Appeal 2006-3124
Application 10/251,179
Tanaka Figure 1 illustrates a vertical fine motion feeder 20 having a stage 24
for mounting a semiconductor wafer 22 and an elevating ring 26 that is
arranged below the stage 24 for vertically moving the stage. Tanaka [0014].
The Examiner maintains that it would have been obvious for one of
ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to have modified the AAPA
device to have the capability of height adjustment in order to gain the
advantage of uniform processing under different processing conditions as
taught by Koike or Fukuyama. The Examiner further states that it would have
been obvious to use the method of adjustment taught by Tanaka to gain the
advantage of uniformity and reduction of contamination by having a simpler
lift mechanism, which could also be used manually. Answer 5-7.
Appellants note that Tanaka’s device is not used in connection with
plasma deposition, but to allow inspection of a semiconductor wafer. As
10
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