Ex parte COOPER - Page 5




          Appeal No. 95-3538                                                          
          Application 08/108,356                                                      

          article at page 1709 in column 1, lines 4-7, states: "The QC-               
          BiCMOS features the 'quasi-p-n-p’ connection, which consists of a           
          pMOS (MP2) and n-p-n bipolar transistor (Q2)."  In accordance               
          with Figure 1(b), the pMOS transistor MP2 and the n-p-n bipolar             
          transistor Q2 together form a "quasi p-n-p" component                       
          complementary to the n-p-n transistor Q1.                                   
               Thus, the appellant has established that the term "quasi-              
          complementary BiCMOS" has a recognized meaning in the art                   
          referring to the combination or composite circuit of a pMOS                 
          transistor and an n-p-n bipolar transistor.  Collectively, it is            
          complementary to an n-p-n bipolar transistor in the circuit.  We            
          note further that "BICMOS" has an established meaning in the art            
          referring to circuitry made of both bipolar and CMOS transistors.           
          See U.S. Patent 5,057,713 in column 1, lines 13-14.                         
               The examiner’s view that quasi-complementary BiCMOS does not           
          have a recognized meaning in the art is unpersuasive.  The                  
          examiner points to Iwamura (U.S. Patent 5,057,713) and Young et             
          al. (U.S. Patent 5,111,077) which refer to a circuit employing a            
          pMOS transistor to drive an n-p-n bipolar transistor simply as              
          Bi-CMOS or BiCMOS.  But that is not inconsistent with the                   
          appellant’s position.  The term "Bi-CMOS" or "BiCMOS" is broader            
          and covers quasi-complementary type of Bi-CMOS/BiCMOS circuits.             


                                          5                                           





Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  Next 

Last modified: November 3, 2007