TOPOGRAPHIES OF SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS

FOREWORD

The titles of protection of topographies of semiconductor products are the latest type of industrial property, are refer to electronic integrated circuits.

The role of semiconductor products in the world is becoming increasingly important, not only in the scope of electronic industry, but also in a wide range of industrial sectors. The fact that industries such as car manufacturing, telephones, communications, military equipment manufacturing, spacial programmes, etc depend more and more on this technology leads us to admit that our daily life is closely linked to its development.

The functions of semiconductor products depend basically on their topographies. The structure and the set out of the elements, as well as the different layers that form the integrated circuit, namely its topography, are the direct result of its design, and represent a significant part of the creative effort, and therefore its creation implies a great deal of human, technical and financial resources.

As a consequence of the process required, the cost of the design is very high, as it requires the design of the functional circuit, of each individual element of the circuit, its geometric disposition and the interconnections. However, once the design is finished, the manufacturing cost is not high.

While conceiving and designing an integrated circuit is expensive and difficult, copying is quite easy, and its cost is much lower than it takes to develop it.

Therefore, and for the sake of technological innovation, it is necessary to establish a prtection for the creators of the topographies of semiconductor products, so that they can get a benefit out of their investments through the granting of exclusive rights.

DEFINITION

Its aim is to protect the layout of the different layers and elements that form the integrated circuit, its 3-dimension layout and its interconnections, namely its "topography".

Therefore, it will be understood as :

1. Semiconductor product, the final or intermediate layout of any product:
   • Which consists of a substract which includes a semiconductor layer,
   • With one or more supplementary layers of conductor, isolating or semiconductor materials, set out according to a pre-determined 3-dimension structure, and aimed for an electronic purpose, even if not exclusively.
2. Topography of a semiconductor product, a series of interconnected images, whatever their setting or codification may be:
   • Which represent the 3-dimension structure of the layers that form the semiconductor product, where every image has the structure or part of the structure of one of the surfaces of the semiconductor product in any of its manufacturing stages.

DURATION OF THE PROTECTION

The duration of the protection is ten years from the end of the year when it is first expoited in the world or when the topography is registered.