DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Note by the Examiner
2. For clarity, the reference to specific claim numbers are presented in bold. Cited claim limitations are presented in bold the first time they are associated with a particular prior art disclosing the cited limitations, and subsequent reference to the already disclosed claim limitations are presented un-bolded. Certain elements from prior art which are not required by the claims are also presented un-bolded if they are particularly pertinent to understanding how the references are being combined. Item-to-item matching and Examiner explanations for 102 &/or 103 rejections have been provided in parenthesis.
Claim Objections
3. Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 recites “some of elements” which should be changed to “some of the elements”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
4. Claims 1-10 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Lee et al. (US 2016/0037098 A1), hereinafter as Lee, in view of Jung et al. (US 2016/0141500 A1), hereinafter as Jung, in view of Sasaki et al. (JP 2017055085 A, see attached translation document), hereinafter as Sasaki
5. Regarding Claim 1, Lee discloses a light detecting element (see Figs. 1-12, see [0030] “image sensor”), comprising:
a photoelectric conversion section (area of a first pixel element P, see [0064] “each of the unit pixels P may include a photoelectric conversion element 110, a storage transfer element 130, and a sensing part”), including:
a first electrode (element 260 of the first pixel, see [0075] “contact node 260”);
a second electrode (element 290, see [0084] “electrode 290”);
a charge storage electrode (element 240, see [0076] “electrode 240”);
a photoelectric conversion layer (element 280, see [0080] “photoelectric conversion layer 280”) disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode (see Fig. 4) and disposed between the charge storage electrode and the second electrode (see Fig. 4);
an insulating layer (element 245, see [0078] “dielectric layer 245”) disposed between the charge storage electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer (see Fig. 4);
an oxide semiconductor layer (element 270, see [0080] “channel semiconductor pattern 270 may include a transparent conductive oxide semiconductor material such as InGaZnO, ZnO, or SnO2”) disposed between the insulating layer and the photoelectric conversion layer (see Fig. 4), electrically connected to the first electrode (see Fig. 4), and electrically isolated from the charge storage electrode by the insulating layer (see Figs. 3-4 and [0076]).
Lee does not explicitly disclose an oxide film disposed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the photoelectric conversion layer, wherein the charge storage electrode is configured to attract a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion layer to the oxide semiconductor layer, accumulate the charge in the oxide semiconductor layer, and transfer the charge accumulated in the oxide semiconductor layer to the first electrode.
Jung discloses an oxide film (see Fig. 1 oxide film element 103 between photoelectric conversion layer element 105 and oxide semiconductor layer element 102, see [0022] “the electron transport layer 103, there can be exemplified a metal oxide such as a zinc oxide (ZnO), a titanium oxide (TiOx), and a gallium oxide (GaOx)”, see [0020] “first electrode 102, there is applied a conductive metal oxide such as an indium oxide, a zinc oxide, a tin oxide, an indium tin oxide (ITO), a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), an indium-zinc oxide (TZO), and an indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO)”, see [0018] “photoelectric conversion layer 105”).
The oxide film as taught by Jung is incorporated as an oxide film of Lee, wherein the combination discloses an oxide film, wherein the oxide film is disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the oxide semiconductor layer (see Lee between photoelectric conversion layer element 280 and oxide semiconductor layer element 270 in the same manner as Jung).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Jung with Lee because the combination provides blocking of holes and selective transport of electrons and prevent disappearance of generated excitons (see Jung [0022]); furthermore, the combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results – simple substitution of one known layer between the photoelectric conversion element and lower conductive oxide semiconductor for another to obtain predictable results (see Jung Fig. 1).
Lee and Jung do not explicitly disclose wherein the charge storage electrode is configured to attract a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion layer to the oxide semiconductor layer, accumulate the charge in the oxide semiconductor layer, and transfer the charge accumulated in the oxide semiconductor layer to the first electrode.
Sasaki discloses (see Fig. 11) wherein the charge storage electrode (element 101, see pg. 3 “storage electrode film (first electrode) 101”) is configured to attract a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion layer to the oxide semiconductor layer (see pg. 4 “The storage electrode film 101 is opposed to the lower surface 106b of the photoelectric conversion film 106 with the insulating film 109 and the hole blocking film 105 interposed therebetween. A region 110 facing the storage electrode film 101 in the vicinity of the lower surface 106b of the hole blocking film 105 and the photoelectric conversion film 106 forms a charge storage region in which charges (holes) are to be stored.”), accumulate the charge in the oxide semiconductor layer, and transfer the charge accumulated in the oxide semiconductor layer to the first electrode (see pg. 6 “the charge can be transferred to the charge / voltage conversion unit FD via the transfer electrode film 103”).
