Appeal No. 1998-1097
Application No. 08/557,484
region in an epitaxial layer connected to a third opening. We
do not agree. As pointed out by the Examiner (Answer, pages 5
and 8), the right-most opening in Ito’s Figure 4 extends
through the second and third dielectrics (12 and 15,
respectively) to the doped region N (P ) in epitaxial layer 19+ +
formed in substrate 18.
With respect to dependent claim 10, we also agree with
the Examiner that the generated input voltages V and V1 2
(discussed at page 4 of the English translation of Ito) in
connection with the adder circuit illustrated in Figure 5
clearly suggest an inherent connection to a power supply.
Accordingly, since all of the claimed limitations are
disclosed by Ito, the Examiner’s
35 U.S.C. § 102(b) rejection of claims 9 and 10 is sustained.
After considering the entirety of the Appellant’s
comments with respect to Ito, however, we find Appellant’s
arguments to be persuasive with respect to independent claim
11. We note that the limitations of claim 11 read on
Appellant’s Figure 4 embodiment in which a second doped region
(identified as element 14 in Appellant’s Figure 4) is formed
in a first doped region (element 34 which is silicon doped
10
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