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Force MOS v. ASUSTeK: MOSFET Patent Infringement Verdict | PatSnap
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Case ID2:22-cv-00460
FiledNov 2022
ClosedJun 2025
Patent Litigation

Force MOS v. ASUSTeK: $10.5M MOSFET Patent Verdict After 926-Day Trial

Force MOS Technology sued ASUSTeK Computer in the Eastern District of Texas, asserting two trench MOSFET patents covering advanced power semiconductor architectures. After 926 days of litigation, a jury found willful infringement and awarded $10,500,000 as a lump-sum reasonable royalty — the single number that defines this case’s commercial significance.

Resolution time
926days
926 days — above the median for E.D. Texas patent cases, reflecting a full trial on the merits
Patents asserted
2
US7847346B2 and US7629634B2 — trench MOSFET and trenched source contact power semiconductor patents
Outcome
Judgment on the merits for Plaintiff
Jury verdict for Force MOS; $10.5M lump-sum royalty awarded; willfulness found but damages not enhanced
Cost ruling
Costs to Plaintiff
Force MOS awarded costs as prevailing party under FRCP 54(d) and 28 U.S.C. § 1920
Published by PatSnap Insights Team · Verified by PatSnap Eureka Data
Case overview

Trench MOSFET showdown: Force MOS extracts $10.5M from ASUSTeK

Force MOS Technology Co., Ltd., a power semiconductor IP holder, filed suit against ASUSTeK Computer, Inc. in the Eastern District of Texas on 28 November 2022, asserting infringement of two issued U.S. patents: US7847346B2, covering a trench MOSFET with trench source contact configured for copper wire bonding, and US7629634B2, covering a trenched MOSFET with trenched source contact. The case was assigned to Judge Rodney Gilstrap, one of the most experienced patent trial judges in the country.

After 926 days of litigation, the case concluded on 11 June 2025 with a jury verdict fully in Force MOS’s favour. The jury found that ASUSTeK infringed Claims 1, 2, and 3 of the ‘634 Patent and Claim 1 of the ‘409 Patent, and rejected ASUSTeK’s invalidity challenge to Claim 1 of the ‘409 Patent. The jury also found ASUSTeK’s infringement to be willful. Damages were set at $10,500,000 as a lump-sum reasonable royalty. Judge Gilstrap declined to enhance the award despite the willfulness finding, concluding that the conduct did not rise to the level of egregious culpable behaviour warranting enhancement under 35 U.S.C. § 284.

The 926-day duration reflects a case that ran through full Markman proceedings, likely summary judgment motions, and ultimately a jury trial — consistent with the intensive litigation load typical of E.D. Texas. The court’s decision not to enhance despite willfulness is notable: it signals that willfulness alone does not guarantee multiplied damages, and that Judge Gilstrap applied a rigorous ‘totality of circumstances’ standard. Pre-judgment interest at the 5-year Treasury Bill rate compounded quarterly and post-judgment interest at the statutory rate were also awarded, meaningfully increasing ASUSTeK’s total exposure beyond the headline $10.5M figure.

Case at a glance
Case no.2:22-cv-00460
CourtTexas Eastern
JudgeRodney Gilstrap
FiledNovember 28, 2022
ClosedJune 11, 2025
Duration926 days
OutcomeJudgment on the merits for Plaintiff
Verdict causeInfringement Action
BasisJudgment on the merits for Plaintiff
Prior Art Intelligence
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Case data sourced from PACER / Texas Eastern District Court via PatSnap Eureka Litigation Intelligence Explore similar cases ↗
Case timeline

Filing to Judgment on the merits for Plaintiff in 926 days

926 days — above the median for E.D. Texas patent cases, reflecting a full trial on the merits

Case timeline: Complaint filed NOV 28 2022, MAR–APR — 926 days total Horizontal timeline showing the three key events in Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd. v Asustek Computer, Inc. from filing to resolution. Source: PACER, Texas Eastern District Court. NOV 28 2022 Complaint filed Pre-trial proceedings JUN 11 2025 Judgment on the merits for Plaintiff 926 DAYS TOTAL
Court ruling

Jury verdict for Force MOS: what the $10.5M award means for both parties

Legal mechanism

Lump-sum royalty: how $10.5M was structured

The jury awarded damages as a lump-sum reasonable royalty rather than a running per-unit rate. A lump sum resolves all past and — depending on the judgment’s scope — potentially future infringement exposure in a single payment. It also avoids the complexity of ongoing royalty accounting. The $10.5M figure represents the jury’s assessment of what a hypothetical negotiation between the parties would have yielded at the time infringement began.

Lump-sum reasonable royalty
Patent holder outcome

Force MOS: patents validated, royalty secured, costs awarded

Force MOS emerged with full vindication: both asserted patents survived invalidity challenge, three claims were found infringed across two patents, and the jury’s willfulness finding — even without enhancement — strengthens Force MOS’s posture in any downstream licensing negotiations. Recovery of costs as prevailing party adds further financial weight. The pre- and post-judgment interest awards meaningfully increase ASUSTeK’s effective payment obligation beyond the base $10.5M.

