Appeal No. 1996-3121
Application No. 08/115,783
reasonable expectation of successfully producing an
isotopically pure diamond film having enhanced thermal
conductivity when using an isotopically pure carbon source gas
in the CVD process of Yamazaki. We, therefore, sustain the
examiner’s obviousness rejection of appealed claim 1.
We also agree with the examiner that the subject matter
defined by appealed claims 3, 6, 7, 9, and 14 would have been
obvious to a person of ordinary skill in this art based on the
disclosures in Yamazaki and Seitz. Appealed claim 3 further
specifies that the carbon atoms in the reaction gas comprise
99.9% or more C. However, as emphasized above Seitz clearly12
teaches that the use of an isotope of only carbon 12 enhances
the property of thermal conductivity. Further, based on this
prior art teaching, one of ordinary skill in this art would
have reasonably expected to obtain a coefficient of thermal
conductivity for CVD diamond at least as high as required by
appealed claim 6. In this regard , compare the disclosures of
Strong at page 1843 inclusive of Figure 9. The subject matter
of appealed claim 7 is suggested by the disclosure of the use
of methanol, i.e., an alcohol, as a carbon source in
Yamazaki’s CVD process. Appealed claims 9 and 14 specify
10
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