Diamond Semiconductor Patent Landscape 2026
Diamond Semiconductor Patent Landscape in 2026
Diamond semiconductor patenting is Japanese-industry-dominated, with Sumitomo Electric Industries holding the largest portfolio among the top-100 filers and Japanese institutions collectively anchoring the leading tier. Annual filing volume peaked in 2019 and has eased since, though the most recent months are subject to publication lag.
Sumitomo Electric leads a Japan-concentrated field
Sumitomo Electric Industries holds the top position among the hundred largest filers with 128 patent records, ahead of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (103 patent records) and Toshiba (56 patent records). The top five filers together account for 41% of the combined total of the hundred largest filers, signalling a moderately concentrated but not monopolised field.
A clear two-tier structure is visible: the top two applicants—both Japanese—hold roughly twice the patent records of the next cluster (Toshiba, Kobe Steel, and Nippon Telegraph & Telephone). The tier gap then widens again before reaching US entrant Akhan Semiconductor at rank six.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. | 128 | |
| 2 | National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | 103 | |
| 3 | Toshiba Corporation | 56 | |
| 4 | Kobe Steel, Ltd. | 54 | |
| 5 | NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP | 45 | |
| 6 | Akhan Semiconductor Inc. | 40 | |
| 7 | National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) | 27 | |
| 8 | Canon Inc. | 21 | |
| 9 | Sony Group Corporation | 21 | |
| 10 | THE JAPAN SCI & TECH AGENCY | 19 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | 18 | |
| 12 | Semicon Energy Lab Co., Ltd. | 17 | |
| 13 | Université Grenoble Alpes | 14 | |
| 14 | Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. | 13 | |
| 15 | Adamantite Tech LLC | 12 | |
| 16 | Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. | 12 | |
| 17 | RFHIC Corporation | 11 | |
| 18 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 11 | |
| 19 | Scio Diamond Technology Corporation | 11 | |
| 20 | Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. | 11 |
The dominance of Japanese industrial players and national research institutes implies that core device-fabrication and crystal-growth IP is largely locked up by established Japanese incumbents, leaving late entrants to differentiate through application-specific or process-adjacent routes.
Filings from the most recent 18–24 months are likely under-counted due to standard patent publication delays; the apparent drop in 2025 data should not be treated as a confirmed trend. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Volume peaked in 2019; semiconductor device classes dominate the technology mix
The annual filing chart and the IPC class breakdown together show a field that has matured technically around device fabrication, with activity now past its 2019 high and a long tail of adjacent classes representing thinner coverage.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings climbed to a peak of 39 in 2019, then fell sharply in 2020, recovered partially in 2021, and have oscillated at lower levels since. The 2025 count of 10 and the zero for 2026 reflect publication lag and should not be read as confirmed declines.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (Semiconductor devices) dominates with 945 patent records, followed by C30B (Crystal growth) at 250 and C23C (Coating and surface deposition) at 140. Classes such as H10D, H10P, H01J, and C01B each account for fewer than 65 records, indicating that coverage thins rapidly beyond the core device and crystal-growth axes.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Monocrystalline diamond semiconductor device and s…
A diamond semiconductor device has a pn junction formed by a p-type diamond semiconductor portion containing boron as an impurity and an n-type diamond semiconductor portion containing lithium as an impurity. The diamond semiconductor is formed by a diamond crystal growth on a single nucleation site on an insulating substrate. Electroluminescene takes place… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semiconductor thin film forming method, production… | 532 |
| 2 | Semiconductor thin film forming method, production… | 365 |
| 3 | Diamond electronic device and process for producin… | 307 |
| 4 | Method for forming thin semiconductor film, method… | 179 |
| 5 | Method and apparatus for forming a thin semiconduc… | 164 |
| 6 | Method and apparatus for thin-film deposition, and… | 143 |
| 7 | Super system on chip | 126 |
| 8 | Diamond semiconductor device with carbide interlayer | 116 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment
Japan, and thin coverage outside. Japan shapes both the risk and the opportunity for new entrants.
Field is in a post-peak, declining phase
The lifecycle stage is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2019 peak. The multi-year window still contains substantial accumulated IP, meaning foundational routes are well-covered. R&D investment should target differentiated application niches rather than replicating core device patents that incumbents already hold.
Lifecycle: DeclineTop five filers hold 41% of the leading cohort’s output
The top five filers’ 41% share of the hundred largest filers’ combined total indicates moderate concentration, but the tier gap between ranks one to two and ranks three to five is substantial. Toshiba, Kobe Steel, and Nippon Telegraph & Telephone collectively form a second tier that is still formidable. Challengers outside Japan—primarily Akhan Semiconductor—have a meaningful but narrower foothold.
Concentration: Moderate-HighJapan’s national institutes form the core co-filing network
The most active co-filing pair is the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology with the Japan Science and Technology Agency (10 joint filings), followed by the same institute paired with Kanazawa University (6 filings). Sumitomo Electric co-files with individual researchers. These patterns indicate that foundational research collaboration is concentrated within Japan’s public R&D infrastructure, with limited cross-border or industry–university links visible outside Japan.
