www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/026,864
`
`09/21/2020
`
`Yuki Sugiura
`
`P200880US00
`
`5756
`
`WHDA, LLP
`8500 LEESBURG PIKE
`SUITE 7500
`TYSONS, VA 22182
`
`CLINTON, EVAN GARRETT
`
`2816
`
`09/20/2023
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`Thetime period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`patentmail @ whda.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)C) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 9/21/2020 is/are: a)(¥) accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`cc) None ofthe:
`b)LJ Some**
`a)Y) All
`1.¥) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 9/21/2020.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20230913
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/026 864
`Sugiura et al.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`Evan G Clinton
`2816
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 9/21/2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on__; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporatedinto this action.
`4)\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`)
`)
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-14 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Claim(s) 13-14 is/are allowed.
`s) 1,5-8 and 10-12 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s
`Claim(s) 2-4and9 is/are objected to.
`C Claim(s)
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/026,864
`Art Unit: 2816
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA 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-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory
`
`basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) 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 effectivefiling date of the claimed invention.
`
`Claims 1, 5-8, 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mazzillo
`
`et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2014/0339398)
`
`Regardingclaim 1, Mazzillo teaches a photodetector, comprising:
`
`a semiconductor substrate (Fig. 1, N substrate 2) of a first conductivity type (N type);
`
`a first semiconductor layer (Fig. 1, P layer 12) of a second conductivity type (P type) that is
`
`located above the semiconductor substrate (Fig. 1) and forms a junction with the semiconductor
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/026,864
`Art Unit: 2816
`
`Page 3
`
`substratein a first area (interface I), the second conductivity type being different from the first
`
`conductivity type (p vs n); and
`
`a second semiconductor layer (Fig. 1, guard rings 16) of the second conductivity (P type) type
`
`that is located above the semiconductor substrate (Fig. 1) in a second area outward of the first area (see
`
`Fig. 1), the second semiconductor layer having an impurity concentration lower than an impurity
`
`concentration of the first semiconductor layer (see Fig. 1, layer 12 is P+, layer 16 is P-), wherein the
`
`semiconductor substrate and the first semiconductor layer form a photoelectric converter including a
`
`charge multiplication region in which charges are multiplied by avalanche multiplication (see Title), and
`
`the second semiconductor layer extends to a level below an interface between the
`
`semiconductor substrate and the first semiconductor layer in a thickness direction of the semiconductor
`
`substrate (see Fig. 1).
`
`Regarding claim 5, Mazzillo teaches the photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the
`
`semiconductor substrate includes:
`
`a third portion (Fig. 1, layer 8); and
`
`a fourth portion (Fig. 1, layer 14) that is located on the third portion and in contact with the first
`
`semiconductor layer(Fig. 1), and
`
`an impurity concentration of the fourth portion is higher than an impurity concentration of the
`
`third portion (layer 14 is N, layer 8 is N-).
`
`Regarding claim 6, Mazzillo teaches the photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the
`
`semiconductor substrate includes: a third portion (layer 4); and a fourth portion (layer 8) that is located
`
`outward of the second semiconductor layer on the third portion in a plan view (see Fig. 1, layer 8
`
`extends further outward than layer 16).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/026,864
`Art Unit: 2816
`
`Page 4
`
`Regarding claim 7, Mazzillo teaches the photodetector according to claim 6, wherein the
`
`semiconductor substrate further includesa fifth portion (layer 28) that is located outward of the fourth
`
`portion (Fig. 1; “portion” is undefined in the claim, and therefore the fourth “portion” can be considered
`
`the portion of layer 8 between layer 16 and layer 28) on the third portion in a plan view (Fig. 1, layer 28
`
`is formed on layer 4 and is outward of fourth “portion”), and
`
`an impurity concentration of the fifth portion (paragraph [0058], layer 28 concentration of 5e20)
`
`is higher than an impurity concentration of the fourth portion (paragraph [0045], layer 8 concentration
`
`of 5e15; i.e. the fifth portion concentration is higher than the fourth).
`
`Regarding claim 8, Mazzillo teaches the photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the first
`
`semiconductor layer is separated into an outer portion located in the second area and an inner portion
`
`located in the first area (see Fig. 1, outer portion is where overlap occurs between layers 12 and 16,
`
`inner portion is where overlap does not occur) and
`
`an isolation region ofthe first conductivity type for electrically isolating the outer portion and
`
`the inner portion is not provided between the outer portion and the inner portion (see Fig. 1, no
`
`electrical isolation region is provided).
`
`Regardingclaim 10, Mazzillo teaches the photodetector according to claim 1, further
`
`comprising:
`
`a shallow trenchisolation (STI) (Fig. 1, ST| 24) that covers a portion outward ofthefirst
`
`semiconductor Layer in a top surface of the semiconductor substrate(Fig. 1).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/026,864
`Art Unit: 2816
`
`Page 5
`
`Regarding claim 12, Mazzillo teaches the photodetector according to claim 1. wherein the
`
`photoelectric converter comprises a plurality of photoelectric converters arranged in an array (see Fig.
`
`2).
`
`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-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory
`
`basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) 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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mazzillo in view of Yuang
`
`et al. (U.S. Publication no. 2006/0125035).
`
`Regardingclaim 11, Mazzillo teaches the photodetector according to claim 10, but does not
`
`teach wherein in a plan view, the STI is a rectangular ring.
`
`Mazzillo does not specifically teach the shape of the STI. However, Yuang teachesthat an STI
`
`used surrounding a photodiode is a rectangular ring (paragraph [0014]). It would have been obvious to a
`
`person ofskill in the art at the time of the effective filing date that the STI of Mazzillo could have been a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/026,864
`Art Unit: 2816
`
`Page 6
`
`rectangular shape because Yuang teachesthatthis is “typical”
`
`|’
`
`of an STI, and it would have been a simple
`
`substitution of the unknownshape of Mazzillo for the known shape of Yuang with predictable results.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`Claims 2-4, and 9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be
`
`allowable if rewritten in independent form includingall of the limitations of the base claim and any
`
`intervening claims.
`
`The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
`
`Regarding claims 2-4, the prior art, alone or in combination,fails to teach or suggest an isolation
`
`region ofthe first conductivity type that is located between the well and the first semiconductor layer.
`
`Regarding claim 9, the prior art, alone or in combination,fails to teach or suggest wherein the
`
`outer portion and the inner portion are electrically connected by a wire.
`
`Claims 13-14 are allowed.
`
`The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
`
`Regarding claims 13-14, the prior art, alone or in combination,fails to teach or suggest a
`
`photoelectric converter that is located in a third area inward of the first area; and an isolation region of
`
`the first conductivity type that is located between the first area and the third area.
`
`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment
`
`of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompanythe issue fee. Such
`
`submissions should beclearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/026,864
`Art Unit: 2816
`
`Page 7
`
`Conclusion
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to Evan G Clinton whose telephone number is (571)270-0525. The examiner can
`
`normally be reached Monday-Friday at 8:30am to 5:30pm.
`
`Examiner interviewsare available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
`
`USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
`
`the USPTO Automated Interview Request(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
`
`Zandra Smith can be reached on (571) 272-2429. The fax phone number for the organization where this
`
`application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from
`
`Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To
`
`file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit
`
`https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and
`
`https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information aboutfiling in DOCX format. For additional
`
`questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197(toll-free). If you would like
`
`assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or
`
`571-272-1000.
`
`/EVAN G CLINTON/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2816
`
`