IQE Files IP Lawsuit Against Tower Semiconductor

CARDIFF, Wales, July 18, 2022 — IQE filed a lawsuit against Tower Semiconductor, alleging theft of intellectual property. A press release from IQE stated it has “significant evidence that Tower misappropriated IQE’s trade secrets to unlawfully obtain patents on IQE’s technology.” The claims relate to IQE’s porous silicon technology intended for use in 5G devices and advanced sensing applications.

The complaint was filed in the U.S. federal court in California under federal and state law in relation to the misappropriation of trade secrets, correction of inventorship, breach of contract, unfair competition, and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.

Tower Semiconductor was recently acquired by Intel for $5.4 billion. The company develops and manufactures semiconductor technologies used in imaging, data communications, automotive, computation, power management, and other areas.

IQE is a developer and manufacturer of wafer technology, including VCSELs, 3D and infrared image sensors, and material technologies, including silicon and Group IV, dilute and advanced nitrides, photonic quasi-crystals, and crystalline rare earth oxides.

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Published: July 2022

Glossary

semiconductor: A semiconductor is a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. In other words, semiconductors have properties that are intermediate between metals (good conductors of electricity) and insulators (poor conductors of electricity). The conductivity of a semiconductor can be controlled and modified by factors such as temperature, impurities, or an applied electric field. The most common semiconductors are crystalline solids, and they are...
integrated photonics: Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers, modulators, detectors, and waveguides, on a single chip or substrate. The goal of integrated photonics is to miniaturize and consolidate optical elements in a manner similar to the integration of electronic components on a microchip in traditional integrated circuits. Key aspects of integrated photonics include: Miniaturization: Integrated photonics aims to reduce the...

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