Appeal 2007-0908
Application 10/152,077
23. Ueno teaches that the Marangoni effect is the attraction of a liquid of
a lower surface tension to a liquid of a higher surface tension. (Ueno
at 8:49-51.)
24. Thus, with reference to Ueno Figures 8B and 8C, shown below,
{Ueno Figures 8B and 8C are shown below:}7
{Figures 8B and 8C are said to depict the Marangoni effect.}
Ueno instructs:
[a]s the IPA liquid 80 is being supplied on the wafer W, the
IPA liquid 80 is attracted by the pure water 70 and spreads in a
centric manner, as shown in Fig. 8C. . . . the IPA liquid 80 is
easily dissolved in the pure water 70 overall.
(Ueno at 8:55-61.)
25. According to Ueno, "[s]ince IPA has a surface tension smaller than
that of pure water and easily wets an underlayer, the pure water is
completely replaced by the IPA liquid." (Ueno at 6:56-58.)
26. As a result, Ueno states that:
it is possible to prevent water marks from being formed by
precipitation of a product produced by a reaction among water,
oxygen in the air, and silicon, or by precipitation of silica
7 The text in curly braces following the Figures is provided to ensure
compliance with section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act for publication
of this Decision on the USPTO website pursuant to the Freedom of
Information Act. It is not part of the Decision.
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