Appeal 2007-2510
Application 10/389,456
1 35 U.S.C. § 103 over various prior art references. We have jurisdiction
2 under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We REVERSE.
3 The claimed subject matter relates to a process for forming "trench
4 isolation structures" on substrates that comprise germanium. According to
5 Wang, integrated circuit elements such as transistors are generally fabricated
6 in trenches in a semiconductor substrate and are generally isolated from one
7 another by insulating or isolating structures. (Specification at 2.) Wang
8 discloses that these structures are conventionally formed by processes that
9 involve high temperatures, e.g., 1000°C. According to Wang, the typical
10 high temperatures for forming these isolation structures causes difficulties
11 for substrates that contain germanium because the germanium tends to
12 outgas or outdiffuse to interfaces, leading to contamination and reliability
13 issues. (Specification at 5.) Wang provides a low temperature process of
14 forming an isolating trench liner that is said to overcome these problems.
15 The Examiner has relied on the following references as evidence of
16 unpatentability:
17 Moon U.S. 5,719,085 Feb. 17, 1998
18 Economikos U.S. 6,133,664 Oct. 24, 2000
19 Fitzgerald U.S. 6,656,322 B2 Nov. 11, 2003
20 Van Zant, “Microchip Fabrication: A Practical Guide to Semiconductor
21 Processing,” pp. 31 and 39 (3d ed. 1997).
22 Vossen, et al. (Vossen), “Thin Film Processes II,” p. 333 (1991).
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