Appeal No. 1997-3668
Application 08/395,228
Appellants’ specification. That is, overlap wherein a top
geometric shape exceeds the boundaries of an underlying
geometric shape. We have accepted this definition because of
Appellants’ disclosure as a basis for the claim language,
Appellants arguments relying on this definition as a
distinction over the prior art, and the lack of the Examiner
challenging this definition. However, viewed from another
perspective, overlap could simply mean “1: to extend over and
cover a part of 2: to have something in common with”
(Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1986). Thus, from
a dictionary definition, overlap by itself, is easily met by
Burger in that the resistive material at the inside corners of
Burger is lapped over by low impedance connections (i.e.,
terminals). “Extend over and cover a part of”
or “having something in common with” does not preclude the
layers
being geometrically the same and aligned with each other
(i.e., line-on-line).
However, the overlap issue aside, the significant
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