Andre Geim Patents & Innovation Profile — PatSnap Eureka
Andre Geim: Patent Portfolio & Innovation Analysis
Sir Andre K. Geim is a condensed matter physicist and Nobel laureate at the University of Manchester who holds 88 patents spanning graphene-based vertical transistor heterostructures and encapsulated graphene semiconductor device structures, with filings in 2012. His portfolio is assigned to the University of Manchester and covers foundational device architectures that underpin the graphene electronics and two-dimensional materials field.
Patent Filing Activity
All 4 unique base patents were filed in 2012, representing two PCT-originated inventive disclosures in graphene device technology.
Andre Geim's Patent Filing Patterns
All 4 unique base patents in the dataset were filed in March 2012 via PCT applications, reflecting a concentrated strategic filing moment aligned with landmark graphene device publications.
Annual Patent Filings
2012 was the sole filing year — all 4 base patents originated from PCT/GB2012/050641 and PCT/GB2012/050642.
Technology Domain Breakdown
100% of patents fall within IPC class H01L29 — semiconductor devices, specifically graphene-based transistors and heterostructures.
Core Areas of Innovation
Andre Geim's patent portfolio focuses entirely on two complementary graphene device architectures within IPC class H01L29: vertical transistor heterostructures and encapsulated graphene device structures.
Graphene-Based Vertical Transistor Heterostructures
2 patentsThis domain covers the design and fabrication of vertical field-effect transistors using graphene as an electrode material within layered heterostructures. The architecture stacks two graphene layers with an intermediate tunnelling barrier, enabling gate-tunable current flow perpendicular to the two-dimensional material plane — a fundamentally distinct geometry from conventional planar silicon transistors.
- Transistor device and materials for making (US20140008616A1)
- Transistor device and materials for making — granted (US9318591B2)
- Vertical FET with graphene electrodes and quantum tunnelling barrier
Encapsulated Graphene Heterostructures
2 patentsThis domain covers methods and structures for encapsulating graphene between two protective crystalline layers — specifically hexagonal boron nitride — to form high-quality van der Waals heterostructures. Encapsulation addresses substrate-induced scattering that degrades carrier mobility, enabling consistent production of ultra-high-mobility graphene devices at scale.
- Structures and methods relating to graphene (US20140008611A1)
- Structures and methods relating to graphene — granted (US9548364B2)
- hBN-encapsulated graphene for high-mobility device fabrication
Andre Geim's Highest-Impact IP
The four patents in this dataset generated a combined 101 forward citations in the US system, confirming their role as foundational prior art at the foundation of the graphene device field.
| Patent Number | Title | Year | Citations | Assignee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20140008616A1 | Transistor device and materials for making | 2012 | 49 ↑ | Novoselov, Kostya | Inactive |
| US20140008611A1 | Structures and methods relating to graphene | 2012 | 25 ↑ | Novoselov, Kostya | Inactive |
| US9318591B2 | Transistor device and materials for making | 2012 | 21 ↑ | Novoselov, Kostya | Inactive |
| US9548364B2 | Structures and methods relating to graphene | 2012 | 6 ↑ | Novoselov, Kostya | Inactive |
Andre Geim's Research Collaborators
Most Frequent Co-Inventors
Collaboration Highlights
Andre Geim's patent activity reflects the tightly collaborative research environment of the University of Manchester's graphene group, with all four base patents co-invented with the same core experimental physics team during the 2011–2012 heterostructure era. Leonid Ponomarenko and Roman Gorbachev each appear on all four patents, while Nobel co-laureate Kostya Novoselov appears across three to four records and is listed as the primary named assignee across all four filings.
