Rudolph Wins Patent Suit

Rudolph Technologies Inc. of Minneapolis has received a favorable verdict in its patent infringement suit against Israeli manufacturer Camtek Ltd. concerning the former’s proprietary continuous-scan wafer inspection technology. The jury determined that all models of Camtek’s Falcon inspection system infringe Rudolph’s US Patent No. 6,826,298 for an automated wafer defect inspection system and a process for performing such inspections, which covers continuous wafer inspections using strobing lights. The technology is employed in the inspection tools used by Rudolph and its subsidiary August Technology Corp. In awarding approximately $6.8 million to Rudolph, the jury also rejected Camtek’s arguments that Rudolph’s patent is invalid. Rudolph said it will continue to pursue intellectual property protection for its proprietary continuous-scan wafer inspection systems outside the US.