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EEPROM記憶體訴訟,United Module與Keranos反成被告

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科技產業資訊室 (iKnow) - May 發表於 2010年11月25日
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本案起始於今年(2010) 6月23日Keranos聯合United Module公司於東德州地方法院對Analog Devices等49家科技廠商提出侵權告訴,Keranos宣稱他們與United Modules共同擁有US4,795,719、US4,868,629以及US5,042,009三項專利,並指出包括Analog Devices (聯發科子公司)、Apple(蘋果)、Microchip Technology、TSMC(台積電)、三星(Samsung)等美日台韓廠商涉嫌侵犯其EEPROM記憶體專利。

本案三項系爭專利US4,795,719、US4,868,629以及 US5,042,009,原始專利權人是Waferscale Integration Inc公司,後於2009年轉移給United Module公司。本案49家被告廠商,台灣涉入的廠商有四家:Analog Devices (聯發科子公司)、TSMC(台積電)、南亞科、華邦、世界先進。

Keranos與United Module公司一口氣指控Analog Devices等49家科技廠商的策略,似乎踢到鐵板,部分強悍的科技大廠紛紛展開反擊。由於,Keranos本身並沒有US4,795,719、 US4,868,629以及US5,042,009此三項專利,真正的擁有者是United Module,但Keranos卻慫恿United Module加入這場控訴,而Keranos也承認當初在與United Modules簽署合作協議時,其目的也是為了這些專利而來。

2010年9月20日Microchip Technology與Silicon Storage Technology,反控告United Module以及Keranos公司專利指控不實,指出在今年德州訟案其實是一場陰謀。今年(2010)11月Freescale與台積電也紛紛個別提出 反擊。後續,應該還有其他被告站出來,向Keranos與United Module公司提出反訴。

據查United Module Corp 公司的代表人Peter Courture ,他目前也是聯電(UMC)的資深副總經理暨法務長。從聯電官網揭露,他在加入聯電團隊之前,服務於美國矽谷的Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati律師事務所,主要服務半導體及其他高科技公司等。也曾服務於美國北加州地方法院,並任職於Santa Clara郡高等法院,亦曾任教於史丹佛大學法律學院。Keranos LLC與United Module公司皆屬於專利授權公司(NPEs),興訟目的為搜取授權金而來。(434字;表1)

表一、專利訴訟案件基本資料:Keranos控告其他科技廠商

訴訟名稱

Keranos, LLC v. Analog Devices, Inc. et al

Microchip Technology, Inc., et al v. United Module Corp. et al

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. et. al. v. United Module Corp. et. al.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. et al v. United Module Corp. et al

提告日期

2010年6月23日

2010年9月20日

2010年11月16日

2010年11月22日

原告
Keranos, LLC

Microchip Technology, Inc.

Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.

Analog Devices, Inc. ,

National Semiconductor Corp.

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 

TSMC North America 

UBICOM, Inc. 

被告
Analog Devices, Inc.等49家公司,見註一。

United Module Corp.

Keranos, LLC

United Module Corp.

Keranos, LLC

United Module Corp.

Keranos, LLC

案號

2:2010cv00207

3:2010cv04241

4:2010cv05196

3:2010cv05290

訴訟法院

Texas Eastern District Court

California Northern District Court

California Northern District Court

California Northern District Court

系爭專利

US4,795,719

US4,795,719

US4,795,719

未公開

US4,868,629

US4,868,629

US4,868,629

 

US5,042,009

US5,042,009

US5,042,009

 

訴狀下載

 

Source:科技政策研究與資訊中心—科技產業資訊室整理,2010/11

「註一」49家被告公司:

ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
ALCATEL-LUCENT
ALCATEL BUSINESS SYSTEMS
ALCATEL-LUCENT HOLDINGS, INC.
ALCATEL USA GP, INC.
ALCATEL USA MARKETING, INC.
ALCATEL USA RESOURCES, INC.
ALCATEL USA SOURCING, INC.
APPLE, INC.
ATHEROS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
AUSTRIAMICROSYSTEMS AG
AUSTRIAMICROSYSTEMS USA, INC.
EM MICROELECTRONIC – MARIN SA
EM MICROELECTRONIC – U.S., INC.
SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
EPSON AMERICA, INC.
FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES NORTH AMERICA CORP.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
INTEL CORPORATION
MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY, INC.
MICRONAS SEMICONDUCTOR HOLDING AG
MICRONAS USA, INC.
NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, USA
NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
NEC CORPORATION
NXP SEMICONDUCTORS NETHERLANDS, B.V.
NXP SEMICONDUCTORS USA, INC.
OKI SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
ROHM SEMICONDUCTOR, U.S.A., LLC
QUALCOMM, INC.
RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
RENESAS ELECTRONICS AMERICA, INC.
SAMSUNG SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
SAMSUNG GROUP
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, INC.
TOSHIBA CORPORATION
TOSHIBA AMERICA, INC.
TOSHIBA AMERICA ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, INC.
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
TSMC NORTH AMERICA
UBICOM, INC.
VANGUARD INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
VIS MICRO, INC.
WINBOND ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
WINBOND ELECTRONICS CORPORATION AMERICA
ZILOG, INC.
訴訟大事紀

2013

01-18Keranos控告Analog Devices案進行Claim Construction

原告: Keranos

2013年1月8日Keranos控告Analog Devices案[4:2010cv05196],法官進行系爭專利權利項名詞解釋:US4,795,719、US4,868,629、US5,042,009。

Claim語句: aligned
解釋:placed or laid in a line
系爭專利:4,868,629

Claim語句: at least a portion of
解釋:any portion of up to and including the whole
系爭專利:5,042,009

Claim語句: drain/drain region
解釋:a doped single crystal silicon semiconductor region of a floating gate transistor
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: drain/drain region
解釋:a doped single crystal silicon semiconductor region of a floating gate transistor
系爭專利:5,042,009

Claim語句: drain/drain region
解釋:a doped single crystal silicon semiconductor region of a floating gate transistor
系爭專利:4,868,629

Claim語句: effective channel length
解釋:the length of the channel under the floating gate
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: ensuring that the programming drain current for said transistor is less than a predetermined value
解釋:making certain that the drain current that flows through the floating gate transistor when hot electrons are being injected to program the transistor is less than a drain current value determined before hot electron injection programming occurs
系爭專利:5,042,009

Claim語句: EPROM array
解釋:an arrangement of nonvolatile memory cells which can be programmed and erased
系爭專利:4,868,629

Claim語句: erase gate
解釋:a gate provided in addition to and separate from the control gate, which is capable of removing charge from the floating gate
系爭專利:5,042,009

Claim語句: exposed
解釋:uncovered or unprotected by any layer or material, such as an oxide layer
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: forming a photo-resistive coating on the floating gate of each transistor
解釋:forming a photo-resistive coating in contact with the top surface of the floating gate of each transistor before forming the insulating oxide layer or second polycrystalline silicon layer for the control gate
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: forming a photoresist pattern over said substrate and over a surface of said first polycrystalline silicon
解釋:forming a photoresist pattern upon an upper or top surface of the first polycrystalline silicon and the substrate before forming the insulating oxide layer or second polycrystalline silicon layer for the control gate
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: photoresist
解釋:a light sensitive material used in semiconductor fabrication
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: photoresistive coating
解釋:a covering of photoresist material
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: photoresist pattern
解釋:the pattern that is made in a photoresist coating by removing portions of the photoresist material
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: said method further comprising raising the voltage at said erase gate
解釋:no construction necessary
系爭專利:5,042,009

Claim語句: self-aligned
解釋:the portion of the transistor channel length under the floating gate will be defined by the floating gate itself regardless of any processing misalignment thereby ensuring a constant channel length under the floating gate
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: source/source region
解釋:a doped single crystal silicon semiconductor region of a floating gate transistor
系爭專利:5,042,009

Claim語句: source/source region
解釋:a doped single crystal silicon semiconductor region of a floating gate transistor
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: source/source region
解釋:a doped single crystal silicon semiconductor region of a floating gate transistor
系爭專利:4,868,629

Claim語句: split gate transistor
解釋:a transistor having a control gate overlapping a floating gate such that a non-symmetrical arrangement of the control gate and floating gate are created and where the floating gate extends over only a portion of the channel
系爭專利:4,795,719

Claim語句: to expose
解釋:to leave uncovered or unprotected by any layer or material, such as an oxide layer
系爭專利:4,795,719



 
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