Appeal No. 2004-0651
Application No. 09/898,082
With regard to claim 6, this claim requires that the
insulating region that surrounds the conductive region of the
first portion and the insulating region that surrounds the
conductive region of the second portion are put in contact with
or solid-state-bonded to each other.
For reasons similar to those supra, with regard to claim 5,
we find that the insulating regions in Kawai are, indeed, in
contact with each other, albeit through an intermediate element.
Thus, we also will sustain the rejection of claim 6, and
claim 8 in accordance with appellant’s grouping at page 2 of the
reply brief, under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b).
Turning now to independent claim 20, the examiner points out
the correspondence between the claimed subject matter and that
disclosed by Kawai at pages 5-6 of the answer, and the examiner’s
rationale appears reasonable to us.
Appellant argues that the claim requires the first
conductive material filling in the contact hole in the first
insulating layer to be protruding above a surface of the first
insulating layer, and also that the first and second conductive
material fillings in the contact holes contact one another.
Appellant contends that these features are not disclosed or
suggested by Kawai.
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