Cree Lighting Files Suit Against AXT

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 12 -- Cree Lighting Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cree Inc., announced yesterday it has filed a lawsuit against AXT Inc., in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking to enforce a patent relating to semiconductor devices manufactured using a gallium nitride-based buffer technology.

The patent, No. 5,686,738, "Highly Insulating Monocrystalline Gallium Nitride Thin Films," is owned by Boston University and exclusively licensed to Cree Lighting Co. Boston University is a co-plaintiff in the action. The complaint requests damages and an injunction against infringement.

Cree Lighting Co. develops solid-state technology for lighting and electronics devices using gallium nitride and silicon carbide materials. Cree makes semiconductor materials and devices based on silicon carbide, gallium nitride, silicon and related compounds; its products include blue, green and ultraviolet light-emitting diodes, near UV lasers, radio frequency and microwave devices and power switching devices for illumination, optical storage, wireless infrastructure and power switching.

For more information, visit: www.cree.com