Appeal No. 2002-1992
Application 09/206,170
of the claimed optional component.”); Ex parte Cordova, 10 USPQ2d
1949, 1950 (1987) (“The recitation ‘optionally’ denotes that the
unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid may or may not be employed.
It is not apparent, and the examiner has not explained, why the
use of such alternative language fails to particularly point out
and distinctly claim the subject matter appellants regard as
their invention.”)
Accordingly, we reverse the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112,
second paragraph.
Rejection of claims 1, 3, 6-9, 11-14 and 17-22
under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Chen in view of Grieger
We need to address only the independent claims, i.e.,
claims 1 and 17.
The appellants’ claim 1 requires that formation and/or
growth of Cu or Cu alloy dendrites from Cu or Cu alloy lines into
the open dielectric field is prevented or substantially reduced.
Claim 17 recites that the claimed method is “[a] method of
preventing or substantially reducing the formation and/or growth
of dendrites emanating from copper (Cu) or Cu alloy lines into a
bordering open dielectric field on a wafer surface”. The
appellants’ specification does not define “substantially”.
Hence, we give this term its ordinary meaning, which is “of ample
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