Gallium nitride (GaN) is a new power conversion technology, which has the potential to replace silicon-based semiconductors to optimize energy efficiency and cost in the future. However, the development of this technology has also encountered patent disputes. Recently, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC), a US gallium nitride technology company, filed a lawsuit against the US Federal Court and the US International Trade Commission (ITC), alleging that China Yingluo Secco (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries (hereinafter collectively referred to as "YINOSecO") infringed its four gallium nitride technology patents.

Yipu is one of the pioneers of gallium nitride technology and began to produce the first commercial gallium nitride transistors and integrated circuits in 2010. The company has 57 U.S. patents and 172 global patents, covering key aspects of the design and manufacturing process of gallium nitride power semiconductor devices.

Insecco is a Chinese company specializing in the research and application of gallium nitride technology, founded in 2016, headquartered in Zhuhai, Guangdong. The company has independently developed gallium nitride chip manufacturing process and packaging technology, and provides a variety of gallium nitride product suites for fast charging, wireless charging, data center, automotive electronics and other fields.

In the indictment, Yipu details the recruitment and appointment of two Yipu employees as its chief technical officer and head of sales and marketing. Shortly after Yipu accused the two men of joining Inosecco, InoSecco launched a set of products that were significantly the same as Yipu, and claimed that its products performed almost the same as Yipu's products in key performance indicators.

It is understood that Yipu has sued InoSecco for patent infringement and sought damages to the Federal Court and the US International Trade Commission, and hopes to prohibit Innosecco from importing its infringing gallium nitride product kit into the United States.

This patent dispute reflects the current situation that gallium nitride technology has received more and more attention and competition around the world. Gallium nitride technology is expected to increase global energy efficiency by 15-20%, which will help reduce energy costs, reduce harmful emissions, and support the energy security and sustainable development goals of countries such as the United States and China. Experts predict that the gallium nitride market will reach billions of dollars in the next two to three years and peak at about tens of billions of dollars in the next decade.

As one of the largest power conversion markets in the world, China has a huge demand and potential for gallium nitride technology. Chinese enterprises have also shown a lot of achievements and breakthroughs in gallium nitride technology, reflecting their strong innovation ability and market competitiveness. However, while pursuing technological development and commercial interests, Chinese enterprises are also facing challenges and opportunities in terms of intellectual property rights, industry norms, market order, industry development and so on.

The pictures in this article come from the Internet.