Applied Materials Announces Settlement of SPM Lawsuit
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2005--Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) today announced that it has settled its lawsuit against Semiconductor Products Manufacturing, Inc. (SPM). As part of the settlement, SPM agreed to pay Applied Materials an upfront fee and ongoing royalties for a license to use Applied Materials' U.S. Patent No. 6,251,215 entitled "Carrier Head with a Multilayer Retaining Ring for Chemical Mechanical Polishing" and related patents. The parties also agreed to seek entry of a Consent Judgment.
Prior to the settlement, the Court had ruled that SPM infringed Applied's patent by selling certain new and refurbished CMP retaining rings. The Consent Judgment sought by the parties was ordered by the Court on February 18, 2005 and states that SPM infringed the '215 patent and that the '215 patent is valid and enforceable.
"We are very pleased with the resolution of this lawsuit," said Joseph J. Sweeney, group vice president, Legal Affairs and Intellectual Property. "We believe the settlement demonstrates the value of Applied's intellectual property and shows Applied's commitment to protecting its innovative products and solutions."
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the largest supplier of equipment and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials' Web site is http://www.appliedmaterials.com
CONTACT: Applied Materials, Inc.
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SOURCE: Applied Materials, Inc.