Cree, Inc. Files Patent Infringement Suit Against Nichia Corporation
Source: Cree, Inc.
September 22, 2000
Durham, NC. Cree, Inc., (Nasdaq: CREE) announced today that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nichia Corporation and Nichia America Corporation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The lawsuit seeks enforcement of a patent relating to gallium nitride- based semiconductor devices manufactured using lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO) technology, which permits the growth of high quality gallium nitride-based materials useful in manufacturing certain laser diodes and other devices. The patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,051,849, entitled "Gallium Nitride Semiconductor Structures Including a Lateral Gallium Layer That Extends From An Underlying Gallium Nitride Layer," issued to North Carolina State University in April 2000 and is licensed to Cree under a June 1999 agreement pursuant to which Cree obtained rights to a number of LEO and related techniques.
In its complaint, Cree alleges that Nichia is infringing the 849 patent by, among other things, importing, selling and offering for sale in the United States certain gallium nitride-based laser diodes covered by one or more claims of the patent. The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction against infringement. North Carolina State University is a co-plaintiff in the action.
North Carolina-based Cree, Inc. develops and manufactures semiconductor materials and devices based on silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN) and related compounds. The company s products include blue and green LEDs, RF power transistors for use in wireless infrastructure applications, SiC crystals used in the production of unique gemstones and SiC wafers sold for use in research and development. Cree has new product initiatives based on its experience in SiC and GaN-based semiconductors, including blue laser diodes for optical storage applications, high frequency microwave devices for radar and other communications systems, and power devices for power conditioning and switching. For more information on Cree, visit http://www.cree.com
Statements in this press release that are not solely historical in nature may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated, including the risks and uncertainties of complex litigation generally and patent litigation in particular; the substantial expense of patent litigation regardless of its outcome; the substantial management time and attention required by such litigation; and other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 25, 2000.
Contact: Fran Barsky, Investor Relations Manager of Cree Tel: 919-313-5397 Fax: 919-313-5452 fran_barsky@cree.com
Fran Barsky, Investor Relations Manager of Cree
Tel: 919-313-5397
Fax: 919-313-5452
fran_barsky@cree.com
E-mail: fran_barsky@cree.com
Web site: http://www.cree.com
