国内半导体设备龙头起诉美国公司窃取机密，索赔9999万元

Core Viewpoint - Yitang Co., Ltd. has filed a lawsuit against Applied Materials for allegedly illegally obtaining and using its core technology secrets related to plasma sources and wafer surface treatment, claiming damages of RMB 99.99 million [1][5]. Group 1: Company Overview - Yitang Co., Ltd. specializes in the research, development, production, and sales of wafer processing equipment required for integrated circuit manufacturing [6]. - The company provides various integrated circuit manufacturing equipment and solutions, including dry stripping equipment, rapid thermal processing equipment, and dry etching equipment, making it one of the few domestic companies with diverse R&D capabilities in integrated circuit equipment [6]. - As of the report date, Yitang Co., Ltd. has a market capitalization of approximately RMB 67.623 billion [6]. Group 2: Legal Proceedings - The lawsuit claims that Applied Materials has violated the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China by illegally acquiring and using Yitang's technology secrets and disclosing them through a patent application [5]. - Evidence suggests that Applied Materials recruited two employees from Yitang's wholly-owned subsidiary, Mattson Technology, Inc., who were familiar with the core technology and had signed confidentiality agreements [4][5]. - The lawsuit has been filed, but the court has not yet scheduled a hearing, and the impact on Yitang's operations is not expected to be significant [5]. Group 3: Industry Context - Applied Materials is a leading global supplier of semiconductor and display equipment, holding over 22,000 patents and being the first international semiconductor equipment company to enter China [6]. - As of the report date, Applied Materials has a market capitalization of approximately USD 151.23 billion [6]. - Recently, Applied Materials announced its collaboration with Apple and Texas Instruments to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing industry [6].