Appeal No. 2000-1846
Application No. 08/709,879
and a compound which generates an acid upon being irradiated with
light. We find no merit in appellants’ argument that the
references are non-analogous because they address different
problems, i.e., Murata improves process stability and Kihara
enhances alkali solubility. In our view, the collective
teachings of the references would have made it obvious for one of
ordinary skill in the art to use the particular alkali soluble
polymer of Kihara in the resist composition of Murata in order to
achieve greater alkali solubility.
Appellants rely upon the Hayashi Declaration of November 10,
1998 to support their arguments that the references are non-
analogous and, therefore, not combinable. However, our review of
the Declaration finds that no scientific or technical reasons are
given to support a conclusion that one of ordinary skill in art,
in this case, one skilled in the art of formulating chemical
amplification resists, would have considered the alkali soluble
polymer of Kihara’s chemical amplification resist as incompatible
with, or unsuitable for, the chemical amplification resist of
Murata. For example, the declarant provides no explanation why
the alkali soluble polymer of Kihara would not undergo the
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