Extreme Ultraviolet Source Patent Landscape 2026
Extreme Ultraviolet Source Patent Landscape in 2026
The EUV source patent field is heavily consolidated, with Carl Zeiss SMT, ASML, and Canon commanding the top positions among 631 patent families in scope. Annual filing volume peaked around 2020 and has since eased, signaling a maturing technology base rather than a growth frontier.
Carl Zeiss SMT leads a tightly concentrated field
Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH holds the top position with 798 patent records, nearly two and a half times the tally of second-ranked ASML Netherlands BV at 325 patent records. Canon KK sits third at 186 patent records, establishing a clear three-tier hierarchy at the top.
The top five filers — Carl Zeiss SMT, ASML, Canon, Cymer, and Gigaphoton — account for 72% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, indicating a strongly concentrated competitive structure with a pronounced gap between the top tier and the rest of the field.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH | 798 | |
| 2 | ASML Netherlands BV | 325 | |
| 3 | Canon Inc | 186 | |
| 4 | Cymer Inc | 82 | |
| 5 | Gigaphoton Inc | 69 | |
| 6 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | 56 | |
| 7 | Nikon Corporation | 53 | |
| 8 | TRUMPF Laser Systems for Semiconductor Manufacturing GmbH | 37 | |
| 9 | Media Lario SRL | 33 | |
| 10 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 30 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | KLA Corporation | 26 | |
| 12 | MANN HANS JURGEN | 22 | |
| 13 | Carl Zeiss AG | 17 | |
| 14 | ASML Holding NV | 15 | |
| 15 | Ushio Inc | 14 | |
| 16 | FOMENKOV IGOR V | 14 | |
| 17 | PARTLO WILLIAM N | 13 | |
| 18 | Carl Zeiss Stiftung | 11 | |
| 19 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 10 | |
| 20 | University of Ottawa | 9 |
Carl Zeiss SMT’s dominance in optical elements and photolithography, combined with ASML’s cross-disciplinary breadth, suggests that any new entrant faces substantial prior-art density in the core optics and lithography routes, making differentiation in adjacent branches the more accessible path.
Patent records from the most recent 18–24 months are under-counted due to publication lag; apparent softness in 2024–2026 data should not be interpreted as a structural change in competitive activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2020; optics and lithography dominate the technology mix
Two views together reveal both the pace of filing activity over time and the distribution of technical focus across IPC branches, helping identify where the field has matured and where coverage remains thinner.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings climbed to a peak of 92 records in 2020, then eased through 2022–2023, with 2024–2026 figures suppressed by publication lag and not reflective of true current activity. The multi-year trajectory confirms a field that built rapidly through the late 2010s and has since stabilized.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G02B (Optical elements and systems) and G03F (Photolithography and photomechanics) are the dominant IPC branches by a substantial margin, reflecting the optics-intensive character of EUV source development. H01S (Lasers and stimulated emission), G21K (Particle and radiation handling), and H05G (X-ray technique) form a secondary cluster, while H01L (Semiconductor devices) and several further branches carry notably lower coverage.
↗ 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.
EUV light source and exposure apparatus
An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source is provided. The EUV light source comprises a spray nozzle array having a plurality of spray nozzles configured to spray a plurality of rows of droplets to an irradiating position. The EUV light source also includes a laser source having a first reflective mirror and a second reflective mirror configured to generate… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imaging optical unit and projection exposure unit … | 699 |
| 2 | Pattern generator using EUV | 477 |
| 3 | Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and… | 397 |
| 4 | Catoptric objectives and systems using catoptric o… | 361 |
| 5 | Illumination system particularly for microlithogra… | 283 |
| 6 | Maskless, microlens EUV lithography system | 263 |
| 7 | Extreme ultraviolet light source | 225 |
| 8 | Devices and methods for cooling optical elements i… | 174 |
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 structure means for EUV source R&D strategy
Reading the field’s maturity, concentration, collaborative structure, and geographic spread together points toward specific positioning choices for R&D teams entering or expanding in EUV source technology.
Past-peak: consolidation phase underway
The lifecycle stage is Decline, with annual filing volume easing back from the 2020 peak. The field has undergone its primary inventive build-out; incremental optimization and defensive filing now characterize activity more than foundational innovation. New entrants should expect dense prior art in core optics and plasma-source routes.
