Appeal No. 96-0377
Application 07/979,254
charged particles at the wafer and provides insulation ring 24
to avoid “a short-circuit discharge current [will occur]
around the wafer [which would] greatly reduce the etching
rate.” (column 3, lines 36 and 37). On the other hand,
Appellants chamber retains neutral particles at the wafer, and
has no problem with short circuit discharge around the wafer.
Therefore, one would not conclude that Iwashiro (a coaxial
plasma apparatus) would have the Steinberg charge-discharge
problem and a need for further base plate insulation.
Since Iwashiro provides no teaching or suggestion
for base plate insulation, and Steinberg provides no teaching
or suggestion to provide insulation in a coaxial plasma
apparatus, we find the Examiner has provided no motivation to
combine
these references. Thus, we will not sustain the rejection of
independent claims 1 and 9, and likewise the rejection of
dependent claims 2, 5 through 8, 10 and 13 through 20. We
note however, with respect to dependent claims 6 and 14, the
Examiner is correct. The claimed hole diameter and pitch
would
8
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