Appeal No. 2001-2037
Application No. 08/884,912
Song because “it would prevent a bridging phenomenon between a
gate electrode and drain/source areas as taught [by] Song (col.
3, lines 40-45)” [answer-page 5].
Appellants argue that there would have been no motivation
for combining Young and Song because neither reference is
concerned with a problem of silicide overflow and the potential
bridging problems resulting therefrom, as are appellants.
Appellants’ argument in this regard is not convincing
because independent claim 10 recites nothing about overflow
problems.
In fact, we find Young’s teaching to be merely cumulative to
that of Song because, in our view, as broadly set forth in claim
10, the claimed subject matter is met by Song’s disclosure alone.
Viewing Figure 2I of Song, a semiconductor device is formed
wherein a gate dielectric 10 is formed on a silicon substrate 1.
Then, a silicon layer having a first thickness is formed over the
gate dielectric layer 10 and a sacrificial, or disposable, layer
12 is formed over the silicon layer. The silicon layer and
disposable layer are patterned into an electrode (column 2, lines
52-56) and a pair of spacers 13, having a first height, are
formed on opposite sides of the electrode. The disposable layer
-6–
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