure 9B).
With respect to claim 3, Nomura discloses wherein the first charge carrier concentration is higher than the second charge carrier concentration (See Figure 9B).
With respect to claim 4, Nomura discloses wherein the second conductive type of the additional epitaxial layer of the photoelectric conversion device comprises ion implanted charge carriers (see ¶[0027]).
With respect to claim 5, Nomura discloses wherein the second charge carrier type of the second epitaxial layer comprises ion implanted charge carriers (see ¶[0027]).
With respect to claim 6, Nomura discloses wherein the charge carrier concentration of the second conductive type in the second epitaxial layer is the same as the charge carrier concentration of the second conductive type in the additional epitaxial layer (see Figure 9B)
With respect to claim 7, Nomura discloses wherein the first conductive type is P type, and the second conductive type is N type (See Figure 9B).
With respect to claim 8, Nomura discloses wherein the first epitaxial layer contacts the photoelectric conversion device in a direction toward the second surface of the semiconductor substrate from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and wherein the photoelectric conversion device contacts the second epitaxial layer in a direction toward the second surface of the semiconductor substrate from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate (See Figure 9B).
With respect to claim 9, Nomura discloses a device isolation layer [57] dividing at least some of the plurality of pixels in the semiconductor substrate (see Figure 8).
With respect to claim 11, Nomura discloses wherein a size of the first epitaxial layer is less than a size of the photoelectric conversion device (See Figure 9B).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 10 and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura in view of Kim et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0083268 A1; hereinafter Kim)
With respect to claim 10, Nomura fails to disclose wherein the device isolation layer passes through the second epitaxial layer, the photoelectric conversion device, and the first epitaxial layer.
In the same field of endeavor, Kim teaches wherein the device isolation layer [101] passes through the second epitaxial layer, the photoelectric conversion device, and the first epitaxial layer. Kim’s device isolation layer allows for complete enclosure of each unit pixel structure and prevents photocharges from entering neighboring pixels through random drift. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention that the combination of references would arrive at the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 12, Nomura discloses a pixel comprising: a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface; a vertical transmission gate [58]; a floating diffusion region [55] configured to accumulate photo-charge generated from the semiconductor substrate through the vertical transmission gate; a first epitaxial layer having a first conductive type [56] disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; a photoelectric conversion device [55], wherein the photoelectric conversion device comprises an additional epitaxial layer of a second conductive type that differs from the first conductive type, the additional epitaxial layer contacting the first epitaxial layer; and a second epitaxial layer [50] having the second conductive type, the second epitaxial layer contacting the photoelectric conversion device in a direction toward the second surface of the semiconductor substrate from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate (see Figure 9B).
Nomura fails to disclose a vertical transmission gate formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate.
In the same field of endeavor, Kim teaches a vertical transmission gate [TG] formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate [10] (see Figure 4). Implementation of a backside gate structure as taught by Kim allows for more a more consolidated footprint, vertically connected via interconnect structures (See ¶[0037]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention that the combination of references would arrive at the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 13, the combination of Nomura and Kim discloses wherein the second conductive type of photoelectric conversion device comprises ion implanted charge carriers (see Nomura ¶[0027]).
With respect to claim 14, the combination of Nomura and Kim discloses wherein a concentration of the second conductive type of the photoelectric conversion device is higher than a concentration of the second conductive type of the second epitaxial layer (See Nomura Figure 9B).
With respect to claim 15, the combination of Nomura and Kim discloses wherein a concentration of the second conductive type of the photoelectric conversion device is equal to a concentration of the second conductive type of the second epitaxial layer, and wherein the second epitaxial layer further comprises ion implanted charge carriers of the first conductive type (See Nomura Figure 9B).
With respect to claim 16, the combination of Nomura and Kim discloses a device isolation layer (see Nomura Figure 9B [57] and Kim [101] Figure 4) disposed on one side surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the device isolation layer extends to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate from the second surface of the semiconductor substrate and passes through the second epitaxial layer, the photoelectric conversion device, and the first epitaxial layer (See Kim Figure 4).
With respect to claim 17, the combination of Nomura and Kim discloses wherein at least a portion of the vertical transmission gate and at least a portion of the floating diffusion region are formed in the second epitaxial layer (see Kim Figure 4).
With respect to claim 18, Nomura discloses an image sensor comprising: a first epitaxial layer [56] disposed between the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor substrate and arranged in the first direction on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first epitaxial layer has a first conductive type; a photoelectric conversion device [55] disposed on the first epitaxial layer in the first direction, wherein the photoelectric conversion device includes an additional epitaxial layer having a second conductive type; and a second epitaxial layer [50] disposed between the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor substrate and arranged in the second direction on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second epitaxial layer has a third conductive type.
Nomura fails to disclose a color filter disposed on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate in a second direction opposite to a first direction toward a second surface of the semiconductor substrate from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; a lens layer disposed on the color filter in the second direction. In the same field of endeavor, Kim teaches a color filter [303] disposed on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate in a second direction opposite to a first direction toward a second surface of the semiconductor substrate from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; a lens layer [306] disposed on the color filter in the second direction (See Figure 4). Implementation of color filters and a lens structure of Kim within the device of Nomura allows for incident light to be consolidated, filtered and collected to be provided for the photoelectric conversion device (See Kim ¶[0038] and ¶[0056]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention. With respect to claim 19, the combination of Nomura and Kim discloses wherein the first conductive type differs from the second conductive type, and wherein the second conductive type is the same as the third conductive type (see Nomura Figure 9B).
With respect to claim 20, the combination of Nomura and Kim discloses wherein the first conductive type differs from the second conductive type, and wherein the third conductive type is the same as the first conductive type (see Kim ¶[0039], ¶[0043], and ¶[0048]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. - Chu et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2017/0263657 A1) discloses an image sensor array - Chou et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2016/0276394 A1) discloses an image sensor array
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/JONATHAN HAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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