Appeal 2007-0949
Application 10/081,312
combining their disclosures to arrive at the claimed invention. Specifically,
Toyoda discloses a method of forming a magnesium fluoride coating on a
semiconductor wafer holder or susceptor using a 99.5% pure magnesium
fluoride target (Toyoda, ¶¶ [0003], [0004], [0012], [0014]; Answer 4).
Ohashi discloses that pinholes and defects (e.g., changes in coating density1)
should be avoided when forming magnesium fluoride coatings on wafer-
supporting members (Ohashi, col. 1, ll. 7-11; col. 6, ll. 15-27; Answer 5).
Itoh discloses that the density of a magnesium fluoride coating may be
manipulated by varying the pressure and temperature of coating application
(Itoh, col. 5, ll. 7-21; Answer 5-6). Tomita and Morton disclose a
temperature and pressure, respectively, for achieving a dense and pure
magnesium fluoride coating (Tomita, col. 4, ll. 49-54; Morton, col. 3, ll. 48-
66; Answer 6).
As is evident from the foregoing exposition of the various patent
disclosures, these disclosures would have led one of ordinary skill in the art
to piece together the teachings of the Toyoda, Ohashi, Itoh, Tomita, and
Morton patents like “pieces of a puzzle.” KSR, 127 S. Ct. at 1742,
82 USPQ2d at 1397.
Moreover, the Examiner’s presentation of the § 103 rejection over
Toyoda, Ohashi, Itoh, Tomita, and Morton on pages 4-9 and 19-21 of the
Answer establishes that Appellants’ claimed invention only involves the
“predictable use of prior art elements according to their established
functions” to achieve a predictable result (i.e., a dense and pure magnesium
1 A pinhole is considered a change in coating density because the density
changes from that of the coating surrounding the pinhole to zero in the
pinhole (i.e., there is no coating in the pinhole).
6
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