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`PATENT
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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`APPLICANT:
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`Chistyakov
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`SERIAL NO.:
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`11/465,574
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`GROUP NO.:
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`2821
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`FILING DATE:
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`August 18, 2006
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`EXAMINER:
`
`Tung X. Le
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`TITLE:
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`METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STRONGLY-
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`IONIZED PLASMAS WITH IONIZATIONAL INSTABILITIES
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`Commissioner for Patents
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`PO. Box 1450
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`Alexandria, Virginia 223 13- 1450
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`AMENDMENT AND RESPONSE
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`Sir:
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`The following remarks are responsive to the Office Action mailed on December 8, 2009
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`in the above-identified patent application. Consideration of the following remarks, and
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`allowance of the claims, as presented, is respectfully requested. A Petition for a three-month
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`extension of time, up to and including June 8, 2010 is submitted herewith. Authorization to
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`charge Attomey’s charge card for the extension fee, Statutory Disclaimer fee and any other
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`proper fees is given in the EFS-Web filing submission papers.
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`Amendments to the claims begin on page 2 of this paper.
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`Remarks begin on page 7 of this paper.
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`TSMC-1110
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`TSMC v. Zond, Inc.
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`Page 1 of 8
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`TSMC-1110
`TSMC v. Zond, Inc.
`Page 1 of 8
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`In the Claims:
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`Please cancel claims 48-63 and 84-86 as follows.
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`Claims 1-47 (cancelled)
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`48
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`Cancelled.
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`49
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`Cancelled.
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`50
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`Cancelled.
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`51
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`Cancelled.
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`52
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`Cancelled.
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`53
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`Cancelled.
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`54
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`Cancelled.
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`55
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`Cancelled.
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`56
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`Cancelled.
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`57
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`Cancelled.
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`58
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`Cancelled.
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`59
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`Cancelled.
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`60
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`Cancelled.
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`61
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`Cancelled.
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`62
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`Cancelled.
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 2 of 8
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`2
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 2 of 8
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`63
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`Cancelled.
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`64
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`(Original) A method of generating a strongly-ionized plasma, the method comprising:
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`a)
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`supplying feed gas proximate to an anode and a cathode assembly; and
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`b)
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`generating a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode assembly, the
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`voltage pulse having at least one of a controlled amplitude and a controlled rise
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`time that increases an ionization rate so that a rapid increase in electron density
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`and a formation of a strongly-ionized plasma occurs without forming an are
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`between the anode and the cathode assembly.
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 filrther comprising applying a magnetic field
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`proximate to the cathode assembly.
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`(Original) The method of claim 65 filrther comprising moving the magnetic field.
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 filrther comprising generating an electron Hall
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`current from an electric field generated by the voltage pulse and from the magnetic field,
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`the electron Hall current raising the temperature of the electrons in the weakly-ionized
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`plasma to a temperature that enhances the increase in electron density and the formation
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`of the strongly-ionized plasma.
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 wherein the voltage pulse comprise a multi-stage
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`voltage pulse.
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 filrther comprising applying a voltage between the
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`anode and the cathode assembly that sustains the strongly-ionized plasma.
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`65
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`66
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`67
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`68
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`69
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 3 of 8
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`3
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 3 of 8
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`70
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 wherein a lifetime of the strongly-ionized plasma is
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`greater than 200usec.
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`71
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 fiarther comprising discharging energy from an
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`energy storage device into the plasma to enhance the rapid increase in electron density
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`and the formation of the strongly-ionized plasma.
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`72
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 wherein an amplitude of the voltage pulse is
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`sufficient to generate ionizational instabilities that enhance the ionization rate so as to
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`cause a rapid increase in electron density and the formation of the strongly-ionized
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`plasma.
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`73
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`(Original) The method of claim 64 wherein at least some of the ionizational instabilities
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`comprise diocotron instabilities.
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`74
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`(Original) A method of generating a strongly-ionized plasma, the method comprising:
`
`a)
`
`supplying feed gas proximate to an anode and a cathode assembly; and
`
`b)
`
`generating a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode assembly, the
`
`voltage pulse having at least one of a controlled amplitude and a controlled rise
`
`time that shifts an electron energy distribution in the plasma to higher energies
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`that increase an ionization rate so as to result in a rapid increase in electron
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`density and a formation of a strongly-ionized plasma without forming an are
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`between the anode and the cathode assembly.
