Ex Parte Andricacos et al - Page 4



          Appeal No. 2005-0155                                                        
          Application No. 09/760,884                                                  

               The examiner finds (Answer, page 4) that Chen                          
               discloses a method for fabricating electronic structures               
               wherein a barrier layer 10 is formed on the bottom and side            
               walls trenches 5 or vias of an insulating layer 8 (fig. 2A;            
               page 12 to page 13).  The electronic structure may include             
               a semiconductor (substrate) covered with the insulating                
               material (page 2).  Copper is electroplated directly onto              
               the barrier layer 10 (page 12, line 5).  In an example                 
               depicting the enhancement of a thin seed layer, Figures 2B             
               and 2C illustrate copper 18 being electroplated directly on            
               the barrier layer 10 on the bottom and side walls in                   
               discontinuities present within a thin seed layer 15 (see               
               fig. 2B and 2C).  The electroplating bath is comprised of              
               copper sulfate, as a source of cupric ions, and a                      
               completing agent and may also contain other additives                  
               (page 16).  The bath is maintained at a pH of at least                 
               9.0 and can have a pH of 5-13 (page 17).  The current                  
               density used for electroplating “can be 1 to 5                         
               milliamps/cm2", which contains the endpoint of the                     
               claimed range (page 18).                                               
          The examiner acknowledges that Chen is silent as to how the                 
          trenches or vias are formed on its insulating material coated               
          substrate and that Chen does not mention an electroplating bath             
          containing cyanide ions and a stabilizing agent.  See the Answer,           
          page 5.                                                                     
               To remedy the above deficiencies, the examiner relies on the           
          disclosures of Landau and Ting.  See the Answer, pages 6-7.  The            
          examiner correctly finds that Landau teaches advantages of                  
          employing lithographic techniques for making trenches or vias on            
          an insulating layer of the substrate of the type described in               
          Chen in a similar method.  See the Answer, page 6.  The examiner            
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