Appeal No. 2001-2568
Application No. 09/178,848
(b) first etching a pattern in said electrically
conductive layer extending partially through said
electrically conductive layer to form cavities with
sidewalls in said electrically conductive layer;
(c) providing a patterned mask on said electrically
conductive layer, said patterned mask masking said
sidewalls; and
(d) then again etching said layer within said cavities,
said sidewalls not being etched due to said patterned mask
masking said sidewalls in said cavities.
The references relied upon by the examiner as evidence
of unpatentability are:
Ohsawa et al. (Ohsawa) 5,221,428 June 22, 1993
Fogelson 5,454,905 Oct. 3, 1995
Liou et al. (Liou) 5,847,460 Dec. 8, 1998
Claims 1 and 9 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
being unpatentable over Fogelson in view of Liou.
Claims 2 through 8 and 10 through 19 stand rejected
under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Fogelson in
view of Liou and further in view of Ohsawa.
Opinion
For the reasons set forth in the Brief and Reply Brief,
and below, we reverse each of the above noted rejections.
I. The rejections of claims 1 and 9 under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103 as being unpatentable over Fogelson in view of Liou.
The examiner relies upon Fogelson for teaching a method
for manufacturing a fine-pitch lead frame and states that
Fogelson teaches that a region of a metal layer is etched
optionally from both sides to a fraction of its original
thickness after which leads are formed both in the etched
and non-etched regions. The examiner states that Fogelson
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