Appeal No. 1999-0725
Application 08/476,475
materials are selectively melted to join the bumps together
(translation, p. 8). It is not disclosed that the high melting point
metal layer 24 is reflowed to become a solder ball. The Examiner
states that "[s]older balls (24) . . . are vapor deposited onto the
solder heads [pads] (22)" (EA4), which assumes that metal layer
elements 24 are solder balls. However, as shown in Microelectronics,
discussed infra, solder can be deposited without forming a solder
ball because heat is needed to reflow the solder into a ball.
Accordingly, we find that the '346 reference does not disclose the
claimed step of "(a) forming said solder ball on a substrate."
Consequently, the '346 reference also does not disclose steps (b) and
(c), which incorporate the reference to a solder ball. Furthermore,
step (b) requires "placing a mask over said solder ball," which
process step requires placing a mask over the existing solder ball of
step (a) and the '346 reference does not show a separate step of
placing a mask over an existing solder ball or element; the process
of the '346 reference using a single mask to deposit both layers 24
and 25 does not meet the terms of step (b).
Noll discloses a spherically-shaped mass of high melting point
solder 40 formed by dipping the crystal substrate having metal
film 34 into molten solder. This metal volume 40 is considered a
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