Katana’s Claims: A Technical Blueprint for Infringement
Katana filed the suit in 2022, alleging that certain GlobalFoundries chips employed protected manufacturing techniques—specifically processes involving a slanted raised source/drain and contact between the active region and gate dielectric film at a coincident surface.
According to Katana, the alleged infringement wasn’t accidental. The company said it had warned GlobalFoundries in a letter as early as May 2018, suggesting willful infringement and arguing that GlobalFoundries’ extensive patent portfolio of over 10,000 semiconductor patents gave it expert awareness of the disputed intellectual property.
From Waco to Austin: A Lawsuit’s Long Road
The case was originally lodged in Waco federal court, a known hub for patent litigation, but transferred in August 2022 to Austin, where the trial took place. Katana, based in Frisco, Texas, maintained that GlobalFoundries crossed legal boundaries with its chip production methods.
Initially, Katana’s complaint included multiple claims involving two patents:
