Atomic Layer Etching Patents: Top Companies & Trends 2026
- 76.9% concentration. The top 5 of 41 ranked assignees hold 243 of 316 records in scope — a field where a handful of players occupy most of the claim space.
- +407% filing growth. Filings rose from 14 in 2021 to 71 in 2024, the fastest sustained run in this dataset's coverage window.
- H01L dominates, C23F and G03F lag. 75.9% of records touch semiconductor device claims (H01L), while corrosion/metal removal and photolithography classes sit under 10% — a gap worth checking before filing there.
Filing growth compares 2021 (14 records) with 2024 (71) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 316 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What the atomic layer etching patent record shows
Atomic layer etching (ALE) covers self-limiting, cycle-based removal processes built around a surface modification step followed by a controlled removal step — the mechanism that lets fabs strip material one atomic layer at a time rather than relying on continuous plasma etch. The 316 records in scope span 2015 through the middle of 2026 and cluster heavily around semiconductor device fabrication, with secondary activity in discharge-tube apparatus claims and corrosion/surface-removal chemistry.
Filing activity was modest through the late 2010s, then accelerated sharply from 2021 onward as gate-all-around and advanced logic nodes pushed fabs toward damage-free, cycle-controlled removal. Because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the 2025 and 2026 figures in this dataset are still filling in and should not be read as a slowdown.
Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 316-record dataset: the year-by-year filing curve, and the IPC subclasses those records fall into.
A sharp acceleration from 2021
Filings moved from 14 in 2021 to a peak of 71 in 2024, a +407% rise over three years. The 2017 figure of 17 shows the field was already active before this run-up; the 2025–2026 counts are understated because publication has not caught up with filing yet.
Concentrated in semiconductor device classes
H01L (semiconductor devices) appears in 75.9% of the 316 records, with H01J (electron and discharge tubes) and H10P following at 39.6% and 36.1%. Corrosion/metal-removal chemistry (C23F, 9.5%), coating/deposition (C23C, 8.2%) and photolithography (G03F, 3.5%) are present but comparatively thin — each record can carry more than one class, so these shares sum above 100%.
Shares are the percentage of the 316 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Atomic Layer Etching with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about atomic layer etching and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe most-cited records in this dataset
US20260165050A1 — Method and apparatus for atomic layer etching
Discloses an atomic layer etching method that separates a surface modification step — forming a modification layer via radicals and adsorbing precursor molecules onto it — from an etching step that thermally removes the modified layer and then cools the substrate. The sequencing of radical-based modification, precursor adsorption, thermal removal and cooling is claimed as a discrete cycle.Filed by SEMES CO., LTD., published 2026-06-11.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US9793135B1 | Method of cyclic dry etching using etchant film | 475 |
| 2 | US20160203995A1 | Integrating atomic scale processes: ALD (atomic layer deposition) and ale (atomic layer ETCH) | 434 |
| 3 | US20160064231A1 | Fast atomic layer ETCH process using an electron beam | 348 |
| 4 | US9576811B2 | Integrating atomic scale processes: ALD (atomic layer deposition) and ALE (atomic layer etch) | 85 |
| 5 | WO2019108366A1 | Catalyst influenced pattern transfer technology | 62 |
| 6 | US20180174860A1 | Designer atomic layer etching | 52 |
| 7 | US9805941B2 | Integrating atomic scale processes: ALD (atomic layer deposition) and ALE (atomic layer etch) | 50 |
| 8 | JP1991263827A | Digital etching apparatus | 49 |
| 9 | US10438797B2 | Method of quasi atomic layer etching | 43 |
| 10 | US20160064244A1 | Atomic layer ETCH process using an electron beam | 40 |
Citation counts inside a searched corpus favour older filings that have had more time to accumulate references — treat them as a signal of influence on the field, not of current commercial weight.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Browse MCP servers →What the data means for filing strategy
Three findings from the concentration, growth and classification figures above, read together.
The core claim space is already occupied by a small group
With the top 5 of 41 ranked assignees accounting for 243 of 316 records, a new entrant filing a broad ALE process claim is very likely to run into prior art from one of a handful of players rather than a fragmented field.
Filing activity accelerated sharply, then the record thins as expected
The 2021-to-2024 run shows real acceleration in patenting activity, coinciding with advanced-node adoption of cycle-based etch. The lower counts shown for 2025 and 2026 reflect publication lag, not a cooling field.
