Ex Parte Guldi - Page 2

                 Appeal 2006-2564                                                                                    
                 Application 10/259,743                                                                              
                 I.   APPEALED SUBJECT MATTER                                                                        
                        The subject matter on appeal is directed to an integrated circuit wafer                      
                 cleaning apparatus.  See the Specification, 1.  Details of the appealed subject                     
                 matter are recited in representative claim 13, which is reproduced below:                           
                        13.  A wafer cleaning apparatus, comprising:                                                 
                        a tank for holding a chemical bath liquid and at least one integrated                        
                 circuit wafer to be cleaned by the liquid;                                                          
                        producing means, located within the tank, for producing a physical                           
                 action within the liquid to assist in the cleaning of the at least one wafer; and                   
                        a programmable controller, coupled to the producing means, and                               
                 programmed to control the producing means to activate the physical action                           
                 for a selected duration while the at least one integrated circuit wafer is in the                   
                 tank and ceasing the physical action while the at least one wafer is still                          
                 present in the liquid.                                                                              
                                                                                                                    
                 II.  PRIOR ART                                                                                      
                        As evidence of unpatentability of the claimed subject matter, the                            
                 Examiner has relied upon the following references:                                                  
                 Aigo     US 5,014,727   May 14, 1991                                                                
                 Stadler   US 5,451,267   Sep. 19, 1995                                                              
                 Skrovan   US 5,849,091   Dec. 15, 1998                                                              
                 Calio    US 6,054,062   Apr. 25, 2000                                                               

                 III.  REJECTIONS                                                                                    
                        The Examiner has rejected the claims on appeal as follows:                                   
                 1) Claims 13 and 17 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) as anticipated by the                                  
                 disclosure of Calio;                                                                                
                 2)  Claims 14 and 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over the                              
                 combined disclosures of Calio and Stadler; and                                                      

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