News Release

Tokyo Customs' Acceptance of Injunction Petition Against FEI Japan for its Importation of FIB/SEM Equipment

On March 6, Tokyo Customs officially accepted a petition filed by Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (TOKYO: 8036, Hitachi High-Tech) to prohibit FEI Japan from importing FIB/SEM Equipment^* produced by U.S.-based FEI Company into Japan, based on claims that the FEI/SEM Equipment^* produced by FEI Company (listed below) infringes Japanese Patent No. 4589993 ("'993 Patent") which relates to micro-sampling technology used in focused ion beam systems. The foregoing acceptance by Tokyo Customs was made following the Japanese Patent Office's dismissal of the request for trial for invalidation of the '993 patent filed by FEI company:

• FEI Company
  • "Quanta 200 3D"
  • "Quanta 3D 200i"
  • "Quanta 3D FEG"
  • "Quanta 3D FEG 600"
  • "Helios NanoLab 600"
  • "Helios NanoLab 400"
  • "Helios NanoLab 450"
  • "Helios NanoLab 650"
  • "Helios NanoLab 600i" made by FEI Company (including models with GIS^* apparatus and Omniprobe)
  • "Helios NanoLab 400S" and "Helios NanoLab 450S" made by FEI Company
    (including models with GIS^* apparatus)

Hitachi High-Technologies considers our intellectual property rights as important management resource, and will make every effort to protect such rights.

*

FIB/SEM apparatus: Focused Ion Beam apparatus equipped with Scanning Electron Microscope

*

GIS apparatus: Gas Injection System

Media Inquiries

Corporate Communications Dept.,
CSR Div.
Aiko Matsumoto / Reiko Takeuchi
Tel: +81-3-3504-3258