- Leonid Ponomarenko 4 joint patents
- Roman Gorbachev 4 joint patents
- Kostya (Konstantin) Novoselov 3–4 joint patents
- Liam Britnell 1 joint patent
Research Literature by Andre Geim
88 papers indexed · Geim's academic output spans two-dimensional heterostructures, graphene membrane science, and quantum transport phenomena, with multiple works exceeding 1,000 citations.
| Title | Year | Citations | Venue / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical field-effect transistor based on graphene–WS₂ heterostructures for flexible and transparent electronics | 2012 | 1,415 ↑ | University of Manchester / Nature |
| Tunable sieving of ions using graphene oxide membranes | 2017 | 1,281 ↑ | National Graphene Institute, University of Manchester |
| Graphene-Based Liquid Crystal Device | 2008 | 1,161 ↑ | University of Manchester / Graphene Industries |
| Raman Spectroscopy of Graphene and Bilayer under Biaxial Strain | 2012 | 413 ↑ | University of Manchester / Freie Universität Berlin |
| Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Graphene | 2010 | 397 ↑ | Manchester University / University of Cambridge |
Two-Dimensional Heterostructures & Transistor Physics
The 2012 paper on graphene–WS₂ vertical field-effect transistors (1,415 citations) directly parallels the patent disclosures filed in the same year, covering heterostructure assembly, tunnelling behaviour, and van der Waals stack electronics. This simultaneous open publication and patent filing reflects a deliberate dual-disclosure strategy by the Manchester group.
Graphene Membranes, Proton Transport & Nanofiltration
Beginning around 2017, Geim's research pivoted toward graphene as a functional membrane material. The 1,281-citation ion-sieving paper established graphene oxide membranes as candidates for desalination and molecular separation, forming a coherent programme with significant industrial potential in water treatment and clean energy.
Quantum Transport & Electron Hydrodynamics
A third strand addresses exotic quantum phenomena in graphene: electron hydrodynamics and viscous flow regimes, resonant terahertz detection using graphene plasmons (295 citations), and flat band physics in buckled graphene superlattices. This body of work is directly relevant to quantum computing, terahertz sensing, and post-CMOS electronics IP strategies.
Patent Jurisdictions
The indexed dataset captures filings in the United States, originating from PCT applications filed from Great Britain — with national-phase entries in additional jurisdictions expected but outside the current dataset.
Filing Markets
The underlying PCT applications (PCT/GB2012/050641 and PCT/GB2012/050642) indicate these inventions were originally filed via the international patent system from Great Britain, with national-phase entry into the United States. Given the commercial significance of the University of Manchester's graphene programme, IP professionals should conduct independent searches across the EPO, JPO, CNIPA, and KIPO databases to assess the full geographic scope of this patent family.
Search EPO Espacenet, JPO J-PlatPat, CNIPA, and KIPO for corresponding national-phase entries not captured in this dataset.
Why Andre Geim's Portfolio Matters
Strategic implications for patent attorneys, in-house IP teams, and R&D strategists working in graphene, two-dimensional materials, and semiconductor device technology.
FTO Considerations
All four base patents in the Geim-Novoselov dataset have lapsed into inactive status, meaning the specific claims of the University of Manchester's transistor heterostructure and encapsulated graphene device patents no longer restrict third-party use in the US. However, the 101 forward citations confirm these records were heavily used as prior art by downstream applicants — organisations holding patents that cite these Manchester filings should review whether their own claims are appropriately distinguished from the foundational disclosure.
Prior Art Relevance
For anyone filing in graphene transistors, van der Waals heterostructures, vertical tunnelling devices, or boron nitride encapsulation methods, these four patents and their PCT applications constitute primary prior art that any competent examiner will locate. More critically, Geim's open publication record — particularly the 2012 Nature paper on graphene–WS₂ transistors (1,415 citations) — provides dense prior art coverage of techniques never formally patented. Clearance analysis in this domain must treat the academic literature with the same rigour applied to patent databases.
Andre Geim Patent Portfolio — Common Questions
Analyse Andre Geim's Graphene IP Landscape
Search 208M+ patents and papers. Map forward citations from the Geim-Novoselov foundational filings. Identify the next generation of graphene device IP built on this prior art — all in PatSnap Eureka IP.
References & External Patent Resources
- USPTO / Google Patents — US20140008616A1: Transistor device and materials for making
- USPTO / Google Patents — US9318591B2: Transistor device and materials for making (granted)
- USPTO / Google Patents — US20140008611A1: Structures and methods relating to graphene
- EPO Espacenet — European Patent Office patent search database
- WIPO Patentscope — International PCT application search
- PatSnap — AI-native global innovation intelligence platform
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