Chemistry and lithography-adjacent classes are thin relative to device claims
H01L device claims cover 75.9% of records, but corrosion/metal-removal (C23F), coating/deposition (C23C) and photolithography (G03F) classes are each claimed in under 10% of records, suggesting these adjacent process angles are comparatively under-filed.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to atomic layer etching, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is filing, and where the gaps sit
The assignee ranking covers 41 companies counted in records — the full set the data endpoint returns, not a top-50 or top-100 cut.
One filer sits well ahead of the field
The leading assignee holds 92 of the 316 records in scope, more than the fifth-place holder's 14 and the tenth-place holder's 7 combined many times over — a steep drop-off rather than a gradual taper.
Beyond the top 10, filing activity is thin
The top 10 of 41 ranked assignees account for 287 of 316 records, or 90.8% of the field. The remaining 31 assignees share the rest, mostly as single-digit or single-filing entrants.
Filing partnerships are concentrated too
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset. The strongest pairing shares 23 records, well ahead of the next pairs at 4 records each, indicating most collaboration in this field runs through one dominant corporate relationship rather than a broad web of joint filers.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Research Corp | 1 | 0% |
| Merck Patent GmbH | 1 | — |
| Shanghai Atom Qizhi Semiconductor Equipment Co., Ltd. | 1 | -88% |
| AlixLabs AB | 1 | 0% |
| Tokyo Electron Ltd | 0 | -100% |
| PAN YANG | 0 | -100% |
| Tokyo Electron US Holdings Inc | 0 | -100% |
| Air Liquide America Inc | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The figures above establish the shape of the field. The next steps depend on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, sourcing new claim territory, or tracking a specific competitor.
Run a freedom-to-operate check against the leader
With one assignee holding 92 of 316 records, any new ALE process filing should be checked against that portfolio first, then the rest of the top 5 before broader searching.
Explore assignee portfolios in EurekaMap the under-claimed IPC branches in detail
C23F, C23C and G03F sit under 10% of records each. A closer read of the individual claims in those classes will show whether that reflects real white space or simply different terminology.
Search these subclasses in EurekaWatch the lead co-assignee pairing
The strongest co-assignee pair shares 23 records, far ahead of the next strongest pairs at 4. Tracking that relationship's newer filings is a reasonable proxy for where joint R&D in this space is headed.
Track co-filing activity in EurekaCommon questions about atomic layer etching patents
One assignee leads the dataset with 92 of the 316 records in scope, well ahead of the fifth-ranked holder at 14 and the tenth-ranked holder at 7. The top 5 of 41 ranked assignees together account for 76.9% of all records, so the field is concentrated rather than fragmented. Anyone assessing freedom-to-operate should start with that leader's portfolio before widening the search.
Filings rose from 14 in 2021 to a peak of 71 in 2024, a +407% increase over that three-year span. That is the clearest growth signal in the dataset's coverage window, which runs from 2015 to mid-2026. Figures for 2025 and 2026 appear lower mainly because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, not because activity is slowing.
Semiconductor device claims (IPC class H01L) appear in 75.9% of the 316 records, making it the dominant classification by a wide margin. Electron and discharge tube claims (H01J) and H10P follow at 39.6% and 36.1% respectively. Corrosion and metal-removal chemistry, coating and deposition, and photolithography-related claims are all present but each cover under 10% of records, since a single patent can carry multiple IPC classes.
The thinner IPC classes in this dataset — corrosion/metal-removal chemistry, coating and surface deposition, and photolithography-integrated processes — each sit under 10% of the 316 records, compared with 75.9% for core semiconductor device claims. Combined with the fact that 31 of the 41 ranked assignees sit outside the top 10 and share only 9.2% of records between them, these thinner branches and the space beyond the leading filers are the more promising areas to search closely before assuming prior art blocks a filing.
US20260165050A1, filed by SEMES CO., LTD. and published 2026-06-11, claims an atomic layer etching method that sequences a surface modification step — forming a modification layer with radicals and adsorbing precursor molecules onto it — followed by a thermal removal step and a cooling step. The specific sequencing of radical-based modification, precursor adsorption, thermal removal and cooling as a defined cycle is the novel element to review against. Anyone developing a similar cycle-based process should map their own step order against this claim structure directly rather than assuming a different order avoids it.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.