Appeal No. 97-4425
Application 08/619,418
signals to be provided through both the sense line and the
conductive element such that if there is a delay along the sense
line at any contact point, those signals can still be provided
along the conductive element without a delay (Br. at 18, 19, 20;
Reply at 3). The appellants point out (Reply at 3, lines 8-15)
that this functionality and advantage is provided by having the
diffusion line (conductive element) connected directly to the
sense amplifiers and the sense line directly connected to a
number of metal diffusion contacts which are, in turn, connected
to the diffusion line or the conductive element. For instance,
in the brief on page 20, lines 4-10, the appellants state:
In Kohno et al., L32 [conductive element] is connected
to L1 which is directly connected to the sense amp. In
contrast, in the present invention, the sense line SLN
is connected to the sense amplifiers 140-1, for
example, by contacts C4 and C5 to line D2 [conductive
element], and to sense amplifier 140-2 by contacts C5
and C6 to D2 [conductive element]. Hence, in the
present invention, there are multiple contacts for the
sense line to connect to the sense nodes of both the
first amplifier and second amplifier. This prevents
the delays possible in Kohno et al. This cannot be
done with Kohno et al.
The argument, however, is not commensurate in scope with
what is claimed. First, the function or capability of providing
control signals through the conductive element without delay when
there is a delay along the sense line is not recited in claim 19.
Secondly, claim 19 does not require directly connecting the
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