Appeal No. 2002-2221
Application No. 08/847,946
a) providing a substrate having an electrically insulating native oxide layer on
a surface thereof, said substrate being of a material operative for use as an
electrode in a capacitor;
b) depositing on said native oxide layer a metal selected from the group
consisting of Group IA and Group VIIIA metals;
c) directing a high energy beam onto said deposited metal and said native
oxide layer to intermix the deposited metal with the native oxide;
d) controlling the depth of intermixing of the deposited metal with the native
oxide so as not to affect the bulk structure of said substrate;
e) whereby said native oxide layer is changed from being electrically
insulating to being more electrically conductive; and
f) applying electrode material onto the native oxide layer so that the substrate
is usable as an electrode.
CITED PRIOR ART
As evidence of unpatentability, the Examiner relies on the following reference:
Draper et al. (Draper) 4,495,255 Jan. 22, 1985
The Examiner rejected claims 1 to 12 as unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as
obvious over Draper. (Answer, p. 3).2
DISCUSSION
2 The Examiner has indicated that the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102 has been
withdrawn. (Answer, p. 2).
-3-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007