Appeal No. 2001-0430
Application No. 08/697,699
We have carefully considered the entire record before us, and we will reverse the
obviousness rejections of claims 1, 2, 4 through 6, 8 through 10 and 24.
Appellants acknowledge (brief, page 8) that Dawson discloses first and second conformal
dielectric layers 40 and 52 formed by first and second PECVD methods, respectively. Dawson
provides “the second conformal dielectric layer 52 with inhibited moisture permeation (paragraph
bridging cols. 8-9)” (brief, page 8). Kocmanek discloses an integrated circuit with a first dielectric
layer 17 and a second dielectric layer 21 (Figure 1). Using PECVD, Kocmanek forms an initial
portion of dielectric layer 21 using a first source material flow rate, and thereafter forms the final
portion of the dielectric layer 21 by depositing the same source material at a second flow rate
(Abstract; column 1, lines 47 through 55; column 2, lines 28 through 41). Cain, like Kocmanek,
uses PECVD to form two adjacent dielectric layers 190 and 192. The first dielectric layer 190 is
deposited at a low RF power of 100 watts, and the second dielectric layer 192 is deposited at a
higher RF power of 300 watts (column 2, lines 31 through 45; column 3, lines 4 through 14; column
5, lines 16 through 28). Appellants argue (brief, pages 13 and 14) that “each of Kocmanek
(Abstract) and Cain (Abstract) disclose a corresponding conformal dielectric layer formed
employing a corresponding plasma enhanced chemical vapor (PECVD) method as a bilayer
conformal dielectric layer employing a pair of radio frequency powers rather than a single layer
conformal dielectric layer formed employing a single radio frequency power.” We agree. Thus, the
obviousness rejection of claims 1, 4, 5 and 8 through 10 based upon the combined teachings of
Dawson, Kocmanek and Cain is reversed because “the combination of Dawson with Kocmanek and
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