Assignment history

Inventors

• Edward R. Van Brunt (Wolfspeed Inc.)
• Daniel J. Lichtenwalner (Wolfspeed Inc.)
• Shadi Sabri (Wolfspeed Inc.)

All inventors were employed by Cree Inc. at the time of the initial assignment, which occurred on the same date as the filing date (May 16, 2019). Cree Inc. later rebranded as Wolfspeed Inc.

Original assignee

The original assignee, Cree Inc., is an operating company primarily involved in the manufacturing of wide bandgap semiconductor materials and devices, including power semiconductor devices. They shipped products embodying the claims. Cree Inc. later rebranded to Wolfspeed Inc., which is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2019-05-16 (executed) / recorded 2019-05-16 — Reel 049580/0177
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST
  • Assignor: LICHTENWALNER, DANIEL J.; SABRI, Shadi; VAN BRUNT, EDWARD R.
  • Assignee: CREE, INC.
  • Correspondent: R. MICHAEL SHANKS, MYERS BIGEL, P.A., P.O. BOX 37428, RALEIGH, NC 27627
  • Context: Original assignment from inventors to operating company
• 2023-06-30 (executed) / recorded 2023-07-06 — Reel 064185/0755
  • Conveyance: SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: WOLFSPEED, INC.
  • Assignee: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
  • Correspondent: GARY M. ROTHSTEIN, ESQ., WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES LLP, 200 NASSAU PARK BLVD., SUITE B, PRINCETON, NJ 08540
  • Context: Securitization of intellectual property by Wolfspeed Inc.
• 2025-09-30 (executed) / recorded 2025-10-02 — Reel 066736/0074
  • Conveyance: NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
  • Assignor: WOLFSPEED, INC.
  • Assignee: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: ELISABETH D. THEOCHARIDES, WHITE & CASE LLP, 1221 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10020
  • Context: Further securitization of intellectual property by Wolfspeed Inc.
• 2025-09-30 (executed) / recorded 2025-10-02 — Reel 066736/0075
  • Conveyance: NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
  • Assignor: WOLFSPEED, INC.
  • Assignee: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: ELISABETH D. THEOCHARIDES, WHITE & CASE LLP, 1221 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10020. This correspondent appears on multiple links in the chain for this patent.
  • Context: Further securitization of intellectual property by Wolfspeed Inc.
• 2025-09-30 (executed) / recorded 2025-10-02 — Reel 066736/0076
  • Conveyance: NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
  • Assignor: WOLFSPEED, INC.
  • Assignee: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: ELISABETH D. THEOCHARIDES, WHITE & CASE LLP, 1221 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10020. This correspondent appears on multiple links in the chain for this patent.
  • Context: Further securitization of intellectual property by Wolfspeed Inc.
• 2025-09-30 (executed) / recorded 2025-10-02 — Reel 066736/0077
  • Conveyance: NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
  • Assignor: WOLFSPEED, INC.
  • Assignee: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Correspondent: ELISABETH D. THEOCHARIDES, WHITE & CASE LLP, 1221 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10020. This correspondent appears on multiple links in the chain for this patent.
  • Context: Further securitization of intellectual property by Wolfspeed Inc.
• 2025-09-30 (executed) / recorded 2025-10-02 — Reel 066736/0078
  • Conveyance: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL
  • Assignor: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
  • Assignee: WOLFSPEED, INC.
  • Correspondent: ELISABETH D. THEOCHARIDES, WHITE & CASE LLP, 1221 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10020. This correspondent appears on multiple links in the chain for this patent.
  • Context: Release of security interest back to Wolfspeed Inc.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10998418
    2019 : Filed by Cree Inc
    2021 : Issued
    2023 : Security interest to US Bank Trust
    2025 : Security interest to US Bank Collateral Agent
         : Security interest to US Bank Collateral Agent
         : Security interest to US Bank Collateral Agent
         : Security interest to US Bank Collateral Agent
         : Security interest released to Wolfspeed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The transfers involve operating company Wolfspeed Inc. (formerly Cree Inc.) and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, which acts as a collateral agent for financial transactions.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. Neither Cree Inc. (now Wolfspeed Inc.) nor U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, appear on public NPE lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Elisabeth D. Theocharides of White & Case LLP appears as the correspondent on multiple security interest recordings (Reel 066736/0075, Reel 066736/0076, Reel 066736/0077, Reel 066736/0078), all dated 2025-09-30 / recorded 2025-10-02. This indicates a consistent legal representation for Wolfspeed's financial dealings.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. The multiple security interest grants and release in 2025 are part of a single securitization event rather than a chain of ownership transfers.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. While a news report from July 7, 2026, indicates Wolfspeed has filed an infringement lawsuit, the patent has been subject to securitization events. It is not clear if these recent security interest grants and release are directly tied to an imminent lawsuit against Navitas, or are routine financial transactions.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. Cree Inc. (now Wolfspeed Inc.) is an active operating company.
7. Privateering — not present. Wolfspeed Inc. is the current owner and is itself an operating company in the semiconductor industry.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion. Wolfspeed Inc., the current assignee, is an operating company that develops and manufactures power semiconductor devices. The recent news report of July 7, 2026, explicitly states that Wolfspeed has filed an infringement lawsuit against Navitas Semiconductor, asserting this patent, which aligns with an operating company enforcing its intellectual property against competitors. The other assignments relate to standard financial securitization of the patent by Wolfspeed, not transfers to NPEs.

Verification of assignment records can be performed at the USPTO Assignment Center: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/.