Appeal No. 94-4428
Application 08/024,034
According to the examiner, Strangman teaches a method of
producing a spallation-resistant protective layer on the
surface of a nickel or cobalt based superalloy substrate
comprising, inter alia, depositing an alumina layer on the
surface of a deposited nickel or cobalt aluminide layer.
However, according to the examiner, Strangman does not
disclose heating the alumina layer at about 900-1200EC for
about 1-2 hours. See the Answer at page 3. The examiner2
further contends that it would have been obvious to one of
ordinary skill in the art to have annealed the deposited
alumina layer at a 1000EC in Strangman’s method for converting
the deposited layer into a polycrystalline layer as suggested
by the secondary reference to Levy, ?because it is well known
that high temperature annealing can enhance the formation of
the crystalline structure of CVD films?. See the Answer at
page 4, second full paragraph. The examiner further explains
in the Answer at pages 9 and 10 that it would have been
obvious to have applied the post-annealing as suggested by
2 Rather than focusing on multiple differences in multiple claims, the examiner
should treat and focus on each claim individually. Claim 1, for example, only requires a
step of ?heating said alumina oxide layer? without any reference to temperature and time
parameters.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007