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`75
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`(Original) The method of claim 74 fiarther comprising applying a magnetic field
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`proximate to the cathode assembly.
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`76
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`(Original) The method of claim 75 filrther comprising moving the magnetic field.
`4
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 4 of 8
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`4
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 4 of 8
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`77
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`(Original) The method of claim 75 filrther comprising generating an electron Hall
`
`current from an electric field generated by the voltage pulse and from the magnetic field,
`
`the electron Hall current raising the temperature of the electrons in the weakly-ionized
`
`plasma to a temperature that enhances the increase in electron density and the formation
`
`of the strongly-ionized plasma.
`
`78
`
`79
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`80
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`81
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`82
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`83
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`(Original) The method of claim 74 wherein the voltage pulse comprise a multi-stage
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`voltage pulse.
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`(Original) The method of claim 74 filrther comprising applying a voltage between the
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`anode and the cathode assembly that sustains the strongly-ionized plasma.
`
`(Original) The method of claim 74 wherein a lifetime of the strongly-ionized plasma is
`
`greater than 200usec.
`
`(Original) The method of claim 74 filrther comprising discharging energy from an
`
`energy storage device into the plasma to enhance the rapid increase in electron density
`
`and the formation of the strongly-ionized plasma.
`
`(Original) The method of claim 74 wherein an amplitude of the voltage pulse is
`
`sufficient to generate ionizational instabilities that enhance the ionization rate resulting in
`
`a rapid increase in electron density and the formation of the strongly-ionized plasma.
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`(Original) The method of claim 74 wherein the ionizational instabilities comprise at least
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`some diocotron instabilities.
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`84
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`Cancelled.
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`85
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`Cancelled.
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 5 of 8
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`5
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 5 of 8
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`
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`86
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`Cancelled.
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 6 of 8
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`6
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 6 of 8
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`REMARKS
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`Pending Claims:
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`Claims 64-83 are currently pending in the present application. Claims 48-63 and 84-86
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`are herein cancelled in order to expedite prosecution. The Applicant respectfully requests
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`reconsideration of the pending claims in light of the terminal disclaimers and arguments
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`presented in this Amendment and Response.
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`Double Patenting Rejections
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`Claims 64-83 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double
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`patenting as being unpatentable over claims 21-26, 28-33, 38-43 and 46 of US. Patent No.
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`7,095,179 to Chistyakov in view ofU.S. Patent No. 5,476,693 to Lee. US. Patent No. 7,095,179
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`is assigned to the assignee of the present application. The Office Action states that although the
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`conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
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`The Applicant is submitting herewith a Terminal Disclaimer to obviate the double
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`patenting rejection of claims 64-83 in compliance with 37 C.F.R. 1.321 as suggested by the
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`Examiner in the Office Action. The Terminal Disclaimer was signed by Dr. Roman Chistyakov,
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`the President of Zond, Inc., who is also the sole inventor of the present application. The
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`Applicant is also submitting a Statement Under 37 CFR 3.73(b) which states that Zond, Inc. is
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`the assignee of the entire right, title, and interest of US. Patent No. 7,095,179. A fee transmittal
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`authorizing the US. Patent Office to charge the $70.00 for Statutory Disclaimer as set forth in 37
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`CFR § 1.20(d) to the Applicant’s attomey’s charge card is enclosed.
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`CONCLUSION
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`If, in the Examiner’s opinion, a telephonic interview would expedite prosecution of the
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`present application, the undersigned attorney would welcome the opportunity to discuss any
`7
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 7 of 8
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`7
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 7 of 8
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`
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`outstanding issues, and to work with the Examiner toward placing the application in condition
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`for allowance.
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`Date: June 3 2010
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`Tel. No.: (781) 271-1503
`Fax No.: (781) 271-1527
`Doc. 4121v1
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`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/Kurt Rauschenbach/
`
`Kurt Rauschenbach, PhD.
`
`Reg No. 40,137
`Attorney for Applicants
`Rauschenbach Patent Law Group, LLC
`Post Office Box 387
`Bedford, MA 01730
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`8
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 8 of 8
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`8
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`TSMC-1110 / Page 8 of 8
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