MEMC suing Soitec over “perfect silicon”

December 29, 2005 – MEMC Electronic Materials Inc., St. Peters, MO, said it is suing French wafer supplier Soitec alleging infringement of European patents concerning defect-free (“perfect”) silicon used in making silicon-on-insulator wafers. The lawsuit follows a seizure of product from Soitec’s facility in Bernin, France, on Dec. 15. Soitec filed for declaratory relief in the US in December, seeking to have related patents declared invalid.

MEMC received a favorable ruling in October from the European Patent Office regarding a similar patent dispute with SUMCO, with a related trial due to begin in the US in 2006.

POST A COMMENT

Easily post a comment below using your Linkedin, Twitter, Google or Facebook account. Comments won't automatically be posted to your social media accounts unless you select to share.