Appeal 2006-2571
Application 09/759,179
surfaces 26 resulting in a smaller gap 38 available for etching (Whitesides
col. 9, l. 32, to col. 10, l. 18, and col. 22, ll. 19-24). The indentations 24 and
stamping surfaces 26 are shown as having uniform width and depth. Results
obtained with stamp deformation are illustrated in FIGs. 4a-d wherein
regions 50 represent etched surfaces and, according to the scale, are
extremely uniform and, in FIGs. 4c-d, narrow (id., col. 10, ll. 19-61).
We find Whitesides illustrates in FIGs. 5a-c a method of applying a
patterned, self-assembled monolayer to a nonplanar surface wherein
stamping surface 26 and accompanying indentations in stamp 20 are shown
as having uniform width and depth (Whitesides col. 10, l. 66, to col. 11, l.
54). Whitesides illustrates in FIGs. 6a-c a “stamping pattern [that] includes
features similar to those found in typical electronic circuitry” in which the
formed features of uniform width reasonably appear to result from a stamp
with stamping surfaces and indentions of uniform width and depth (id. col.
11, l. 55, to col. 12, l. 7).
We find Whitesides discloses that making article 74 includes etching a
pattern into a surface by any known method and using the etched surface as
a template on which to mold an article (Whitesides col. 14, ll. 21-28). The
process illustrated in FIGs. 9a-f forms article 60 (FIG. 9e) as a template to
form, inter alia, article 74 (FIG. 9f) having triangular projections 77 and
separating indentations of uniform width and depth, which “can be a stamp
used for microprinting, as described” (id. col. 14, ll. 28-66). Template 60
can be formed with grooves or pits by anisotropic etching, thus forming at
their deepest portions a ridge or point in article 74 (id. col. 15, ll. 3-19, and
col. 22, ll. 24-28). Article 74 illustrated in cross section in FIG. 9f has
9
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