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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-14, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (US2021/0151613A1) in view of Elkhatib et al (US2017/0005124A1).
As to claim 1, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) a device (integrated structure) for controlling trapped ions (ion trap), the device (integrated structure) comprising: a semiconductor substrate (100) comprising a plurality of optical detectors (106); a dielectric layer (103, 107, 109, 111) disposed over the semiconductor substrate (100), and an electrode structure (112-1, 112-2) disposed over the dielectric layer (103, 107, 109, 111), wherein the electrode structure (112-1, 112-2) comprises electrodes (112-1, 112-2) of an ion trap (ion trap) configured to trap (trap) one or more ions (ions) in a space above the electrode structure (112-1, 112-2), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]). Yang et al fail to disclose wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or a plurality of lenses. Elkhatib et al disclose (fig. 2A) wherein the dielectric layer (201) comprises lens (202), (paragraph [0050], [0052]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al to include wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or a plurality of lenses as taught by Elkhatib et al in order to direct and/or focus the light to excite and propel the ions into the ion trap to minimize and/or reduce induced electric field resulting in providing good versatility and scalability which enhances the overall performance of the device.
As to claim 2, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein at least a part of the electrode structure (112-1, 112-2) is formed by an electrically conductive material (116), (paragraph [00308]). Yang et al fail to disclose transparent material coating the one or more plurality of lenses. Elkhatib et al disclose (fig. 2A) lens (202) constructed of dielectric material (201), (paragraph [0050]). Many dielectric materials are transparent to light as it is well-known in the art; therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al to include transparent material coating the one or more plurality of lenses as taught by Elkhatib et al in order to improve the transmission of light efficiency while reducing and/or eliminating the light scattering effect.
As to claim 4, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein: the semiconductor substrate (100) comprises a first optical detector (106) and a second optical detector (106); the dielectric layer (103, 107, 109, 111); the first optical detector (106) is arranged to collect light (light) emitted from a first ion (ion trap defines ion); and the second optical detector (106) is arranged to collect light (light) emitted from a second ion (ion trap defines ion), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]). Yang et al fail to disclose dielectric layer comprises at least one lens. Elkhatib et al disclose (fig. 2A) dielectric layer (201) comprises at least one lens (202), (paragraph [0050]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al to include dielectric layer comprises at least one lens as taught by Elkhatib et al in order to improve the transmission and detection of light efficiency to acquire effective ionization results.
As to claim 5, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) further comprising: a trap substrate (100, 1001, 1002) disposed over the dielectric layer (103, 107, 109, 111), wherein at least a part of the electrode structure (1112-1, 112-2) is formed by a structured metal layer (116) provided on the trap substrate (100, 1001, 1002), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]).
As to claim 6, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the trap substrate (100, 1001, 1002), (paragraph [0308]). Yang et al fail to disclose comprises an opening exposing at least one lens formed in the dielectric layer. Elkhatib et al disclose (fig. 2A) an opening (cavity formed in dielectric layer 201 defines an opening) exposing at least one lens (202) formed in the dielectric layer (201), (paragraph [0050]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al to include an opening exposing at least one lens formed in the dielectric layer as taught by Elkhatib et al in order to improve the transmission and detection of light efficiency to acquire effective ionization results.
As to claim 7, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the trap substrate (1002) is transparent for light (light) emitted from one or more ions (ion trap defines ions) of the ion trap (ion trap), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]).
As to claim 8, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) further comprising: a trap substrate (100, 1001, 1002) disposed over the semiconductor substrate (100), wherein the space in which the one or more ions are trapped (ion trap defines ions) is between the semiconductor substrate (100) and the trap substrate (100, 1001, 1002), (paragraphs [0308]-[0312]).
As to claim 9, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the optical detector (106) comprises a photodiode (106), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]).
As to claim 10, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the photodiode (106) is a front-side illuminated photodiode (106), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]).
As to claim 11, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the photodiode (106) is a backside illuminated photodiode (106), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]).
As to claim 12, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the semiconductor substrate (100) is a silicon-on-isolator substrate (100), (paragraph [0315]).