The circuit connection and functionality of the charge storage electrode as taught by Sasaki is incorporated as the circuit connection and functionality of the charge storage electrode of Lee.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Sasaki with Lee because the combination allows for charge storage and transfer which is prevented from being affected by the reset operation of the reset transistor Tr1, so that the kTC noise component included in the reset level from the pixel P and the kTC noise component included in the signal level Can be made substantially uniform. As a result, by performing CDS processing that takes the difference between the reset level from the pixel P and the signal level in the CDS 96, the kTC noise component can be removed from the pixel signal (see Sasaki pg. 12); furthermore, the combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results – simple substitution of one known charge storage electrode circuit connection and functionality for another to obtain predictable results (see Sasaki Fig. 11).
6. Regarding Claim 2, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the light detecting element according to claim 1, wherein at least some of elements included in the oxide film are different from elements included in the oxide semiconductor layer (see Jung [0022] “the electron transport layer 103, there can be exemplified a metal oxide such as a zinc oxide (ZnO), a titanium oxide (TiOx), and a gallium oxide (GaOx). It suffices that the electron transport layer 103 is a layer containing a metal oxide, and may contain another material such as an alkali metal salt and an organic compound material, for example”).
7. Regarding Claim 3, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the light detecting element according to claim 1, wherein, assuming that E2 denotes an energy average value at a maximum energy value of a conductance band of the oxide semiconductor layer and that E1 denotes an energy average value at a maximum energy value of a conductance band of the oxide film, E1 - E2 ≥ -0.4 (eV) is satisfied (The material of the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide film as disclosed by the prior art is the same as that of the Applicant’s invention and holds the same inherent material properties which satisfy the conductance band relationship – see Applicant’s disclosure [0075] “metal oxide includes at least one type of element selected from the group including tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti)” and [0078] “oxide semiconductor layer may be, for example, an indium oxide, a gallium oxide, a zinc oxide, or a tin oxide, or a material including at least one type of the above-described oxides, or may be a material including any of the above-described materials with an addition of a dopant, specifically, for example, IGZO (an indium-gallium-zinc oxide including zinc oxide with an addition of indium and gallium as dopants)”).
8. Regarding Claim 4, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the light detecting element according to claim 3, wherein, assuming that E0 denotes an energy average value at a LUMO value for the photoelectric conversion layer, E0 - E1 ≥ -0.4 (eV) is satisfied (The material of the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide film as disclosed by the prior art is the same as that of the Applicant’s invention and holds the same inherent material properties which satisfy the conductance band relationship – see Applicant’s disclosure [0075] “metal oxide includes at least one type of element selected from the group including tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti)” and [0078] “oxide semiconductor layer may be, for example, an indium oxide, a gallium oxide, a zinc oxide, or a tin oxide, or a material including at least one type of the above-described oxides, or may be a material including any of the above-described materials with an addition of a dopant, specifically, for example, IGZO (an indium-gallium-zinc oxide including zinc oxide with an addition of indium and gallium as dopants)”).
9. Regarding Claim 5, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the light detecting element according to claim 4, wherein E0 ≥ E1 ≥ E2 is satisfied (The material of the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide film as disclosed by the prior art is the same as that of the Applicant’s invention and holds the same inherent material properties which satisfy the conductance band relationship – see Applicant’s disclosure [0075] “metal oxide includes at least one type of element selected from the group including tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti)” and [0078] “oxide semiconductor layer may be, for example, an indium oxide, a gallium oxide, a zinc oxide, or a tin oxide, or a material including at least one type of the above-described oxides, or may be a material including any of the above-described materials with an addition of a dopant, specifically, for example, IGZO (an indium-gallium-zinc oxide including zinc oxide with an addition of indium and gallium as dopants)”).
10. Regarding Claim 6, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein, assuming that E4 denotes an energy average value at a minimum energy value for a valence band of the oxide film and that E3 denotes an energy average value at a HOMO value for the photoelectric conversion layer, E3 - E4 ≥ -0.4 (eV) is satisfied (The material of the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide film as disclosed by the prior art is the same as that of the Applicant’s invention and holds the same inherent material properties which satisfy the conductance band relationship – see Applicant’s disclosure [0075] “metal oxide includes at least one type of element selected from the group including tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti)” and [0078] “oxide semiconductor layer may be, for example, an indium oxide, a gallium oxide, a zinc oxide, or a tin oxide, or a material including at least one type of the above-described oxides, or may be a material including any of the above-described materials with an addition of a dopant, specifically, for example, IGZO (an indium-gallium-zinc oxide including zinc oxide with an addition of indium and gallium as dopants)”).
