Appeal No. 95-0543
Application 08/008,734
page 5]. The examiner takes the position that the term
“sinterable” or “pressure-sintered connection” adds no additional
structure to the claimed device. Appellants argue that the
claimed pressure sintered connection of claim 3 is structurally
different than other connections and is not taught by Potter
[brief, page 7]. The examiner responds that appellants have
offered no evidence in support of this contention [answer, pages
9-10].
Claim 3 broadly recites that there is a pressure sintered
connection between each of the layers. No unusual significance
is attached to this phrase. Appellants state that “[t]he
mechanical connection between the semiconductor chip CHIP2 and
the heat elimination means W2 is subsequently effected through
the use of a method of low-temperature joining technology
referred to as pressure sintering, that is already known”
[specification, page 5]. Thus, conventional pressure sintering
is implied. To sinter something is defined as “to cause [it] to
become a coherent mass by heating without melting” [see for
example, Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1985]. When
the term “pressure sintered connection” is given this common and
9
Page: Previous 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007