Appeal No. 2006-2819 Page 3
Application No. 10/980,575
metal levels 1 to N-1” and that the second power grid is generated “on metal levels N and
above.” No such generation of these power grids on such levels is taught by Gould.
The examiner appears to rely on column 4, lines 10-13, of Gould, wherein it is
disclosed that in a multilevel design, certain sections may be physically placed at wiring
levels M1, M3 or M5, and other sections may be physically placed at wiring levels M2,
M4 or M6. However, we find no description, in this recitation of placing various sections
at interleaving wiring levels, of generating a first power grid on N-1 sequential metal
levels and generating a second power grid on the next N+ sequential levels, as claimed.
Accordingly, we will not sustain the rejection of claims 1-6 under 35 U.S.C.
§ 102 (e).
We reach the opposite decision with regard to independent claim 19.
Independent claim 19 does not recite the generation of first and second power
grids on sequential metal levels 1 to N-1 and N and above, but the claim does recite,
“determining a bounding region of said robust power grid.”
The examiner’s initial reasoning was to point to column 4, lines 66-67, and Figure
10 of Gould for such a “bounding region.” The cited column 4 portion of the reference
merely describes pin shape connections created between the pin shapes and power service
terminals (PSTs) and says nothing about any “bounding region.” The examiner then
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