11. Regarding Claim 7, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 6, wherein, assuming that E5 denotes an energy average value at a minimum energy value for a valence band of the oxide semiconductor layer, E4 - E5 ≥ -0.4 (eV) is satisfied (The material of the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide film as disclosed by the prior art is the same as that of the Applicant’s invention and holds the same inherent material properties which satisfy the conductance band relationship – see Applicant’s disclosure [0075] “metal oxide includes at least one type of element selected from the group including tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti)” and [0078] “oxide semiconductor layer may be, for example, an indium oxide, a gallium oxide, a zinc oxide, or a tin oxide, or a material including at least one type of the above-described oxides, or may be a material including any of the above-described materials with an addition of a dopant, specifically, for example, IGZO (an indium-gallium-zinc oxide including zinc oxide with an addition of indium and gallium as dopants)”).
12. Regarding Claim 8, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 7, wherein E3 ≥ E4 ≥ E5 is satisfied (The material of the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide film as disclosed by the prior art is the same as that of the Applicant’s invention and holds the same inherent material properties which satisfy the conductance band relationship – see Applicant’s disclosure [0075] “metal oxide includes at least one type of element selected from the group including tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti)” and [0078] “oxide semiconductor layer may be, for example, an indium oxide, a gallium oxide, a zinc oxide, or a tin oxide, or a material including at least one type of the above-described oxides, or may be a material including any of the above-described materials with an addition of a dopant, specifically, for example, IGZO (an indium-gallium-zinc oxide including zinc oxide with an addition of indium and gallium as dopants)”).
13. Regarding Claim 9, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein a material included in the oxide film includes a metal oxide (see Jung [0022] “the electron transport layer 103, there can be exemplified a metal oxide such as a zinc oxide (ZnO), a titanium oxide (TiOx), and a gallium oxide (GaOx)”).
14. Regarding Claim 10, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the light detecting element according to claim 9, wherein the metal oxide includes at least one type of element selected from a group including tantalum, titanium (see Jung [0022] “the electron transport layer 103, there can be exemplified a metal oxide such as a zinc oxide (ZnO), a titanium oxide (TiOx), and a gallium oxide (GaOx)”), vanadium, niobium, tungsten, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, gallium, and magnesium.
15. Regarding Claim 19, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein charge generated in the photoelectric conversion layer migrates to the first electrode via the oxide film and the oxide semiconductor layer (see Lee [0086-0089] “electrons generated in the organic photoelectric conversion layer 280 may move freely into the channel semiconductor pattern 270” and “electrons accumulated in the channel semiconductor pattern 270 may move to the contact node 260 through the channel semiconductor pattern 270”).
16. Regarding Claim 20, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 19, wherein the charge includes electrons (see Lee [0086-0089] “electrons generated in the organic photoelectric conversion layer 280 may move freely into the channel semiconductor pattern 270” and “electrons accumulated in the channel semiconductor pattern 270 may move to the contact node 260 through the channel semiconductor pattern 270”).
17. Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Lee et al. (US 2016/0037098 A1), hereinafter as Lee, in view of Jung et al. (US 2016/0141500 A1), hereinafter as Jung, in view of Sasaki et al. (JP 2017055085 A, see attached translation document), hereinafter as Sasaki, in view of Tanaka (US 2019/0324580 A1)
[Hosono et al. (US 2021/0151710 A1), hereinafter as Hosono is utilized herein as evidence]
18. Regarding Claim 11, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 10.
Lee, Jung, and Sasaki do not disclose wherein the oxide film includes an addition of at least one type of element selected from a group including silicon, tantalum, vanadium, niobium, tungsten, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, gallium, magnesium, aluminum, strontium, germanium, hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen (however, the element is different from the element included in the metal oxide).
Tanaka discloses wherein the oxide film (element 182 see [0160] “electron transfer layer 182 contains zinc oxide and at least one selected from silicon oxide, magnesium oxide and gallium oxide”) includes an addition of at least one type of element selected from a group including silicon, tantalum, vanadium, niobium, tungsten, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, gallium, magnesium, aluminum, strontium, germanium, hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen (however, the element is different from the element included in the metal oxide).
The addition of magnesium in the metal oxide layer of Tanaka is incorporated as an addition of the metal oxide of Lee, Jung, and Sasaki.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Tanaka with Lee, Jung, and Sasaki because the combination can optimize the bandgap and improve reliability of target conversion wavelength (see Tanaka [0160]; also see evidentiary reference Hosono [0101] “The configuration of the photoelectronic device 10 (or the photoelectronic device 10A) described above is applicable to a light emitting device, a photodetector, a solar cell, a display device, and so on.”).
19. Regarding Claim 12, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 9, wherein the oxide film has a thickness equal to or larger than one atomic layer and equal to or smaller than 1 x 10-7 m (see Jung [0022] “A film thickness of the electron transport layer 103 is preferable to be 0.1 nm or more to 400 nm or less, and is more preferable to be 1 nm or more to 50 nm or less”; See MPEP 2144.05 I. "In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990)").
