Appeal No. 1999-1647
Application 08/934,088
constitutes the gate insulating film of the driver circuit
portion (specification, p. 15, lines 13-15). The gate
insulating film 44' of the image sensor element portion
comprises a laminate of a 100 nm thick silicon oxide film
deposited by LPCVD and a 100 nm thick silicon oxide film
formed by thermal oxidation (specification, p. 15,
lines 6-13). "The electric characteristics of each of the
gate insulating films for the image sensor element portion and
the driver circuit portion can be set optimally by thus
providing each of them with specified silicon oxide films."
(Specification, p. 15, lines 16-19). The gate insulating
films preferably have a thickness of 20 nm to 300 nm
(specification, p. 16, lines 1-11).
Appellants argue that a larger optical output is obtained
by using a relatively thick gate insulating film for the image
sensor element, while high speed for the peripheral drive
element portion is achieved by using a relatively thin gate
insulating film for the driver element (Br4; RBr3-4).
Appellants argue the "significant unobvious advantages" (Br8)
of the relative thicknesses and the "attendant advantages, or
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