News: Microelectronics
29 July 2024
Infineon adds three patents to infringement lawsuit against Innoscience
Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has expanded its lawsuit pending before the District Court for the Northern District of California against China-based gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) power solutions firm Innoscience (Zhuhai) Technology Co Ltd as well as Innoscience America Inc and affiliates, adding claims of infringement of three additional gallium nitride (GaN)-related patents: US Patent Nos. 8,686,562 (‘Refractory metal nitride capped electrical contact and method for fabricating same’), 9,070,755 (‘Transistor having elevated drain finger termination’) and 8,264,003 (‘Merged cascode transistor’). These join the already disputed US Patent No. 9,899,481 (‘Electric component and switch circuit’).
In addition, Infineon has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (USITC) containing legal claims referring to the same four patents covered by the lawsuit. Infineon is seeking a permanent injunction for infringement of the US patents, as well as damages.
The patent claims cover core aspects of GaN power semiconductors encompassing innovations that enable performance and reliability of Infineon’s proprietary GaN power transistors.
Infineon filed the initial District Court for the Northern District of California lawsuit against Innoscience concerning US Patent No. 9,899,481 on 14 March. On 4 June, Infineon filed a corresponding lawsuit with the District Court Munich, Germany. Additional lawsuits were filed against distributors of Innoscience in Germany. Furthermore, Infineon successfully filed for a preliminary injunction, which the District Court Munich issued on 12 June. According to this court order, Innoscience was obligated to remove all infringing product from its booth at June’s PCIM Europe international power electronics trade show in Nuremburg, Germany.
Infineon’s GaN patent portfolio comprises about 350 patent families. Its portfolio of silicon, silicon carbide and gallium nitride power transistors and complementary drivers and controllers was enhanced with the acquisition in October 2023 of GaN Systems Inc of Ottawa, Canada, boosting Infineon’s GaN range of power semiconductors.
Innoscience refutes Infineon’s US lawsuit alleging patent infringement
