Tokyo Seimitsu’s Opinion about KLA-Tencor’s Patent Infringement Suit
KLA-Tencor, a U.S. manufacturer of inspection equipment used in semiconductor manufacturing, has filed suit against Tokyo Seimitsu Co, Ltd and TSK America, Inc. for alleged infringement of U.S. Patent No. 4,805,123, a patent directed to automatic photomask and reticle inspection methods and equipment.
Tokyo Seimitsu believes this suit is without merit and designed to interfere with the introduction of TSK's innovative technology embodied in its "WIN-WIN 50" wafer inspection machine. TSK has discovered that KLA's corresponding Japanese patent application was determined to be unpatentable by the Japanese Patent Office, based on art that was not considered by the U.S. Patent Office during the U.S. examination of KLA's patent.
