Semiconductor materials company Inpria Corp. filed a lawsuit Oct. 14 for patent infringement against semiconductor equipment maker Lam Research (Nasdaq: LRCX).
Inpria, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of JSR Corp., claims Lam is selling a dry resist technology used in the extreme ultraviolet lithography process for chip making that infringes on three of its patents for metal oxide photoresist technology. The suit was filed in United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
A spokesperson for Lam said the company is aware of suit and reviewing it.
“Lam intends to defend its intellectual property and business integrity vigorously. Lam does not comment in detail on litigation,” the company said in an email.
Inpria, which is an Oregon State University spinout, developed metal oxide-based material that will allow semiconductor companies to make smaller chips using extreme ultraviolet lithography. The company’s material is a photoresist that employs molecules one-fifth the size of the current standard, allowing for smaller and more precise patterns in the chipmaking process. It’s also been designed from the outset for EUV lithography, which is driving the next generation of smaller chip manufacturing.
According to the complaint, Inpria says Lam is infringing on three of its patents. The company is seeking an injunction against Lam to stop selling the infringing product and for damages at least equal to what royalties on the technology would be.
“Inpria respects the legitimate intellectual property of others, and we expect others to honor our intellectual property as well,” said Inpria CEO Andrew Grenville in a written statement. “Inpria has made significant investments in the development of new materials and technologies, and we are confident that our patent rights will be upheld in this case.”
Last year, Inpria was acquired by JSR, a Japanese-based chemicals and materials company, for $514 million. The company has about 50 employees.
Lam Research is based in Fremont, California, but has a large presence in Washington County with facilities in Tualatin and Sherwood. The company has 2,700 employees in the Portland metro.
Inpria, JSR and Lam are suppliers in the region’s robust semiconductor sector.
