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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment submitted 10/21/2024 has been accepted and entered. No claims are amended. No new claims are added. Claims 21-29 are cancelled. Thus, claims 1-20 are examined.
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(s) 1, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cable et al (US 6531739 B2) in view of Sevenhans et al (EP 0132870 B1).
Regarding claims 1, 8, Cable et al discloses a radiation detection array comprising: a substrate (insulating sapphire substrate) (4) (See Figs. 1-4 and col. 4, lines 23-32, col. 8, lines 51-59); a dielectric layer (3) disposed over the substrate, the dielectric layer including a radiation reactive material (col. 4, lines 23-32; a semiconductor layer (ultrathin silicon-on-sapphire transistor) disposed over the dielectric layer (region 2) (col. 4, lines 23-50), a set of source/drain rows (42D)(52D), extend perpendicular to of gate stacks (MOS capacitors) formed in the semiconductor layer (col. 11, lines 51-col. 12, line 29). Cable et al is silent with regards to charge storage structure as claimed. Sevenhans et al discloses a radiation-sensitive semiconductor device (CCDs and photodiode arrays) utilizing charge storage structure (charge storage gates, i.e. MOS capacitors) disposed over the semiconductor layer; and a set of gate stacks formed over the charge storage (MOS capacitors build over the semiconductor body to isolate and store distinct charge packets before read-out) (page 3). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cable et al with the teaching of Sevenhans et al so as to enable scalable, high resolution x-ray or gamma-ray imaging without losing data.
Claim(s) 2-7, 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cable et al (US 6531739 B2) in view of Sevenhans et al (EP 0132870 B1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hossain et al (WO 2022/245535 A2).
Regarding claims 2-3, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al disclose all of the limitations of parent claim 1, as described above, however Cable et al and Sevenhans et al is silent with regards to the radioactive material include an oxide of uranium as claimed. Hossain et al discloses a radiation detection system and method, comprising: a charge storage structure (paragraph [0049]); a radiation radioactive material include an oxide of uranium (uranium-235) (paragraph [0076]). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cable et al and Sevenhans et al with the teaching of Hossain et al, so as to enable neutron and heavy charged particle conversion.
Regarding claim 4, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses wherein the oxide of uranium is mixed oxide of silicon and uranium (paragraph [0049]). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cable et al and Sevenhans et al with the teaching of Hossain et al, so as to enable neutron and heavy charged particle conversion.
Regarding claim 5, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses wherein the charge storage (paragraph [0049]) includes a layer of silicon oxide, a layer of silicon nitride over the layer of silicon oxide, and a layer of silicon oxide over the layer of silicon nitride (paragraph [0049]).
Regarding claim 6, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses further comprising a dielectric trench around the semiconductor layer (paragraph [00118]). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cable et al and Sevenhans et al with the teaching of Hossain et al so as to electrically and optically isolate adjacent active elements in an array.
Regarding claim 7, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses wherein the dielectric (632) trench is formed of a radiation reactive material selected from an oxide of uranium or a mixed oxide of silicon and uranium (paragraph [0064]).
Regarding claims 9-11, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses wherein further comprising an interconnect electrically connected to a row of set of source/drain rows wherein the interconnect is formed of a radiation reactive material i.e. uranium-235) (paragraph [0064]).
Regarding claim 12, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses wherein the interconnect is formed of a mix of tungsten and uranium-235 (paragraph [0067]).
Claim(s) 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cable et al (US 6531739 B2) and Sevenhans et al (EP 0132870 B1) in view of Hossain et al (WO 2022/245535 A2).
Regarding claims 16-17, Cable et al discloses a radiation detection array comprising: a semiconductor substrate (insulating sapphire substrate) (4) (See Figs. 1-4 and col. 4, lines 23-32, col. 8, lines 51-59), a set of source/drain (42D)(52D) rows formed in the semiconductor layer (col. 11, lines 51-col. 12, line 29). Cable et al is silent with regards to charge storage structure or an interconnect in electrical connection as claimed. Sevenhans et al discloses a radiation-sensitive semiconductor device (CCDs and photodiode arrays) utilizing charge storage structure (charge storage gates, i.e. MOS capacitors) disposed over the semiconductor layer; and a set of gate stacks formed over the charge storage (MOS capacitors build over the semiconductor body to isolate and store distinct charge packets before read-out) (page 3). Hossain et al discloses a radiation detection system and method, comprising: a charge storage structure (paragraph [0049]); a radiation radioactive material include an oxide of uranium (uranium-235) (paragraph [0076]); and further comprising an interconnect electrically connected to a row of set of source/drain rows wherein the interconnect is formed of a radiation reactive material i.e. uranium-235) (paragraph [0064]). Thus, it would have been obvious to modify Cable et al with the teaching of Sevenhans et al so as to enable scalable, high resolution x-ray or gamma-ray imaging without losing data and with the teaching of Hossain et al to enable a dynamic radiation-to-charge conversion and sensing mechanism.
Regarding claim 18, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses wherein the interconnect is formed of a mix of tungsten and uranium-235 (paragraph [0067]).
Regarding claim 19, Cable et al a semiconductor substrate disposed over the dielectric layer (region 2) (col. 4, lines 23-50).
Regarding claim 20, Cable et al and Sevenhans et al in view of Hossain et al discloses wherein the dielectric layer includes an oxide of uranium (paragraph [0064]).
Conclusion
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/F.P.B./Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/UZMA ALAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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