Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) said it is shocked and disappointed by the allegations made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), while industry sources said TSMC had obtained sufficient convincing evidence on which to base its compaint.
SMIC said the company has not yet received official notification from the California court, and the China-based pure-play foundry stressed that it had fulfilled the terms that had been agreed in the licensing agreement. A company official also urged TSMC to make a reasonable judgment, in accordance with the agreed terms.
Other industry sources claimed, on the other hand, that TSMC had obtained evidence showing that SMIC had violated the agreement and utilized the 0.18-micron technology beyond the agreed terms. The sources hinted that TSMC's statement to the court listed the evidence explicitly and indicated the harm that TSMC had suffered, with SMIC apparently having little chance of mounting an effective rebuttal.
Article translated by Esther Lam and edited by Chris Hall
