Appeal No. 2001-0274
Application No. 09/136,527
Claims 3-7, 11-14 and 16 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103
as unpatentable over Myers in view of Sandhu.
Reference is made to the briefs and answer for the
respective positions of appellants and the examiner.
OPINION
With regard to independent claim 1, the examiner points to
Figures 2 and 3 of Myers and identifies a first dielectric layer
204, a patterned metal layer 202 having gaps formed on the first
dielectric layer, wherein the patterned metal layer has a metal
feature with an upper surface and a composite structure
comprising a bottom layer 22, an intermediate metal layer 224 and
an upper anti-reflective coating 228, and a second dielectric
layer 210 formed on the patterned metal layer. A through-hole
318 having an internal surface formed in the second dielectric
layer exposes a portion of the upper surface of the metal
feature, wherein the exposed portion of the upper surface has a
concave section 320 (also seen in Figure 2 at 216) formed during
etching the through-hole and the concave section extends beneath
and undercuts the anti-reflective coating 228. A conductive
-3–
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