Full plaintiff verdict
Defendant outcome

ASUSTeK: willfulness found, invalidity defence rejected

ASUSTeK faces a $10.5M lump-sum payment plus costs, pre-judgment interest from the date of infringement, and post-judgment interest until paid — making the true financial burden materially higher than the headline royalty. The jury rejected its invalidity defence for the ‘409 Patent’s Claim 1. The willfulness finding, while not resulting in enhanced damages here, may complicate any appeal and could influence future licensing discussions with Force MOS or related parties.

Full defendant loss at trial
Commercial implications

MOSFET IP: a validated enforcement signal for power semiconductor patents

This verdict confirms that trench MOSFET architecture patents can sustain jury trial scrutiny and command eight-figure royalty awards against major electronics manufacturers. Power semiconductor IP holders — particularly those with patents on trench contact structures — should view this outcome as a benchmark. Companies designing or sourcing trench MOSFET components for PC or consumer electronics products should prioritise FTO clearance against US7847346B2 and US7629634B2 and related family members.

Power semiconductor IP risk
Legal analysis based on PACER docket records for case 2:22-cv-00460 and PatSnap Eureka litigation intelligence Search PatSnap Eureka ↗
Parties and representation

Full party and counsel information

RoleNameTypeDetail
PlaintiffForce Mos Technology Co., Ltd.CompanyPower semiconductor IP licensor — holder of US7847346B2 and US7629634B2Search in Eureka ↗
DefendantAsustek Computer, Inc.CompanyASUSTeK Computer, Inc. — global PC and electronics manufacturer accused of MOSFET patent infringementSearch in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselAriana Deskins PellegrinoAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselBryan Donivan AtkinsonAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselChristopher Edward HanbaAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselJordan Elizabeth GarssonAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselJoshua Gabriel JonesAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselJoshua Reed ThaneAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselMichael David SaundersAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselRoss Spencer GarssonAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselTron Y. FuAttorneyCounsel for Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff law firmDickinson Wright PLLCLaw FirmRepresenting Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff law firmDickinson Wright PLLC (Austin)Law FirmRepresenting Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff law firmHaltom & Doan LLPLaw FirmRepresenting Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselAndrew Thompson (Tom) GorhamAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselCharles M. McMahonAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselDorian OjemenAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselGregory ProctorAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselJames Travis UnderwoodAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselKalpesh K. ShahAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselKathleen LynchAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselLi ChenAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselLouis ConstantinouAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselMackenzie Marie MartinAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselMelissa Richards SmithAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselNicholas O. KennedyAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselRichard Vincent WellsAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselThomas Michael DaMarioAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselVictor MartinezAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant counselZiyong Sean LiAttorneyCounsel for Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant law firmBaker & McKenzie LLPLaw FirmRepresenting Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant law firmBaker & McKenzie LLP (Dallas)Law FirmRepresenting Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant law firmBaker & McKenzie LLP – WashingtonLaw FirmRepresenting Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant law firmBenesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLPLaw FirmRepresenting Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant law firmBenesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP (Chicago)Law FirmRepresenting Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant law firmGillam & Smith LLPLaw FirmRepresenting Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Defendant law firmLumens Law Group PLLCLaw FirmRepresenting Asustek Computer, Inc.Search in Eureka ↗
Presiding judgeJudge Rodney GilstrapJudgeTexas Eastern District CourtSearch in Eureka ↗
Official verdict

Official order — verbatim text

“Force MOS acquired all rights to the ’409 Patent from Dr. Fu-Yuan Hshieh; 2. ASUSTeK has infringed Claims 1, 2, and 3 of the ’634 Patent; 3. ASUSTeK has infringed Claim 1 of the ’409 Patent; 4. Claim 1 of the ’409 Patent is not invalid; 5. ASUSTeK’s infringement was willful; 6. Force MOS is awarded damages and shall have and recover from and against ASUSTeK the sum of $10,500,000.00 U.S. Dollars as a lump sum reasonable royalty payment for ASUSTeK’s above infringement of the ’634 and ’409 Patents; 7. Notwithstanding the jury’s finding of willfulness, the Court having considered the totality of the circumstances together with the material benefit of having presided throughout the jury trial and having seen the same evidence and heard the same arguments as the jury, and mindful that enhancement is generally reserved for “egregious cases of culpable behavior,”2 concludes that enhancement of the compensatory award herein is not warranted under 35 U.S.C. § 284 and consequently, the Court elects not to enhance the damages awarded herein; 8. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(d), Local Rule CV-54, and 28 U.S.C. § 1920, Force MOS is the prevailing party in this case and shall recover its costs from ASUSTeK. Accordingly, Force MOS is directed to file its Bill of Costs; Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 284 and Supreme Court guidance that “prejudgment interest should ordinarily be awarded absent some justification for withholding such an award,”3 the Court awards pre-judgment interest applicable to all sums awarded herein, calculated at the 5-year U.S. Treasury Bill rate, compounded quarterly, from the date of infringement through the date of entry of this Judgment;4 and 10. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961, the Court awards post-judgment interest applicable to all sums awarded herein, at the statutory rate, from the date of entry of this Judgment until paid. All other requests for relief now pending and requested by either party but not specifically addressed herein are DENIED.”
Source: PACER Docket, Case 2:22-cv-00460, Texas Eastern District Court

