Appeal 2007-0908
Application 10/152,077
A. Introduction
Appellants ("Christenson") appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134 from the
final rejection of claims 1-5, 8-11, and 45-57, which are all of the pending
claims, as unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) in view of various
references. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We REVERSE-
IN-PART, AFFIRM-IN-PART and enter NEW GROUNDS OF
REJECTION.
The Claimed Subject Matter
The subject matter on appeal relates to a process of rinsing and drying
substrates in the microelectronics industry.
Claim 1 is illustrative and reads as follows:
A method of processing a microelectronic device as rotatably
supported within a processing chamber, the method including
the steps of:
[1] creating an atmosphere comprising gas within the
processing chamber and about a surface of the
microelectronic device supported within the processing
chamber;
[2] rinsing the microelectronic device by
[2a] spraying a rinsing fluid onto a surface of the
device within the gas atmosphere
while also
[2b] supplying a surface tension reducing agent into the
gas atmosphere within the processing chamber;
and
[3] drying the device by
[3a] rotating the device at a predetermined drying
rotational speed for an effective time period to dry
the device and,
2
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