Veeco Instruments Inc. of Plainview, N.Y., a solutions manufacturer for customers in the high-brightness LED, solar, data storage, semiconductor, scientific research and industrial markets, has announced that it has settled the patent litigation it brought against Asylum Research Corp. of Santa Barbara, Calif., in 2003. The latter company is an atomic force microscope manufacturer. The two companies have agreed to drop all pending claims against each other. Also under terms of the settlement, they have agreed to a five-year, worldwide cross-license of each other’s.