The final judgment covers four distinct legal conclusions: patent ownership (standing confirmed), infringement across multiple claims of both patents, validity of the ‘409 Patent’s Claim 1, and willfulness. The court’s separate decision on enhancement — declining to multiply despite willfulness — reflects the Supreme Court’s Halo Electronics standard requiring ‘egregious’ conduct. The prejudgment interest award at the 5-year Treasury rate compounded quarterly signals that Force MOS’s total recovery will meaningfully exceed the $10.5M base. ASUSTeK bears costs as the non-prevailing party.

PACER case 2:22-cv-00460 · Public docket record Explore in Eureka ↗
Patent at issue

US7847346B2 & US7629634B2 — Trench MOSFET Power Semiconductor Patents

Publication No.US7847346B2
Application No.US12/292780
Patent details
ProductTrench MOSFET with trench source contact configured for copper wire bonding
Cited in actionNovember 28, 2022

Publication No.US7629634B2
Application No.US12/036243
Patent details
ProductTrenched MOSFET with trenched source contact power semiconductor structure
Cited in actionNovember 28, 2022

US7847346B2 (application no. 12/292780) claims a trench MOSFET device incorporating a trench source contact designed to accommodate copper wire bonding — a structural innovation relevant to advanced power packaging. US7629634B2 (application no. 12/036243) claims a trenched MOSFET with a trenched source contact structure. Both patents operate in the power semiconductor domain, specifically addressing device architectures that improve on-resistance and current handling in discrete power transistor applications used in computing and consumer electronics platforms.

For the power semiconductor sector, these patents represent enforcement-validated IP in a technology space with growing commercial salience: trench MOSFET devices are foundational to power management in motherboards, voltage regulators, and DC-DC conversion circuits — precisely the application domain relevant to an electronics manufacturer like ASUSTeK. The jury’s rejection of ASUSTeK’s invalidity challenge to the ‘409 Patent strengthens the enforceability signal for both patents, and the $10.5M royalty verdict establishes a discoverable damages anchor for future licensing or litigation involving these or closely related patent families.

Patent data sourced from USPTO via PatSnap Eureka patent database Search patent records in Eureka ↗
Freedom to operate

Should you run an FTO against US7847346B2 and US7629634B2?

Any company designing, sourcing, or integrating trench MOSFET components into PC motherboards, power modules, voltage regulator circuits, or consumer electronics platforms should treat this verdict as a direct FTO trigger. ASUSTeK’s loss on both infringement and invalidity — across three claims of the ‘634 Patent and one claim of the ‘409 Patent — confirms that these patents have survived adversarial challenge at the jury trial level. Downstream customers of infringing components may also face exposure depending on supply chain relationships.

PatSnap Eureka’s FTO Search Agent can map your product’s trench MOSFET architecture against the claim scope of US7847346B2 and US7629634B2, identify related family members and continuations, and surface prior art that may not have been presented at trial. For R&D teams evaluating next-generation power transistor designs, early FTO analysis against these patents — and Force MOS’s broader portfolio — is materially lower-cost than litigation exposure of the kind ASUSTeK faced.

PatSnap Eureka FTO Search

Run a freedom-to-operate analysis on US7847346B2 to assess your product’s exposure

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Related litigation

Similar MOSFET & power semiconductor patent cases in E.D. Texas

Cases involving trench MOSFET and power semiconductor patents litigated in the Eastern District of Texas before Judge Gilstrap and peers.

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Strategic implications

What this verdict signals for the power semiconductor IP landscape

A $10.5M jury verdict with willfulness and sustained patent validity reshapes enforcement calculus for MOSFET-adjacent IP portfolios.

Willfulness without enhancement is still a powerful litigation outcome

Judge Gilstrap’s refusal to enhance despite willfulness reinforces that § 284 enhancement requires egregious conduct — not merely deliberate infringement. For patent holders, willfulness findings remain strategically valuable in licensing leverage even when courts decline to multiply damages. Defendants should not assume willfulness automatically doubles or trebles exposure.

Pre-judgment interest compounds the real cost of infringement well beyond the jury award

With interest calculated at the 5-year Treasury Bill rate compounded quarterly from the date of infringement, ASUSTeK’s effective liability substantially exceeds $10.5M. Companies facing patent assertions in long-running E.D. Texas cases should model interest accrual from earliest alleged infringement dates — not just the verdict figure — when evaluating settlement economics.

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Frequently asked questions

Force v Asustek — key questions answered

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Monitor MOSFET patent enforcement before it reaches litigation

Use PatSnap Eureka to run FTO searches against US7847346B2 and US7629634B2 and track Force MOS’s patent portfolio for new filings and enforcement signals. Early clearance analysis costs a fraction of the $10.5M exposure ASUSTeK faced at verdict.

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