Appeal No. 96-3684
Application 08/318,034
surface tension when dissolved in water or water solutions, or which similarly affects interfacial tension
between two liquids.” Since appellants’ process for precipitating the doped semiconductor and adding2
the “surfactant” appears to be under anhydrous conditions (specification: pp. 7-8), appellants’ use of the
term “surfactant” does not meet the ordinary meaning of the term. However, appellants describe the use
of their “surfactant” “[t]o maintain the separation for quantum confinement in precipitated particles ...”
(specification: p.5). As for the term “encapsulated,” appellants have not defined the term in their
specification, but its ordinary meaning is to be “[e]nclosed by a protective coating.” Therefore, we3
construe claim 10 as defining a doped precipitated particle of semiconductor material that is enclosed by
a “surfactant” which is any
coating material that will keep the semiconductor particle from agglomerating with other similar
semiconductor particles.
REJECTION I
The examiner rejected claims 10-23 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Weller in view of Hilsum. Weller
discloses forming a quantum sized (< 50 D ) ZnS colloid (experimental section, p. 630). According to
Weller, each ZnS particle can be precipitated on a carrier. Weller specifically discloses a carrier
comprising colloidal SiO and that each carrier particle possesses one tiny ZnS particle (id.). Weller further
2
2 The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 5th Edition, Ed. by Arthur and Elizabeth Rose, Rinehold Publishing
Corporation, New York, p. 1055 (1956).
3The American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd College Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Mass., p. 451
(1982).
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