Appeal No. 2000-1041
Application No. 08/871,705
maintaining the metal surface at a temperature not greater than
about room temperature during deposition (Brief, page 3).
Illustrative independent claim 10 is reproduced below:
10. A method for increasing the hardness of a metal
comprising:
depositing at least one layer of boron having a microhardness
value in the range of about 2900 Kgm/mmz to about 4300 Kgm/mm2 on
a metal surface by rf magnetron sputtering, and
maintaining the metal surface at a temperature not greater
than about room temperature during the depositing of the at least
one layer of boron thereon.
The examiner relies upon the following references as evidence
of obviousness:
Keem et al. (Keem) 4,724,169 Feb. 09, 1988
Ovshinsky et al. (Ovshinsky) 4,727,000 Feb. 23, 1988
Nakamori 63-185033 July 30, 1988
(published Japanese Unexamined Patent Application)
Fujita et al. (Fujita) 64-081904 Mar. 28, 1989
(published Japanese Unexamined Patent Application)1
The claims on appeal stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
as unpatentable over Ovshinsky in view of Keem and Nakamori or
1We rely upon full English translations of the Nakamori and
Fujita documents. These translations are of record.
2
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