Appeal No. 1997-1624
Application No. 08/384,816
obvious to isolate the elements of Tamagawa by forming
partitions that extend completely through the semiconductor
substrate. Since Tamagawa already includes trenches for
isolation which extend to the oxide isolation film (62), it
would have been obvious to form the partitions only through
the remainder of the substrate, from oxide isolation film (62)
to the bottom surface of the substrate, which also is the
drain electrode. Accordingly, the combined teachings of
Tamagawa and Cogan include an isolation material extending
from the drain or the bottom surface of the substrate to the
noncontinuous isolation film.
Appellant further argues (Brief, page 4, and Reply Brief,
page 4) that Cogan does not disclose a portion of the
noncontinuous layer extending into the drain region. However,
Cogan need not include a noncontinuous layer extending into
the drain region, since the examiner relies on Tamagawa's film
62 for such a layer. Tamagawa discloses layer 63 as being the
drain region, with 14 being the drain electrode. Since the
drain region and drain electrode must be electrically
connected, the portion of layer 61 between layers 63 and 14
must electrically connect the two and, therefore, also be
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