Appeal No. 1997-3668
Application 08/395,228
sensor. In particular, with reference to Figure 3, diffusion
resistors 32 are connected in a bridge configuration by
contact diffusion regions 34. Contact regions 34 are formed
so that the inside corners are overlapped. These overlaps are
shown in more detail in Figure 4 as 42, 44, 46 and 48, and
allow the sensor to accommodate small mask misalignments.
Representative independent claim 10 is reproduced as
follows:
10. A sensor consisting essentially of four
substantially identical piezoresistive diffusion resistors
electrically coupled into a bridge configuration having four
inside corners essentially only by four diffusion terminals
and wherein each of said four diffusion terminals overlaps one
of said four inside corners.
The Examiner relies on the following references:
Burger et al. (Burger) 4,620,365 Nov. 4,
1986
Murakami 4,869,107 Sep. 26,
1989
Claims 1 through 4, 6 through 18, 20 and 21 stand
rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over
Burger in view of Murakami.
Rather than reiterate the arguments of Appellants
and the Examiner, reference is made to the brief, reply brief,
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