Appeal No. 96-1848
Application 08/161,604
that silicon nitride thicknesses of 400 and 500 Angstrom
units may be used (col. 5, lines 7-10). The examiner
concludes that it would have been obvious to use a silicon
nitride thickness of 200 to 600 Angstroms in view of the
teachings of Shirai.
Appellants argue that "Haskell, as noted above,
utilizes a silicon nitride etch stop layer, but lacks any
suggestion or teaching of the interlevel dielectric layer
deposition and reflow, and non-overlapping layer
configuration of the present invention" (Br15). This
argument is nonresponsive to the rejection. No "interlevel
dielectric layer deposition and reflow" is claimed in
claim 33. The "non-overlapping layer configuration" is
taught by Deleonibus. Appellants have not shown error in
the examiner's reasoning. Accordingly, the rejection of
claim 33 is sustained.
Claims 15 and 34: Haskell, Deleonibus, Shirai, and Sze
The rejection of claim 15 has been reversed.
The examiner stated that "[u]nderstanding from Sze that
phosphorus-doped silicon oxide is useful to planarize by
reflowing, we conclude it to have been obvious for one to
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