Appeal No. 98-0278
Application No. 08535,680
In re Eickmeyer, 602 F.2d 974, 981, 202 USPQ 655, 662 (CCPA
1979).
Appellants submit that our finding that "claims 15-17
encompass the application of positive pressure to remove the
wafer from the chuck" is not "an accurate reading of claim 15"
because "[c]laim 15 specifically recites that the
semiconductor wafer remains in contact with the rotatable
polishing chuck while the positive pressure is being applied
(page 3 of Request)." However, inasmuch as claims must be
given their broadest reasonable interpretation during
prosecution, we find that claim 15 reasonably embraces
processes wherein means are used to keep the wafer in contact
with the chuck during the application of positive pressure for
a limited period of time, after which the means are removed in
order to allow removal of the wafer from the chuck. Claim 15
does not require that the wafer remain in contact with the
chuck throughout the application of positive pressure.
Accordingly, we do not subscribe to appellants' position that
claim 15 does not encompass applying positive pressure to
remove the wafer from the chuck.
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