Appeal No. 2005-0822
Application No. 09/825,612
forming combined gasses comprising a metal source
gas with a chemically inert energy-transfer gas;
supplying said combined gases to said vacuum
chamber; and
igniting a plasma.
25. The method in claim 24, wherein said step of
igniting a plasma comprises interacting said combined
gases.
28. A semiconductor processing method comprising
the following steps:
providing a semiconductor wafer;
subjecting said wafer to PECVD conditions in a
chamber;
forming an ionized reactant species by interacting
a metal source material with a chemically inert
collider gas in said chamber; and
forming a metal-containing layer on said wafer
from said ionized reactant species.
The examiner relies on the following prior art references as
evidence of unpatentability:
Chang 6,294,466 B1 Sep. 25, 2001
(filed May 1, 1998)
Richard S. Muller and Theodore I. Kamins, Device Electronics for
Integrated Circuits 102 (John Wiley & Sons 2nd ed. 1986)(Muller).
Claims 13 through 15, 22 through 26, and 28 on appeal stand
rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) as anticipated by Chang.
(Examiner’s answer mailed Jan. 13, 2004 at 3-5; final Office
action mailed Apr. 9, 2003 at 2-3.)2 In addition, claims 16
2 It appears that the examiner inadvertently omitted claims
22-26 and 28 from the statement of the rejection. (See answer at
3
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