Also listed on Universiteit Gent, an earlier holder on the record. The recorded assignments below show how it moved.
Term ends Nov 21, 2026 · High confidence
20-year base term ends Nov 21, 2026
Filed Nov 21, 2006 as application 11/602,733 · Granted Jul 20, 2010
Base term, 20 years from filing
Today
2006
2026
Clock starts
Nov 21, 2006
Nov 21, 2006
Term ends
Nov 21, 2026
Nov 21, 2026
Granted
Jul 20, 2010
Jul 20, 2010
base term
fee events
Updated Nov 15, 2026 · includes USPTO assignment & status data published Nov 15, 2026 and grant & fee data published Nov 10, 2026 (weekly) · how we know
None
Term adjustment
No prosecution delay on this record.
None
Terminal disclaimer
No disclaimer on this record.
3 of 3
Maintenance fees paid
Three maintenance fees fall due, at 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years from grant. This counts the ones the record shows paid.
This patent's term is its 20-year base term, with no adjustment for prosecution delay. All three maintenance fees are recorded paid; no more fees are due. Confidence: High. from the record
How we calculated this date
One row per rule, each showing its own input and what it did to the date. A step we could not verify says so instead of resolving itself.
| Step | Input | Date after this step | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base term, 20 years from filing | Clock starts Nov 21, 2006, when this application, 11/602,733, was filed | Nov 21, 2026 | High confidence |
| Continuity chain | Every parent in the chain resolved | no change | High confidence |
| Patent term adjustment | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Terminal disclaimer cap | None on record | no cap applied | High confidence |
| Patent term extension | None on file | no change | High confidence |
| Fee events | 3 of 3 maintenance fees paid | In force | High confidence |
| Computed term end | The steps above, in order | Nov 21, 2026 | High confidence |
Assignments
Assignment documents as recorded at the USPTO, oldest first, with the reel and frame each was recorded at. A recorded assignment is a filed document, not a statement of current ownership, and the absence of a later one is not evidence that the last one still stands.
| Recorded | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 2007 reel/frame not recorded | Christiaens, Wim; Vanfleteren, Jan | Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC) | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Feb 9, 2007 reel/frame not recorded | Christiaens, Wim; Vanfleteren, Jan | Universiteit Gent (Rug) | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Feb 9, 2007 Reel 18874, frame 750 | Vanfleteren, Jan; Christiaens, Wim | Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC); Universiteit Gent (Rug) | Assignment of Assignor's Interest |
| Apr 7, 2010 Reel 24200, frame 675 | Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum VZW | IMEC | "Imec" Is an Alternative Official Name for "Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum Vzw" |
Sources
Google Patents · The patent document at USPTO · Assignment records at USPTO
USPTO account required: This application in Patent Center · USPTO's maintenance fee lookup
Maintenance fee events come from USPTO's own fee records. Its fee lookup asks for the patent number and the application number.
Free plan: 3 watched companies. Pro: unlimited.
Alerts on its grants, lapses and transfers.
What's changing
Nov 2026
Term ends Nov 21, 2026. No further fees fall due before then
Citations
78
later US patents cite this one
That is top 10% of utility patents granted in 2010 in our data, the only group it is compared against.
How we rank
Every date shows its work: the base term, any term adjustment or extension, any disclaimer cap, and the maintenance fee record, each with a confidence tier. How this record was built
Computed patent terms end on the dates shown. Related patents and pending applications may cover overlapping subject matter.
In force means the term is running and no lapse is on record. It is not a finding that the patent is valid.