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`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/838,911
`
`06/13/2022
`
`JUNJI HIRASE
`
`083710-3655
`
`7178
`
`Rimon PC - Pansonic Corporation
`423 WashingtonStreet
`Suite 600
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`
`GEYER, SCOTT B
`
`2812
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`11/07/2023
`
`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):
`USPTOmail@rimonlaw.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`17/838,911
`Examiner
`Scott B Geyer
`
`Applicant(s)
`HIRASE etal.
`Art Unit
`2812
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`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 04 October 2023.
`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 incorporated into 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*
`1-16 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 7 and 11-12 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`1) Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-6,8-9 and 15-16 is/are rejected.
`)
`Claim(s) 10 and 13-14 is/are objected to.
`O Claim(s
`are subject to 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 Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 13 June 2022 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 20220613.
`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 20231101
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Election/Restrictions
`
`Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 5 (claims 1-10 and 13-16) in the
`
`reply filed on October 4, 2023 is acknowledged.
`
`The limitations within claim 7 are directed to the embodiment of figure 9, which
`
`wasidentified as Species 6. Therefore, claim 7 is also withdrawn.
`
`Claims 1-6, 8-10, and 13-16 are treated on their merits below.
`
`Receipt is acknowledged ofcertified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
`
`Priority
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`The references cited within the IDS document submitted on June 13, 2022 have
`
`been considered.
`
`Claim Objections
`
`Claims 3-5 are objected to becauseofthe following informalities:
`
`In each of claims 3, 4, and 5: change “fist” to - - first - -
`
`Appropriate correction is required.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 3
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`Specification (Title)
`
`The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly
`
`indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
`
`The following title is suggested:
`
`IMAGING DEVICE WITH MULTIPLE
`
`DIFFUSION REGIONS AND CAPACITOR ELEMENT
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(bo) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly
`pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor
`regards as the invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph:
`The specification shall conclude with one or moreclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
`
`Claims 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-
`
`AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and
`
`distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for
`
`applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
`
`Claims 15 and 16 recite a “third diffusion region” having an impurity of the
`
`“second conductivity type”. Claims 15 and 16 both depend from claim 2, which in turn
`
`depends upon independent claim 1. Taking the limitations of claims 1 and 2 in to
`
`account, the first conductivity type is P-type, and the second conductivity must then be
`
`N-type. Therefore, claims 15 and 16 recite a ‘third diffusion region’ which is N-type.
`
`However, turning back to claims 1 and 2, and elected species figure 6, the first diffusion
`
`region is numeral 2, and the second diffusion region is numeral 3. These identifiers are
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 4
`
`also confirmed by the applicant’s specification, for example in paragraphs 0062-0064.
`
`Also noted within the applicant’s specification is the third diffusion region, numeral6.
`
`Accordingly, the third diffusion region should be P-type, whichis the ‘first’ conductivity
`
`type, noted throughout the claims...see also claim 9 which specifically recites the third
`
`diffusion region, its location in relation to the second diffusion region, and the
`
`conductivity type, whichis first (P-type). Therefore, claims 15 and 16 appear to be
`
`incorrectly identifying which diffusion region is meant to be claimed, and which
`
`conductivity type the diffusion region is, which rendersthe limitations of these claims
`
`confusing and indefinite.
`
`As best understood by the examiner, the “third diffusion region” of claims 15 and
`
`16 is the region identified by numeral 5a in figure 6.
`
`However, numeral 5a is identified as an “n-type impurity region” (e.g. paragraph
`
`0069); numeral 5a is a source/drain for the reset transistor, and is not the “third diffusion
`
`region”.
`
`For purposes of examination, claims 15 and 16 will be interpreted by substituting
`
`the phrase “n-type impurity region”for “third diffusion region’.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 5
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`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 madein 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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
`
`Rhodes (US 2002/0117690 A1).
