VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. v. SiTime Corporation

I. BACKGROUND

23 The ’643 Patent is directed to temperature control of resonators (and other 24 micromechanical devices). (’643 Patent at 1:8-9.) Resonators are structures that vibrate (or 25 oscillate) at a precise frequency. (Dkt. No. 44-5 (“SiTime Prospectus”) at 2.) When combined 26 with another circuit that sustains the resonator’s vibration, the components form an oscillator that 27 can be used to provide clock signals in a system. (Id; Dkt. No. 45-5 (“Nguyen Decl.”) ¶ 17.) For example, a computer might have oscillators to provide clock signals that synchronize the CPUs, communication chips, and other components. (SiTime Prospectus at 2.) Traditionally, resonators have been made out of quartz crystal. (Id. at 3.) However, quartz crystal suffers from several limitations, including narrow frequency range, sensitivity to shock, and limited programmability. (Id.) For this reason, electronics manufacturers have been trying to replace quartz crystal with semiconductor-based “microelectromechanical systems” (MEMS). (Id. at 1; ’643 Patent at 1:17-19.) MEMS resonators have greater programmability and may be advantageously…