Ex Parte Rhodes et al - Page 4

               Appeal 2007-2285                                                                             
               Application 10/871,151                                                                       

               col.. 28, ll. 6-13).  Xu provides no teaching whatsoever that the                            
               advantageous properties of good conductivity, highly smooth surface and                      
               resistance to electrode migration are only associated with TiN.  To conclude                 
               otherwise would render meaningless the reference teaching of any substitute                  
               material.                                                                                    
                      We are also not persuaded by Appellants' argument that Fillipiak                      
               teaches away from the addition of a TaN layer because the reference teaches                  
               that Ta layer 106 is a barrier layer. We conclude that it would have been                    
               obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to use a combination of Ta and                  
               TaN as a barrier layer or layers for the purpose of achieving the benefits of                
               TaN disclosed by Xu.                                                                         
                      As for separately argued claims 9 and 29 which recite "the                            
               aluminum/copper alloy comprises about 99.5% aluminum and 0.5%                                
               copper", Appellants acknowledge that Xu expressly teaches that the                           
               aluminum may be alloyed with other metals, such as copper, in an amount of                   
               up to 10%.  While Appellants query "why one of ordinary skill in the art                     
               would be motivated to select a copper-aluminum alloy, let alone a 99.5%                      
               aluminum – 0.5% copper alloy, from the myriad alloys disclosed by the Xu                     
               reference" (Principal Br. 15), the answer lies in the fact that the reference                
               specifically suggests as much.  Manifestly, up to 10 weight percent includes                 
               the claimed 0.5%, and an alloy of aluminum-copper is the first alloy listed in               
               the group.                                                                                   
                      As a final point, we note that Appellants base no argument upon                       
               objective evidence of nonobviousness, such as unexpected results, which                      



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