Samsung, TSMC charged with patent infringement

STC.UNM (STC), the technology-transfer arm of the University of New Mexico (UNM), is alleging Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd of patent infringement.

STC, a non-profit corporation that is a subsidiary of the University of New Mexico Regents, filed a complaint requesting that the U.S. International Trade Commission commence an investigation into TSMC's and Samsung's "importation of infringing products that constitute unfair methods of competition and unfair acts under the patent laws."

STC is asking the ITC to issue an exclusion order which will prevent TSMC and Samsung from importing the infringing products into the United States.

The STC said the "patent pertains to lithographic methods that allow for the manufacture of smaller features in semiconductor devices." The technology, which issued as a patent in 2000, was developed by several researchers at UNM, including Steven R. J. Brueck.

Last year, STC filed a complaint against Toshiba Corp., which STC dismissed once Toshiba became a licensee under the STC patents. STC's complaint identifies TSMC and Samsung as infringing STC's United States Patent No. 6,042,998, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Extending Spatial Frequencies in Photolithography Images."

In March, NEC Corp. signed a non-exclusive license to use semiconductor technology developed at the University of New Mexico. The process involves optical lithography methods.

STC licenses technology developed at UNM, including optics, microfluidics and high-performance materials as well as therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices and drug discovery tools.

- Mark LaPedus
EE Times