20. Claims 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Lee et al. (US 2016/0037098 A1), hereinafter as Lee, in view of Jung et al. (US 2016/0141500 A1), hereinafter as Jung, in view of Sasaki et al. (JP 2017055085 A, see attached translation document), hereinafter as Sasaki, in view of Hayashi et al. (US 2008/0035965 A1), hereinafter as Hayashi
21. Regarding Claim 13, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 1.
Lee, Jung, and Sasaki do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the oxide film includes a tunnel oxide film.
Hayashi discloses wherein the oxide film includes a tunnel oxide film (see Fig. 6 electron transport layer element 103 includes a multilayer having a tunnel oxide film, see [0108] “material layer 103c is of the inorganic material”, see [0085] “an oxide as the inorganic material. As the oxide, the use of SiO in particular is preferred”, and see [0090-0091] “as they have sufficient electron transportability” hole blocking layer is termed to describe electron transport layer; note, the tunnel oxide film includes the same material as the Applicant’s invention and allows tunneling, transport, of electrons).
The multilayer oxide film including a tunnel oxide film as taught by Hayashi is incorporated as a multilayer oxide film including a tunnel oxide film of Lee, Jung, and Sasaki (incorporated as an addition SiO layer between the metal oxide and the first electrode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Hayashi with Lee, Jung, and Sasaki because the combination allows adjustment of electron/hole transport and blocking characteristics which can effect photoelectric conversion efficiency and external quantum efficiency (see Hayashi [0101, 0111, 0123-0124]); furthermore, the combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results – simple substitution of one known electron transport layer for another in a similar device to obtain predictable results (see Hayashi Fig. 6 and [0108]).
22. Regarding Claim 14, Lee, Jung, and Hayashi disclose the image pickup element according to claim 13, wherein the tunnel oxide film includes at least one type of material selected from a group including SiOx (see Hayashi [0085] “an oxide as the inorganic material. As the oxide, the use of SiO in particular is preferred”), SiON, SiOC, and AIOy.
23. Regarding Claim 15, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 13, wherein the tunnel oxide film has a thickness equal to or larger than one atomic layer and equal to or smaller than 5 x 10-9 m (see Hayashi [0092] “The thickness of a hole blocking layer is preferably from 10 nm to 200 nm, far preferably from 30 nm to 150 nm, particularly preferably from 50 nm to 100 nm.” And see [0111] “The best total thickness of the hole blocking layer 103 is from 10 nm to 200 nm”; See MPEP 2144.05 I. "In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990)").
24. Regarding Claim 16, Lee, Jung, and Sasaki disclose the image pickup element according to claim 1.
Lee, Jung, and Sasaki do not explicitly disclose wherein the oxide film includes a stacked structure of a film including a metal oxide and a tunnel oxide film.
Hayashi discloses wherein the oxide film includes a tunnel oxide film (see Fig. 6 electron transport layer element 103 includes a multilayer having a tunnel oxide film, see [0108] “material layer 103c is of the inorganic material”, see [0085] “an oxide as the inorganic material. As the oxide, the use of SiO in particular is preferred”, and see [0090-0091] “as they have sufficient electron transportability” hole blocking layer is termed to describe electron transport layer; note, the tunnel oxide film includes the same material as the Applicant’s invention and allows tunneling, transport, of electrons).
The multilayer oxide film including a tunnel oxide film as taught by Hayashi is incorporated as a multilayer oxide film including a tunnel oxide film of Lee, Jung, and Sasaki, wherein the combination discloses wherein the oxide film includes a stacked structure of a film including a metal oxide and a tunnel oxide film (incorporated as an addition SiO layer between the metal oxide and the first electrode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Hayashi with Lee, Jung, and Sasaki because the combination allows adjustment of electron/hole transport and blocking characteristics which can effect photoelectric conversion efficiency and external quantum efficiency (see Hayashi [0101, 0111, 0123-0124]); furthermore, the combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results – simple substitution of one known electron transport layer for another in a similar device to obtain predictable results (see Hayashi Fig. 6 and [0108]).
Allowable Subject Matter
25. Claims 17-18 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 and the double patenting issues are resolved.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reason for indicating allowable subject matter:
The prior art made of record, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest at least the claim limitations of:
26. Claim 17, “a value ConcH-1 of a concentration of hydrogen atoms in a portion of the oxide semiconductor layer near an interface between the oxide film and the oxide semiconductor layer is higher than a value ConcH-2 of a concentration of hydrogen atoms in a central portion of the oxide semiconductor layer along a thickness direction” – as instantly claimed and in combination with the additionally claimed limitations.
27. Claim 18, “an average change rate ΔConcH-1 of ConcH-1 toward a central portion along a thickness direction of the oxide semiconductor layer is larger than an average change rate ΔConcM-1 of ConcM-1 toward the central portion along the thickness direction of the oxide semiconductor layer” – as instantly claimed and in combination with the additionally claimed limitations.
Conclusion
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/SAMUEL PARK/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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