Appeal No. 95-3481
Application 08/017,977
According to appellants, the present invention is an
improved method for forming a reflective layer of aluminum on an
optical disk. This method is accomplished by introducing a small
amount of oxygen into the atmosphere during formation of the
aluminum reflective layer by the well-known techniques of
evaporation or sputtering. This process forms a stable oxide of
aluminum dispersed within the aluminum layer to improve the
degradation property (brief, pages 1-2).
As stated by appellants on page 2 of the brief, the claims
stand or fall together. Accordingly, we will limit our
discussion of the claims to the broadest claim on appeal,
independent claim 4, which is reproduced below:
4. A method for producing a reflective film
essentially composed of aluminum on an optical disc, wherein
aluminum oxide is interdispersed within the aluminum, said method
comprising introducing an amount of oxygen into an atmosphere in
the course of forming said reflective film on a transparent
substrate of said optical disc wherein the amount of oxygen
introduced into the atmosphere is such that the oxide of aluminum
contained in the formed reflective film bears an oxygen to
aluminum atomic ratio between 1.3 and 2.0.
No prior art was relied upon by the examiner in the
rejection of the appealed claims. Claims 4, 7 and 8 stand
rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph, ?as incomplete
for not reciting the parameters of the method for producing the
2
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