There are six newcomers to the Semiconductor Patent Scorecard™ this quarter. Tier Logic Inc. (Santa Clara, California, USA) debuts at 103^rd, and has new patents for semiconductor switching devices and fabrication methods and programmable interconnect structures. Princeton Technology Corp. (Taipei, Taiwan) enters at 146^th and has a new patent for a power supply device circuit testing apparatus. Joining the Patent Scorecard™ at 150^th is Elite Semiconductor Memory Tech. Inc. (Hsin-Chu, Taiwan), which has new patents for a charge pump circuit and cell thereof and a level shifter circuit.

Monolithic Power Systems Inc. (San Jose, California, USA) enters at 168^th and has been granted patents for external control mode step down switching regulators and a method and system for open lamp protection. Alpha & Omega Semiconductor LTD (Sunnyvale, California, USA) has patents for semiconductor package having dimpled plate inter-connectors and thermally stable semiconductor power devices. It debuts in the 169^th spot. Vistec Semiconductor Systems (Fremont, California, USA) enters at 178^th. Formally known as Leica Microsystems, the company -patents the most heavily under Vistec Semiconductor Systems GmbH, and has been granted a patent for a method of eliminating sources of error in the system correction of a coordinate measuring machine.