Appeal No. 2004-0652
Application No. 09/396,642
insulative layer to an ozone-containing atmosphere for a duration
of time and at a first temperature sufficient to oxidize said
unoxidized electrically conductive structure (see Nishioka at
column 5, lines 56 through 62; and column 6, lines 26 and 27).
With regard to this last step, although Nishioka explicitly
mentions ozone only in connection with the annealing and
oxidation of the conductive TiN adhesion layer 36, a fair reading
of the reference as a whole indicates that a person of ordinary
skill in the art would view Nishioka’s broad statement that the
conductive Ru adhesion layer 46 is annealed and oxidized in an
oxygen containing atmosphere as intending to encompass the same
conditions expressed in conjunction with the corresponding and
directly related TiN annealing and oxidation step. These
conditions include the use of ozone, which is of course an oxygen
containing atmosphere, and a 600°C. annealing temperature.
Furthermore, Nishioka’s conductive Ru adhesion layer 46
meets the recitation in dependent claim 2 that the electrically
conductive structure is comprised of a material selected from the
group consisting of: Ir, Ru, Rh and any combination thereof,
Nishioka’s insulative SiO2 layer 32 (an oxide) meets the
recitation in dependent claim 5 that the electrically insulative
layer is comprised of a material selected from the group
7
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