Appeal No. 2001-1090
Application No. 09/477,821
Claim 1 is illustrative of the claimed invention, and it reads as follows:
1. A method of manufacturing an electrical device, which method comprises the
sequential steps of:
(a) providing a substrate including at least one metal feature in-laid in the upper, exposed
surface of a layer of dielectric material overlying at least a portion of said substrate, the at least one
metal feature including an upper, exposed surface substantially co-planar with said upper surface of
said layer of dielectric material;
(b) selectively depositing at least one layer comprising at least one alloying element for said
metal feature on said exposed, upper surface of said at least one metal feature; and
(c) annealing to substantially uniformly diffuse at least a predetermined minimum amount of
said at least one alloying element from said at least one layer comprising said at least one alloying
element into said at least one metal feature for at least a predetermined minimum depth below the
upper surface thereof, whereby electromigration of metal of said at least one metal feature is
minimized or substantially prevented.
The references relied on by the examiner are:
Chiu et al. (Chiu) 4,335,506 June 22, 1982
Chow et al. (Chow) 4,789,648 Dec. 6, 1988
Kondo et al. (Kondo) 6,001,736 Dec. 14, 1999
Nogami et al. (Nogami) 6,022,808 Feb. 8, 2000
(filed Mar. 16, 1998)
Claims 1 through 20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over
Nogami in view of Chow, Chiu and Kondo.
Reference is made to the briefs (paper numbers 10 and 12) and the answer (paper number
11) for the respective positions of the appellants and the examiner.
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