Ex Parte Blees - Page 2

                 Appeal 2006-2571                                                                                    
                 Application 09/759,179                                                                              

                        We affirm the decision of the Primary Examiner with respect to                               
                 claims 6 and 11 through 14, and reverse the decision with respect to all other                      
                 claims.                                                                                             
                        Claims 1, 6, and 7 illustrate Appellant’s invention of a stamp and a                         
                 method of manufacturing the same, and are representative of the claims on                           
                 appeal:                                                                                             
                        1.  A stamp for use in a lithographic process, which stamp comprises a                       
                 stamp body with a printing face, said stamp body having a first recess with                         
                 an [sic] first aperture in the printing face, wherein                                               
                        the first recess becomes narrower as its distance to the printing face                       
                 increases, and                                                                                      
                        cross-sections of the first recess parallel to the printing face, when                       
                 projected perpendicularly on the printing face, lie within the first aperture,                      
                 and a third recess with an [sic] third aperture in the printing face and a depth                    
                 perpendicular to the printing face that is greater than the depth of the first                      
                 recess is present in the stamp body,                                                                
                        which third recess has cross-sections parallel to the printing face and                      
                 becomes substantially narrower as its distance to the printing face increases,                      
                 said cross-sections, when projected perpendicularly on the printing face,                           
                 lying within the third aperture,                                                                    
                        the aperture of the third recess and the aperture of the first recess each                   
                 have a dimension in a first direction in the printing face, and                                     
                        said dimension of the aperture of the third recess is at least five times                    
                 the dimension of said aperture of the first recess, wherein at least one of the                     
                 first and third recesses has a triangular shape in a plane perpendicular to the                     
                 printing face;                                                                                      
                        wherein the stamp body has a Young modulus greater than 106 N/m2,                            
                 and the stamp body further has an elastic layer disposed therein.                                   
                        6.  A method of manufacturing a stamp for use in a lithographic                              
                 process, which stamp has a stamp body with a surface which coincides                                
                 partly with the printing face, comprising the steps of:                                             


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