Appeal No. 2003-1980
Application No. 09/351,868
The Invention
The invention relates to a method for cleaning and annealing
a metallic layer on a workpiece having an insulating substrate by
applying a cleaning and annealing fluid to the metallic layer
while heating the workpiece and the applied cleaning and annealing
fluid. (See, e.g., claim 1).
A. The Rejection of Claims 1-3, 5, 11-16, 19, 20, 49-52, 66,
and 67 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Allain.
The examiner has found that Allain teaches treating metal
such as a copper aluminum alloy with deionized, deoxygenated
water. (Examiner’s Answer, page 4, lines 14-15). The examiner
states that Allain does not disclose cleaning and annealing, but
finds that Allain would clean and anneal at the temperatures
recited. (Examiner’s Answer, page 4, lines 17-19). The examiner
further states that Allain does not specify that the material
being treated is a metallic layer, but finds that any material
undergoing treatment can be considered a layer and the copper
alloy of Allain is the layer, while any substance on which the
metal rests is an insulating substrate (Examiner’s Answer, page 5,
lines 12-19).
The appellants, on the other hand, urge that Allain is
directed to dissolving aluminum from particles, not annealing
metal plated on a workpiece (Appeal Brief, page 4, lines 7-9).
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