GlobalFoundries files patent infringement lawsuits against Tower Semiconductor

By Stephen Nellis

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26 (Reuters) - GlobalFoundries GFS.O on Thursday said it has sued Israel-based rival Tower Semiconductor TSEM.TA, alleging that Tower Semiconductor infringed on 11 GlobalFoundries patents that relate to manufacturing chips that go into smart phones and other electronic devices.

GlobalFoundries said it has filed two complaints in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and one with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). The Malta, New York-based semiconductor manufacturer said that the ITC case will seek to block the import into the U.S. of chips made by Tower Semiconductor that were made with technologies covered by the patents in the case.

Tower Semiconductor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While large chip manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and Intel focus on making the fastest and smallest computing chips, GlobalFoundries and Tower Semiconductor are specialty chipmakers that focus on niches such as radio-frequency chips and silicon photonics. GlobalFoundries last year said it planned to spend $16 billion to expand its facilities in Vermont and New York, with a focus on research and development.