Innoscience Challenges Infineon's US Patent in PTAB

Chinese Firm Targets Key GaN Patent
Ongoing Patent Disputes in U.S. and Germany

(Source:Innoscience)

Chinese semiconductor company Innoscience has filed a petition for Inter Partes Review (IPR) with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to invalidate a patent owned by German semiconductor giant Infineon.

The IPR targets one of four patents Infineon claims Innoscience has infringed. The two companies are already embroiled in ongoing patent litigation concerning gallium nitride (GaN) technology in both the U.S. and Germany. 

Infineon initially filed suit against Innoscience in the Northern District of California in March 2024, accusing the Chinese firm of infringing at least one patent—U.S. Patent No. 9,899,481. The case involves Infineon Technologies Austria AG as the plaintiff and Innoscience's Zhuhai, Suzhou, and U.S. units as defendants.

(Source: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)

Infineon alleges that Innoscience infringed its core technologies related to GaN power semiconductors, which are crucial for the performance and reliability of Infineon's proprietary GaN devices. The products at issue include GaN transistors used in a wide range of applications, such as automotive, data centers, and consumer electronics.

Innoscience's IPR petition, filed in June 2024, asserts that Infineon's '481 patent is invalid based on seven prior art references and thirteen grounds of invalidity, arguing that all 17 claims of the patent are unpatentable. 

In July 2024, Infineon added three more patents to the California lawsuit—U.S. Patents 8,686,562, 9,070,755, and 8,264,003—and filed a separate complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC), seeking an investigation into the same four patents. On August 27, 2024, the ITC announced it would institute a patent infringement investigation. 

(Source:Innoscience)

Infineon also filed a lawsuit in the District Court in Munich, Germany, asserting the German counterpart to the '481 patent, along with two other German patents. Infineon filed for a preliminary injunction, which the Munich District Court issued in June 2024. According to this court order, Innoscience was obligated to remove all infringing products from its booth at the international power electronics trade show PCIM Europe. 

Innoscience is also preparing to challenge the three German patents at issue and expressed confidence in its prospects for success.

This legal battle comes after Infineon completed its acquisition of GaN Systems Inc. in October 2023, cementing its dominance in the GaN power semiconductor market. 

(Source: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)