Appeal No. 2004-0680
Application No. 10/057,026
shooter heater” (specification, page 1). Representative claim 11
reads as follows:
11. A thermal bubble inkjet head having off-shooter heaters
and a rapid ink refill mechanism comprising:
a silicon substrate having a top surface and a bottom
surface;
a first insulating material layer of at least 1000 D thick
on said top surface;
a funnel-shaped manifold formed in said silicon substrate;
two spaced-apart heaters formed on said first insulating
material layer on said top surface;
two interconnects formed of a conductive metal each in
electrical communication with one of said two spaced-apart
heaters;
a third insulating material layer on top of said two spaced-
apart heaters and said first insulating material layer;
a first photoresist layer of at least 2000D thick on top of
said third insulating material layer;
a primary and an auxiliary ink chamber formed in said first
photoresist layer in fluid communication with each other and with
said funnel-shaped manifold;
a metal seed layer on said first photoresist layer and an
inkjet orifice formed in said metal seed layer; and
a Ni layer on top of said metal seed layer with an aperture
formed therein in fluid communication with said inkjet orifice.2
2 The recitation in claim 11 of the “third” insulating
material layer is somewhat discordant in that the claim does not
recite any “second” insulating material layer. In the same vein,
the reference in dependent claim 14 to “said first and second
insulating material layers” lacks a proper antecedent basis. In
the event of further prosecution, suitable steps should be taken
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007