As to claim 13, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) further comprising: a read-out circuitry (116) coupled to the photodiode (106) which outputs a photo-signal (output), the read-out circuitry (116) comprising a front-end circuitry portion (112-1, 112-2) and a back-end circuitry portion (116), wherein the front-end circuitry portion (112-1, 112-2) is configured to convert the photo-signal (output) to a first electrical signal (electrical signal, voltage), and wherein the back-end circuitry portion (116) is configured to output a second electrical signal (electrical signal, voltage) representing a count of photons (light) collected by the photodiode (106), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]).
As to claim 14, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the front-end circuitry portion (116) is implemented in the semiconductor substrate (100), (paragraph [0308]).
As to claim 19, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated circuit) wherein the photodiode (106) is configured for avalanche operation (single-photon avalanche detectors defines avalanche operation), (paragraphs [0301]-[0313]).
As to claim 20, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein the photodiode (106) is configured for proportional operation, (paragraphs [0308]-[0313
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (US2021/0151613A1) in view of Elkhatib et al (US2017/0005124A1) and further in view of Chaudhary et al (US2016/0276144A1).
As to claim 3, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) wherein: the semiconductor substrate (100) comprises a first optical detector (106) and a second optical detector (106); the dielectric layer (103, 107, 109, 111); the first optical detector (106) arranged such that the first optical detector (106) can collect light (light) emitted from an ion (ion); and the second optical detector (106) arranged such that the second optical detector (106) can collect light (light) emitted from the same ion (ion), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]). Yang et al fail to disclose a first lens. Elkhatib et al disclose (fig. 2A) a dielectric layer (201) comprises a first lens (202), (paragraph [0050]) and optical detectors (photodetectors, detectors, photodiodes, pixel, image sensor), (paragraphs [0042], [0044], [0046]-[0047]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al to include dielectric layer comprises a first lens and optical detectors as taught by Elkhatib et al in order to improve the transmission and detection of light efficiency to acquire effective ionization results. Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al fail to disclose a second lens. Chaudhary et al disclose (fig. 8, fig. 9) a first lens (82) and a second lens (84), (paragraphs [0038]-[0039]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al to include a second lens as taught by Chaudhary et al in order to improve the transmission and detection of light efficiency to acquire effective ionization results.
Claim(s) 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (US2021/0151613A1) in view of Elkhatib et al (US2017/0005124A1) and further in view of Cyrulnik (5,044,006).
As to claim 15, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated circuit) wherein the back-end circuitry portion (116) comprises: a conversion device (106) having an analog input (electrical signal, voltage), wherein the conversion device (106) is electrically coupled between the front-end circuitry portion and a digital circuitry part of the back-end circuitry portion, and wherein the conversion device (106) is located remote from the photodiode (avalanche detector), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]). Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al fail to disclose conversion device having a digital output. Cyrulnik discloses (fig. 3) conversion device (88) having a digital output (digital signal), (column 6, lines 17-21). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al to include conversion device having a digital output as taught by Cyrulnik in order to more accurately process and determine the ionization results.
As to claim 16, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) comprising: the conversion device (106), (paragraphs [0308]-[0313]). Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al fail to disclose the conversion device is an analog-to-digital converter. Cyrulnik discloses the conversion device (88) is an analog-to-digital converter, (column 6, lines 17-21). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al to include the conversion device is an analog-to-digital converter as taught by Cyrulnik in order to more accurately process and determine the ionization results.
As to claim 17, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure), (paragraph [0308]). Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al fail to disclose wherein the conversion device is a time-to-digital converter. Cyrulnik discloses (fig. 3) the conversion device (88) is a time-to-digital converter (converter), (column 6, lines 17-21). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al to include the conversion device is a time-to-digital converter as taught by Cyrulnik in order to more accurately process and determine the ionization results.
As to claim 18, Yang et al disclose (fig. 6) the device (integrated structure) comprising: the conversion device (106), (paragraph [0311]-[0313]). Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al fail to disclose the conversion device is a comparator. Cyrulnik discloses (fig. 3) the conversion device (112) is a comparator (comparator), (column 6, lines 17-25). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date to modify Yang et al in view of Elkhatib et al to include the conversion device is a comparator as taught by Cyrulnik in order to compare the output signals to more accurately process and determine the ionization results.
Conclusion
26. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DON J WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-8538. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m..
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/DON J WILLIAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/GEORGIA Y EPPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2878