Collaboration: Japan-centricJapan and the US dominate; China and Korea are thin
Japan is the lead filing jurisdiction with 324 patent records, followed by the United States at 286 and Europe (EPO) at 147. WIPO PCT filings stand at 56, suggesting selective international prosecution. China holds only 33 records and South Korea just 9, leaving those jurisdictions comparatively open relative to the technology’s strategic importance for power electronics.
Geography: JP/US/EP coreGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) | 10 |
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | Kanazawa University | 6 |
| Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) | Director, National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials (NIRIM), Science and Technology Agency | 4 |
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | Tokyo Institute of Technology | 3 |
| Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) | Director General, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST legacy) | 3 |
| Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. | Kobayashi Takeshi (individual inventor) | 2 |
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) | 2 |
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | Denso Corporation | 2 |
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | Hokkaido University | 2 |
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | Ookuma Diamond Device Inc. | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Sumitomo Electric leads; national research institutes form a close second tier
Two entities—Sumitomo Electric and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology—are separated from all other filers by a substantial margin, with overlapping focus on semiconductor device and crystal-growth classes.
Sumitomo Electric Industries
Sumitomo Electric holds 128 patent records, the highest count among top-100 filers. Its portfolio is concentrated in H01L 29 (Semiconductor devices, 95 records), H01L 21 (Semiconductor device processing, 85 records), and C30B 29 (Crystal growth, 38 records), indicating deep vertical coverage from crystal growth through finished device. Momentum data for this entity is not separately broken out in the evidence, but its accumulated position is the largest in the field.
patent records: 128National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
AIST holds 103 patent records and mirrors Sumitomo Electric’s technology focus across H01L 21, H01L 29, and C30B 29, reflecting its role as the primary public-sector counterpart to industrial IP. Recent momentum data shows a trend of new entrant activity in the most recent period, suggesting ongoing research output despite the field’s overall post-peak trajectory. AIST also anchors the co-filing network, co-filing with Kanazawa University, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, Hokkaido University, and Denso.
patent records: 103| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant device classes
Several IPC classes appear in the corpus at low share relative to the dominant H01L cluster. Two stand out as both sparse and carrying plausible technical relevance to diamond semiconductor development.
H10D · Semiconductor devices (general)
H10D carries 60 patent records, a 3% share relative to the broader classification mix—sparse given its conceptual overlap with the dominant H01L class. This branch covers generalised semiconductor device architectures that could encompass emerging diamond-based power transistor structures not yet captured under legacy H01L subclasses. For entrants already active in device design, filing under H10D could establish prior art in next-generation device topologies with less incumbent density to navigate.
Search this in Eureka →H01J · Electron & discharge tubes
H01J holds 45 patent records at roughly 3% share, pointing to thin coverage of diamond-based electron emission and vacuum electronic devices. Diamond’s negative electron affinity makes it technically attractive for cold-cathode emitters and high-power microwave tubes, yet the patent footprint here is limited. Entrants with expertise in electron emission physics could find a less congested path into IP that is adjacent to, but distinct from, the heavily contested solid-state device core.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ by technology class emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 29 · Semiconductor devices | C30B 29 · Crystal growth | H01L 33 · Semiconductor devices | C23C 16 · Coating & surface deposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. | Strong · 85 | Strong · 95 | Moderate · 38 | Emerging · 11 | Emerging · 16 |
| National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | Strong · 71 | Strong · 65 | Moderate · 23 | Moderate · 23 | Moderate · 15 |
| Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) | Strong · 45 | Strong · 34 | Strong · 26 | Strong · 38 | Strong · 24 |
| Kobe Steel, Ltd. | Strong · 45 | Strong · 33 | Absent | Emerging · 5 | Moderate · 13 |
| Toshiba Corporation | Strong · 37 | Strong · 45 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) | Strong · 23 | Strong · 15 | Strong · 17 | Strong · 15 | Moderate · 9 |
| National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) | Strong · 20 | Strong · 21 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 207 patent families in scope for this topic globally.
Sumitomo Electric Industries holds the largest portfolio among the top-100 filers, with 128 patent records, ahead of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology at 103 patent records.
Japan leads with 324 patent records, followed by the United States at 286 and Europe (EPO) at 147. China and South Korea have comparatively thin coverage at 33 and 9 records respectively.
The field is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from a peak in 2019. The most recent months are subject to publication lag, so the 2025 figures should be interpreted cautiously.
H01L (Semiconductor devices) dominates at 945 patent records, followed by C30B (Crystal growth) at 250 and C23C (Coating and surface deposition) at 140. All other classes hold fewer than 65 records each.
Yes. The most active co-filing pair is the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology with the Japan Science and Technology Agency at 10 joint filings, followed by AIST with Kanazawa University at 6. Collaboration is concentrated within Japan’s public research infrastructure.
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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.
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