Appeal No. 96-1805
Application 08/200,432
prior art Figures 4A through 4D, and for moving the second wafer
toward the first wafer, that is, from the position shown in
Figure 4A to that of Figure 4B, where it is acted upon by the
pressure application bar (Figure 4C). As evidence of this, the
examiner points to Wells, wherein first and second wafers are
held by means of vacuum upon a pair of chucks which are movable
toward one another to effect the bonding operation (Figure 1 and
column 1, lines 62 and 63). We agree that these features were
known in the art at the time of the appellants' invention. We
also agree with the examiner that Wells further teaches that the
bonding operation can be accomplished in an enclosure, noting
also, however, that the precise teaching of Wells is that this
"enclosure" include all of the mechanisms for bonding the wafers
together, including "scrubbing, spin drying, crystal orientation
and joining" (column 4, lines 11 through 15). Also, there is no
teaching in Wells that an atmosphere of reduced pressure is
provided, or that the enclosure is filled with a gas other than
air.
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