Appeal No. 2006-0216
Application No. 10/325,203
As previously indicated, both Holland and Collins disclose performing their
adjustment steps for obtaining a uniform or optimized plasma prior to a variety of
processes including etching and deposition processes. After repeatedly conducting such
processes, contaminating residue builds up to a point where a cleaning step becomes
necessary. Therefore, it would have been obvious for an artisan to perform a cleaning
operation, for example, between the aforementioned etching and deposition processes.2
This provision would have resulted in etching and deposition processes in
accordance with Holland or Collins (i.e., wherein adjustments are made for each process
in order to obtain a uniform or optimized plasma) with a cleaning operation therebetween.
It is important to recognize that the adjusting step for the etching process would be prior to
the cleaning operation (and correspondingly the cleaning operation would be prior to the
deposition process). Because the adjusting step for the etching process would be prior to
the cleaning operation, this step would satisfy the here claimed requirement “wherein said
second energizing step is performed ... before ... cleaning” (i.e., since claims 40 and 44 do
not require that this step be performed immediately before cleaning).
2 Indeed, on page 2 of the subject specification, the appellants acknowledge that such a cleaning
operation was known in the prior art at the time their invention was made.
6
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007