Appeal 2007-0127
Application 09/749,916
1 The Appellants disclose as their invention a low-resistivity silicon
2 electrode to be used in a plasma reaction chamber. (Specification, p. 3, ll. 9-
3 10).
4 The broadest independent claim under appeal reads as follows:
5 1. A low resistivity silicon electrode adapted to be mounted in
6 a plasma reaction chamber including a confinement ring which
7 is used in semiconductor substrate processing, comprising:
8 a silicon electrode comprising a showerhead electrode
9 having a plurality of gas outlets arranged to distribute process
10 gas in the plasma reaction chamber during use of the
11 showerhead electrode, the electrode having a thickness of about
12 0.25 inch to 0.5 inch and an electrical resistivity of about 0.005
13 to 0.1 ohm-cm, the electrode having an RF driven or electrically
14 grounded surface on one side thereof, the surface being exposed
15 to plasma in the plasma reaction chamber during use of the
16 electrode.
17
18 The prior art references relied upon by the Examiner in rejecting the
19 claims on appeal are:
20 Saito US 5,993,597 Nov. 30, 1999
21 Uwai US 5,993,596 Nov. 30, 1999
22 Degner US 5,074,456 Dec. 24, 1991
23 Murai JP 02-20018 Jan. 23, 1990
24
25 The rejections under review in this appeal are as follows.
26 Claims 1, 4-10, 30, 38, 39, and 41 stand rejected under 35 U. S. C.
27 §103(a) over Degner in view of Murai.
28 Claims 3, 21, 25, 27, 31, 33-37, and 40 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
29 §103(a) over Degner in view of Murai and Saito.
2
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