Appeal No. 1998-2987 Page 8
Application No. 08/250,332
We also find the appellants' following argument
particularly persuasive.
Yamaha does not state what type of sputtering is
occurring. However, since Yamaha is concerned with
obtaining an enhanced step coverage, Hoffman et al,
on page 108, states a heated substrate is required,
and this temperature appears to be greater than
220°C. Also, it is noted that Wolf et al, on page
269, states that for improved coverage with aluminum
films, the substrate must be heated to greater than
250°C before significant coverage improvement is
observed during sputtering. Thus, it is believed
that while Wolf et al talks about heated and
unheated substrates during sputtering, these
references illustrate that for desired coverage,
heating above 200°C is required for good coverage
and, thus, a person of ordinary skill in the art
having the teachings of Wolf et al and Hoffman et
al, as well as Yamaha, would not find it obvious to
sputter at temperatures equal to or less than 150°C.
It is also submitted that nothing has been shown in
the references relied on by the Examiner to suggest
that silicon nodules would be deposited at the
boundaries between the conductive layers while
sputtering at or below 150°C.
(Id. at 2-3.) None of the other applied references cure the
deficiencies noted above.
For the foregoing reasons, supplemented by the other
reasons expressed by the appellants, we are not persuaded that
teachings from the prior art would have suggested the
invention. Therefore, we reverse the rejection of claims 22
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