Appeal No. 96-3614
Application 08/259,154
50). This is described as an alternative to the arrangement
shown in Figure 1, wherein an arm 37 of bottom pole 16 extends
through an opening 39 in the substrate-insulating layer 15 to
form an ohmic contact 38 between the bottom pole and the
substrate so as to bleed away electrostatic charges before
the voltage on poles 14 and 16 can reach a level which can
cause arcing (col. 4, lines 32-45).
Regarding both claims 1 and 3, the examiner states that
Schwarz fails to disclose (a) that insulating film 17 can have
a thickness in the range of 0.5 Fm - 3 Fm and (b) that the
insulating layers 18 and 19 can be formed of an organic
resinous film having sufficient insulation resistance (Answer
at 5). To remedy the first deficiency, the examiner (Answer
at 5) relies on insulating layer 22 in Diepers's thin film
magnetic head, which layer is described as providing an air
gap 11 having a width w of less than 1 Fm, especially of about
0.5 Fm (col. 4, lines 34-37; col. 5, lines 54-56). However,
as appellants correctly note (Brief at 8), Diepers's thin
insulating layer 22 is not formed directly on the substrate;
instead, it is formed in the region between the upper magnet
leg 6 and the lower magnet leg 7 and thus corresponds to
- 9 -
Page: Previous 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007