Appeal No. 96-1584
Application 08/066,697
The examiner observes that Taylor, unlike Muramatsu who grounds
trench material 20, provides a common electrode 23 connecting
trench material 32 and island region 22. According to the
examiner,
It would have been obvious to a skilled artisan to combine
the teachings of Taylor as to how to apply voltages to the
isolation structure with the analogous structure of
Muramatsu and Piotrowski in order to insure full isolation
of the semiconductor devices. (Answer, p. 4, last paragraph)
With respect to dependent claims 2 and 3, which in effect set
forth a range for the prescribed bias voltage, the examiner has
set forth no argument in support of the rejection. As to
dependent claim 7, electrode 23 of Taylor is provided to
interconnect trench resistor 32 and island collector region 22 of
transistor Q , not to insure full isolation of semiconductor
2
devices. There appears to be no motivation for combining
Taylor's interconnect of circuit elements with Muramatsu and
Piotrowski.
CLAIMS 20, 21, and 24
Independent claim 24 recites,
said prescribed bias voltage having a value such that, when
said material capable of distributing a voltage applied
thereto is biased at said prescribed bias voltage, said PN
junction has a breakdown voltage which is greater than the
breakdown voltage of said PN junction when said material
capable of distributing a voltage applied thereto is biased
at the same bias voltage applied to said second
semiconductor region.
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