Appeal No. 1998-2166 Page 2
Application No. 08/572,792
BACKGROUND
Appellants’ invention relates to a target for sputtering with a magnetron cathode. The target is
composed of a cobalt based alloy containing chromium and optionally several other metals. Only those
targets composed of alloys having a Curie temperature below 80 EC are encompassed by the claims.1
Claim 1 is illustrative:
1. A target for sputtering with a magnetron cathode, the target consisting of a Co base
alloy with addition of Cr, the alloy having a composition such that the Curie temperature
of the alloy is below 80 EC, and the alloy consisting of Co, 0-20 at. % Pt, 18-21 at. %
Cr, and optionally R, wherein R stands for one of more elements selected from the
group consisting of Mo, Pd, Ni, Ti, V, Ta, W, and B.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the Examiner in rejecting the appealed claims
are:
Lal et al. (Lal) 5,057,200 Oct. 15, 1991
Doerner et al. (Doerner) 5,523,173 Jun. 04, 1996
(filed Dec. 27, 1994)
Claims 1-4 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by or, in the alternative,
under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as obvious over Lal. Claims 1-4 also stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e)
1Appellants define the Curie temperature as the intersection of the high-temperature asymptote
of the magnetization curve M(T) with the tangent to the area of steepest slope of the magnetization
curve M(T)(specification page 3).
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