Appeal No. 96-1656
Application 08/182,809
Our opinion is based solely on the arguments raised by
the appellants in their briefs. We do not address and offer no
opinion on arguments which could have been raised but were not
set forth in the briefs.
Claim 22 reads as follows:
22. A structure consisting of a portion of an
integrated circuit device, comprising:
a substrate of semiconducting material having active
devices in a first surface thereof;
a conductive structure overlying and insulated from a
portion of said first surface of said substrate, and having an
opening therethrough exposing a portion of said substrate;
an oxidized region recessed into an upper surface of
the exposed substrate and laterally abutting a portion of said
conductive structure at sidewalls of said opening, said oxidized
region having a concave upper surface;
an insulating region filling said concave upper surface
of said oxidized region in said opening; and
a planar silicide layer overlying said conductive
structure and said insulating region;
wherein the active devices are laterally isolated only
by said oxidized and insulating regions.
The Examiner’s Answer cites the following prior art:
Morita et al. (Morita) 5,073,813 Dec. 17, 1991
Mazzali 5,122,473 Jun. 16, 1992
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