Ex Parte Basceri et al - Page 4



          Appeal No. 2005-2351                                                        
          Application No. 09/904,112                                                  

          examiner to reject the claims on appeal is affirmed-in-part.                
               A.  The Rejection under § 102(e)                                       
               The examiner finds that Kunitomo discloses a method of                 
          forming a capacitor comprising providing a conductive oxide                 
          electrode, depositing a first layer of a high dielectric constant           
          oxide dielectric material on this electrode, oxidizing the                  
          conductive oxide electrode and the first layer under oxidizing              
          conditions, depositing a second layer of the high dielectric                
          constant oxide dielectric material on the first layer, oxidizing            
          the second layer, and then depositing an upper layer electrode on           
          the second layer (Answer, page 4).  Accordingly, the examiner               
          concludes that every limitation of the claims has been described            
          by Kunitomo (id.; see page 5 of the Answer regarding the                    
          limitations of various dependent claims).                                   
               Appellants argue that Kunitomo does not teach or suggest a             
          method that includes oxidizing a conductive oxide electrode and             
          the first layer of the high dielectric constant oxide material              
          such that the surface of the oxide is provided with “enough                 
          oxygen to provide stability” (Brief, pages 5-6; see claim 1 on              
          appeal).  Appellants further argue that Kunitomo does not teach a           
          method in which the lower electrodes 54 and the tantalum oxide              
          layer 56 are oxidized as claimed, and there is no explicit                  
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