`
`As to claim 1, Rhodes teaches an imaging device (see figure 5) which
`
`comprises:
`
`a semiconductor substrate (116) including:
`
`a semiconductor region (120) including an impurity of a first conductivity
`
`type (P-type, paragraph 0049),
`
`a first diffusion region (126) that is in contact with the semiconductor
`
`region, that includes an impurity of a second conductivity type (N-type, paragraph
`
`0049) different from the first conductivity type, and that converts incident light into
`
`charges, and
`
`a second diffusion region (155) that includes an impurity of the second
`
`conductivity type (N-type, paragraph 0049) and that directly accumulates at least
`
`a part of the charges generatedin the first diffusion region;
`
`a contact plug (150) in contact with the second diffusion region (155); and
`
`a capacitive element (162) electrically connected to the seconddiffusion region
`
`through the contact plug (150).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 6
`
`As to claim 2, Rhodes teaches a first transistor (125) that includesafirst gate
`
`electrode (102) located on the semiconductor substrate and that includes the second
`
`diffusion region (155) as one of a source and a drain; and
`
`a secondtransistor (128) that includes a second gate electrode (108), wherein
`
`the second diffusion region (155) is coupled(i.e. electrically coupled) to the
`
`second gate electrode (108) through the first transistor (125).
`
`As to claim 3, Rhodes teaches the capacitive element (162) includes a first
`
`electrode (156), a second electrode (160), and a dielectric film (158) between the first
`
`electrode and the second electrode, both the first electrode and the second electrode
`
`being located above the semiconductor substrate (116). See figure 5.
`
`As to claim 4, Rhodes teaches the capacitive element (162) includes a first
`
`electrode (156), a second electrode (160), and a dielectric film (158) between the first
`
`electrode and the second electrode, a dielectric constant of the dielectric film being 10
`
`or more. See paragraph 0061, dielectric materials include high-k dielectrics including
`
`TazQOswhich is known to have a dielectric constant of 25 or more.
`
`As to claim 5, Rhodes teaches the capacitive element includes a first electrode
`
`(156), a second electrode (160), and a dielectric film (158) between the first electrode
`
`and the second electrode, at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode
`
`including a metal (see paragraph 0060).
`
`Asto claim 6, Rhodes teaches the capacitive element includes a MIM (i.e. metal-
`
`insulator-metal) capacitor. See paragraphs 0060 and 0061.
`
`/I
`
`HI
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 7
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`Claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
`
`anticipated by Chuang et al. (US 2011/0049589 A1, hereinafter referred to as ‘Chuang’).
`
`As to claim 1, Chuang teaches an imaging device (see figure 1) which
`
`comprises:
`
`a semiconductor substrate (10) including:
`
`a semiconductor region including an impurity of a first conductivity type (P-
`
`type, paragraph 0012),
`
`a first diffusion region (26, source) that is in contact with the
`
`semiconductor region, that includes an impurity of a second conductivity type (N-
`
`type, paragraph 0016) different from the first conductivity type, and that converts
`
`incident light into charges, and
`
`a second diffusion region (26, drain) that includes an impurity of the
`
`second conductivity type (N-type) and that directly accumulates at least a part of
`
`the charges generatedin the first diffusion region;
`
`a contact plug (84) in contact with the second diffusion region (26, drain); and
`
`a capacitive element (32) electrically connected to the second diffusion region
`
`through the contact plug (34).
`
`Asto claim 3, Chuang teaches the capacitive element (32) includesa first
`
`electrode (32t), a second electrode (32b), and a dielectric film (28c) between the first
`
`electrode and the second electrode, both the first electrode and the second electrode
`
`being located above the semiconductor substrate (10). See figure 1.
`
`Asto claim 5, Chuang teaches the capacitive element (32) includesa first
`
`electrode (32t), a second electrode (32b), and a dielectric film (28c) between the first
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 8
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`electrode and the second electrode, at least one of the first electrode and the second
`
`electrode including a metal (see paragraph 0020).
`
`Asto claim 6, Chuang teaches the capacitive element includes a MIM (i.e.
`
`metal-insulator-metal) capacitor. See paragraph 0020.
