Wolfspeed Sues Navitas Over GaN and SiC Patent Infringement

Wolfspeed Inc. (NYSE: WOLF) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Navitas Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: NVTS), alleging that the chipmaker violated several of its key patents covering gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) technologies. The legal action, announced after Tuesday's market close, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

The company said it is taking decisive action to protect what it describes as its foundational GaN and SiC intellectual property portfolio. Wolfspeed claims that several Navitas products infringe multiple U.S. patents, including Patent Nos. 8,169,005, 10,998,418, 10,886,396, 10,749,443, and 11,888,392.

According to the complaint, the alleged infringement spans major Navitas product families, including its GaNFast®, GaNSlim™, and GaNSafe® GaN-based FETs, as well as GeneSiC™ MOSFETs and SiCPAK® power modules. Navitas has not publicly responded to the allegations.

The lawsuit could have significant implications for Navitas, a fabless designer of GaN and SiC power integrated circuits. If Wolfspeed prevails, Navitas could face product redesigns, licensing fees, royalty payments, or potential sales restrictions on affected products.

GaN and SiC semiconductors are critical technologies for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, industrial power conversion, and other high-efficiency applications. As demand for advanced power devices continues to grow, ownership of key intellectual property has become an increasingly important competitive advantage.

Shares of Wolfspeed closed 8.79% lower at $36.00 on Tuesday before recovering 0.64% in after-hours trading to $36.23. Navitas shares also declined 8.14% to close at $13.99 and were little changed after the market closed.

Despite Tuesday's decline, Wolfspeed remains well above its 52-week low of $1.16, although still below its 52-week high of $80.82. The company ended the session with a market capitalization of approximately $1.74 billion. Trading volume reached about 5.45 million shares, below its three-month average of 7.6 million shares.

Investors will closely monitor Navitas' legal response and future court filings, as the outcome of the case could shape competition in the rapidly expanding GaN and SiC semiconductor market.