KIPO "Supporting Semiconductor 'Packaging'... Playing a Vanguard Role in Technology Super-Gap"

The Patent Office's 'packaging' examination support is playing a pioneering role in securing a technological super-gap in semiconductor technology. The expedited examination processing period through prioritized examination has reduced the time and economic burden on companies, and the provision of high-quality examinations has been evaluated as meeting the demands in the field.

Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

According to the Patent Office on the 19th, over the past year, examination support in the semiconductor packaging field has been achieved through the application of prioritized examination, hiring of semiconductor specialist examiners, and the launch of the Semiconductor Examination Promotion Team (hereinafter referred to as the Promotion Team).

The semiconductor field was included in the prioritized examination targets starting from November 2022. Since then, the Patent Office hired a total of 67 retired private-sector personnel as semiconductor examiners in March last year and January this year, and launched the Promotion Team in April last year. This completed the three key elements for supporting patent examination in the semiconductor field.

As a result, the average semiconductor patent examination processing period has shortened to about 1.9 months. Compared to the typical average patent examination period of 16 months, this means the processing time has been accelerated by more than 14 months.

It is not only the processing period that has been shortened. Mid-sized semiconductor company A was able to select overseas patent application targets based on the first examination results thanks to the faster patent examination processing period, thereby reducing overseas application costs. Furthermore, the saved costs allowed the company to invest more resources into research and development.

The shortened examination period through prioritized examination, the addition of highly specialized semiconductor examiners (retired private-sector personnel), and the activities of the Promotion Team have led to on-site evaluations over the past year that both examination efficiency and quality have improved.

Based on these achievements, the Patent Office is expanding the scope of patent examination package support to fields such as displays and secondary batteries following semiconductors.

Introducing prioritized examination in the secondary battery field in February and separately hiring retired private-sector personnel as secondary battery patent examiners (38 people) are representative examples. The Patent Office plans to establish a dedicated patent examination organization for secondary batteries next month to enable patent examination package support in the secondary battery field as well.

Kim Si-hyung, Acting Commissioner of the Patent Office, said, “As semiconductor companies in the field express satisfaction with the patent examination package support policy, the number of advanced technology fields requesting the same type of support is increasing. The Patent Office will continue to spare no effort to support domestic companies in swiftly and accurately examining excellent inventions to secure rights with high-quality patents and achieve a technological super-gap.”