Appeal 2006-2671
Application 09/508,572
its surroundings; a hollow.”2 The structure of the micro hybrid integrated
circuit, including size and contour, is not specified and the components of
the integrated circuit can be contact wires. Indeed, there is no disclosure of
the size and contour of integrated circuits in the Specification, but wires 8,
connecting the micro hybrid integrated circuit to conductive layers of a
board, are illustrated components (Specification, e.g., 1:6-26, 4:18-29, and
Figs. 1-3). The transitional term “comprising” opens claim 7 to encompass
additional elements including any manner of other layers in any manner of
arrangement relative to the ceramic body and/or metallic skin layer. See,
e.g., Vehicular Technologies Corp. v. Titan Wheel Int’l, Inc., 212 F.3d 1377,
1383, 54 USPQ2d 1841, 1845 (Fed. Cir. 2000); In re Baxter, 656 F.2d 679,
686-87, 210 USPQ 795, 802-03 (CCPA 1981).
Dependent claim 10 specifies the area of reduced thickness of the
metallic skin layer has a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.
Dependent claim 13 specifies any manner of at least one insulating layer is
present in any manner “on” the metallic skin layer. Dependent claim 14
specifies any manner of at least one other metallic layer arranged in any
manner “on” the metallic skin layer. With respect to claim 7, 13, and 14,
there is no specified perspective with respect to the orientation of the
claimed substrate board. Thus, in giving the claim terms their broadest
reasonable interpretation, we determine that while one layer is deposited on
another layer, after formation the layers can be reasonably considered as
being in proximity, that is, “on” one another, without respect to orientation
2 See, e.g., depression, The American Heritage Dictionary Of The English
Language 488 (4th ed., Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000).
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