Appeal No. 2004-0660
Application No. 10/120,116
matter is adequately illustrated by independent claim 1 and
dependent claim 4 which read as follows:
1. A method for filling isolation trenches during a
semiconductor fabrication process comprising the steps of:
(a) depositing a silicon-rich liner onto the isolation
trenches; and
(b) filling the isolation trenches with an oxide utilizing a
biased high density plasma deposition process.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein step(a) further includes
the step of depositing a silicon-rich in-situ high density plasma
liner in a non-biased environment.
The references set forth below are relied upon by the Examiner
as evidence of obviousness:
Park et al. (Park) 6,326,282 B1 Dec. 4, 2001
Yew et al. (Yew) 6,228,742 B1 May 8, 2001
Fukumoto et al. (Fukumoto) 6,441,426 B1 Aug. 27, 2002
(filed Jun. 16, 1999)
Vossen “Thin Film Processes,” Academic Press, p. 54 (1978).
Wolf “Silicon Processing for the VSLI ERA,” Lattice Press, Vol. 1
pp. 171-173, 191-193 (1986).
Wolf “Silicon Processing for the VSLI ERA,” Lattice Press, Vol. 1,
Second edition , pp. 795-796 (2000).
Claims 4 and 10 stand rejected under the first paragraph of
35 U.S.C. § 112. The Examiner considers these claims to be not
enabled by the Appellants’ disclosure with respect to the here
claimed “non-biased” feature. Relying on prior art of record as
support for his position, the Examiner argues that “all plasma
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