Semiconductor Technology

Since the invention of the transistor, innovations in the semiconductor technology have led to significant impacts in almost all areas of technology.

In the semiconductor technology, innovations are frequently based on improvements of the manufacturing processes.  As far as the manufacturing processes do not influence measurable characteristics of the product, in most countries it is required to direct the independent patent claims to methods.  Consequently, it is of decisive importance to elaborate a filing strategy that takes into account the manufacturing sides of competitors as well as questions of practical enforceability.  For the formulation of patent claims, it has been proven to be advisable to define "product-by-process" features, in particular when the underlying processes can only be imprecisely characterized in physical or chemical aspects.

For the intended enforcement of protective rights, corporations in the semiconductor technology are often faced with the problem to prove the use of a protected method or a protected apparatus by competitors.  Our interdisciplinary team of patent attorneys and attorneys-at-law has also successfully represented the interests of our clients in these cases, and for example gained the necessary information in the course of inspection proceedings.  Finally, our team has extensive experience with the enforcement of the derived product protection according to § 9 sentence 2 no. 3 German Patent Act.