`
`Asto claim 8, Chuang teaches the capacitive element(32) overlapsthe first
`
`diffusion region (26, source) in a plan view (see figure 1).
`
`Asto claim 9, Chuang teaches the semiconductor substrate (10) includes a third
`
`diffusion region (16) that covers an upper surfaceofthe first diffusion region (26,
`
`source) and that includes an impurity of the first conductivity type (P-type). See
`
`paragraph 0016.
`
`/ / C
`
`laims 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
`
`anticipated by Kiyota et al. (JP 2011 204797A, hereinafter referred to as ‘Kiyota’).
`
`As to claim 1, Kiyota teaches an imaging device (see figures 13A-E) which
`
`comprises:
`
`a semiconductor substrate (22) including:
`
`a semiconductor region (23) including an impurity of a first conductivity
`
`type (P-type),
`
`a first diffusion region (24) that is in contact with the semiconductor region
`
`(23), that includes an impurity of a second conductivity type (N-type) different
`
`from the first conductivity type, and that converts incident light into charges
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 9
`
`(numerals 24 and 20 make up the photodiode, which performs this claimed
`
`function), and
`
`a second diffusion region (25) that includes an impurity of the second
`
`conductivity type (N-type) and that directly accumulates at least a part of the
`
`charges generatedin the first diffusion region (numeral 25 is the floating diode,
`
`which performs this claimed function);
`
`a contact plug (50) in contact with the second diffusion region (25); and
`
`a capacitive element (88) electrically connected to the second diffusion region
`
`(25) through the contact plug (50).
`
`Asto claim 3, Kiyota teaches the capacitive element (88) includes a first
`
`electrode (83), a second electrode (84), and a dielectric film (36) between the first
`
`electrode and the second electrode, both the first electrode and the second electrode
`
`being located above the semiconductor substrate (22). See figure 13E.
`
`Asto claim 5, Kiyota teaches the capacitive element (88) includes a first
`
`electrode (83), a second electrode (84), and a dielectric film (36) between the first
`
`electrode and the second electrode, at least one of the first electrode and the second
`
`electrode including a metal(“In this example, as shownin FIG. 13D, a metal layer composedofthe
`
`first barrier metal 37B1, the wiring 37A, and the second barrier metal 137B2 is formed by sputtering or the
`
`like, and is patterned bylithography and dry etching. By this patterning, a first layer wiring 371 including
`
`one electrode 83 to be a capacitor elementis formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 13E, the second layer
`
`wiring 372 including the interlayer insulating film 36 and the other electrode 84 serving as a capacitor
`
`element onthe interlayer insulating film 36 is formed by the sameprocess.”)
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 10
`
`Asto claim 6, Kiyota teaches the capacitive element includes a MIM (i.e. metal-
`
`insulator-metal) capacitor. See above cited portion.
`
`Asto claim 8, Kiyota teaches the capacitive element (88) overlapsthe first
`
`diffusion region (24) in a plan view (see figure 13E).
`
`Asto claim 9, Kiyota teaches the semiconductor substrate (22) includes a third
`
`diffusion region (20) that covers an upper surface ofthe first diffusion region (24) and
`
`that includes an impurity of the first conductivity type (P-type). See figure 13E.
`
`Claims 10 and 13 are objected to as being dependent uponarejected base
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the
`
`limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
`
`(Claim 14 is also objected to
`
`as being dependent upon an objected claim.)
`
`Cited Prior Art
`
`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure: see the attached form PTO-892for pertinent cited art.
`
`ContactInformation
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Scott B. Geyer (telephone: 571-272-1958). The
`
`examiner can normally be reached on Mondayto Friday, 10AM - 4PM. Examiner
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/838,91 1
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 11
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`interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
`
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`
`encouraged to use the USPTO AutomatedInterview Request(AIR) at:
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, Charles D Garber (telephone: 571-272-2194). The fax phone number for
`
`the organization wherethis application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`
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`
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`
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`1000.
`
`/SCOTT B GEYER/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
`
`