Semiconductor fabrication equipment maker Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) said Monday evening that it believes its SunFab thin film solar tandem junction technology does not infringe a European patent issued to Switzerland's University of Neuchatel.
The company said that its tandem junction cell structure and unique, proprietary manufacturing process are the result of substantial research and development. According to the company, the SunFab line is the only integrated production line for manufacturing thin film solar modules using ultra-large glass panels.
The Santa Clara, California-based company said its belief of non-infringement is based partly on differences between the SunFab tandem junction technology, which was verified by scientific analyses, and the claims of the Neuchatel patent. In addition, the company noted that the Neuchatel patent is the subject of four separate opposition proceedings in the European Patent Office.
Swiss technology company Oerlikon Solar had said last month that it was taking steps to defend its intellectual property against third-party infringement from Sunfilm AG, a customer of Applied Materials. The company filed a complaint for patent infringement earlier this month in a court in Germany.
Oerlikon said that its intellectual property portfolio includes a European patent, which describes the fundamentals of micromorph tandem-cell technology. In 2003, Oerlikon obtained an exclusive license for this technology from the University of Neuchatel.
Applied Materials said last month that it was contracted by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. to supply three SunFab Thin Film Lines for producing solar modules that generate about 210 megawatts of electricity. The company noted that one of the SunFab lines will be located in Erfurt, Germany, and is expected to commence operation in the second half of 2009. AMAT closed Monday's regular trading session at $19.75, down $0.35 or 1.74% on a volume of 24.79 million shares.
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