Appeal No. 2006-0374
Application No. 10/120,511
array of current emitters, which is disclosed at lines 21-37 in
column 3, includes the step of "exposing the native oxide-free
tip of said at least one current emitter to a nitrogen infusion
process to form a treated current emission surface of said tip
(col. 5, lines 31-51)" (Answer, page 6).
The Neukermans reference is directed to the formation of
superhard, durable and inert microstructures such as tips for
atomic force microscopy and field emission, membranes, hinges,
actuators and sensors wherein the microstructures are reacted
with a hydrocarbon or an ammonia gas in order to convert surface
layers of the silicon microstructure to, respectively, SiC (which
is useful for its conductive properties) or Si N (which is3 4
useful for its insulative properties). See the abstract of
Neukermans. While the examiner is correct that lines 21-37 in
column 3 of this reference teach an embodiment wherein the
microstructures are formed as an array of tips for field emission
purposes, it is significant that these tips are exposed to a
hydrocarbon gas in order to form a silicon carbide surface layer
(see lines 26-32 in column 3), thereby yielding "electrically
conductive tips [which] have an advantage when used in field
emission" (see lines 33-34 in column 3). Nowhere does patentee
describe this array of tips as being exposed to a nitrogen
infusion process in accordance with the examiner's previously
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