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Hanmi Semiconductor |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Hanwha Semitec has filed a request with South Korea’s Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board to invalidate two patents held by Hanmi Semiconductor related to its TC Bonder technology. If the patents are deemed invalid, the ongoing legal dispute between the two companies may be resolved more quickly.
According to industry sources on May 13, Hanwha Semitec is seeking to nullify the two patents that Hanmi Semiconductor previously claimed were infringed upon. The patents are associated with TC Bonder equipment, which is essential in the semiconductor packaging process, especially for manufacturing high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
Hanmi Semiconductor filed a lawsuit against Hanwha Semitec in December 2023, alleging infringement of its TC Bonder patents and demanding an injunction and compensation for damages. Hanwha Semitec has countered that the patents lack inventiveness and are based on widely known technologies, and therefore should not be considered valid patents.
A request for patent invalidation challenges the legal validity of a patent on grounds such as a lack of novelty or inventiveness. If the patented technology is found to be easily derived from prior art, it can be disqualified from patent protection. Such rulings often center on whether the patent demonstrates sufficient technological advancement over existing methods.
The invalidation process is expected to conclude within six months. Unlike patent infringement lawsuits, which can take years, an invalidation ruling is typically delivered on a shorter timeline. If the patents are invalidated, the ongoing infringement lawsuit could be dismissed, potentially bringing the legal battle between the two companies to an early end.
The outcome may also have implications for SK Hynix’s HBM supply chain. While SK Hynix has traditionally sourced TC Bonder equipment from Hanmi Semiconductor, the company has recently begun expanding its supplier base to include Hanwha Semitec in a bid to diversify its equipment partners.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