Lifecycle: DeclineTop five hold 72% share among the hundred largest filers
The five leading filers collectively account for 72% of combined patent records across the top hundred applicants, creating substantial freedom-to-operate risk for challengers in mainstream optics and lithography routes. The gap between Carl Zeiss SMT at 798 records and the fifth-ranked Gigaphoton at 69 records illustrates the depth of the tier-one moat. Differentiation in secondary branches remains the more open path.
High concentrationCarl Zeiss SMT–ASML is the dominant co-filing pair
The most active co-filing relationship is between Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH and ASML Netherlands BV with 38 joint filings, reflecting the deep supplier-customer integration between the optics and scanner leaders. Cymer Inc (now part of ASML) and Komatsu Ltd co-filed on 21 occasions, indicating laser-source supply-chain co-development. ASML has also filed jointly with the University of Amsterdam and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter, suggesting selective academic partnerships in plasma physics.
Ecosystem co-developmentUS is the primary filing jurisdiction; Asia and Europe are secondary
The United States leads with 1,042 patent records, followed by Europe via the EPO at 261 and WIPO PCT at 253. Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea each carry 51–65 records, reflecting the manufacturing-ecosystem footprint of EUV equipment and chip makers. China holds 33 records, indicating limited current coverage in a jurisdiction that could become strategically important. Filing in the Netherlands — home of ASML — stands at 22 records.
US-dominant, Asia risingGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH | ASML Netherlands BV | 38 |
| Gigaphoton Inc | Komatsu Ltd | 21 |
| Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH | Carl Zeiss AG | 4 |
| Gigaphoton Inc | Ushio Inc | 4 |
| ASML Netherlands BV | TRUMPF Laser Systems for Semiconductor Manufacturing GmbH | 2 |
| Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH | JPE BV | 1 |
| ASML Netherlands BV | University of Amsterdam | 1 |
| ASML Netherlands BV | Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) | 1 |
| ASML Netherlands BV | Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Carl Zeiss SMT and ASML lead by emphasis and scale; Trumpf and Nikon are recent entrants
The top players differ markedly in their technical focus: Carl Zeiss SMT concentrates on optics and photolithography, while ASML spans laser, X-ray technique, and lithography. Newer entrants cluster around laser-source and plasma sub-fields.
Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
With 798 patent records, Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH is the clear field leader, concentrated in G03F photolithography (642 records), G02B optical elements (329 records), and G02B reflective optics (283 records). Recent momentum shows a 32% decline versus the prior period, consistent with the broader field moving past its 2020 peak — a defensive maturation posture rather than a retreat.
798 patent recordsASML Netherlands BV
ASML Netherlands BV holds 325 patent records and presents the broadest cross-disciplinary portfolio among the top filers, with near-equal emphasis on G03F photolithography (102), H05G X-ray technique (102), and H01S lasers (88). Recent filings are down 40% versus the prior period, mirroring the field-wide plateau. ASML’s co-filing relationships with Carl Zeiss SMT and TRUMPF Laser Systems indicate a strategy of ecosystem integration rather than independent coverage.
325 patent records| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH | 95 | ▼ -32% |
| ASML Netherlands BV | 21 | ▼ -40% |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | 16 | ▼ -45% |
| Nikon Corporation | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| TRUMPF Laser Systems for Semiconductor Manufacturing GmbH | 10 | ▲ new entrant |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 3 | ▼ -81% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the EUV core
Several IPC branches sit at the periphery of the dominant optics-lithography cluster with lower relative coverage; these are observations of sparsity that may indicate accessible entry points, though each warrants independent technical and freedom-to-operate assessment before being treated as a validated opportunity.
H05H · Plasma and particle accelerators
H05H carries only 65 patent records relative to the field’s optics-heavy core, despite plasma-based discharge and laser-produced plasma being central to EUV light generation. The low count suggests that plasma confinement, ion suppression, and debris mitigation remain comparatively under-covered. Teams with plasma physics or accelerator physics backgrounds could find meaningful whitespace here, with an entry path through process-control or contamination-management innovations that do not compete directly with the dominant optics incumbents.
Search this in Eureka →G05D · Control of non-electric variables
G05D holds only 15 patent records in this corpus, indicating that closed-loop control of EUV source parameters — such as dose stability, beam pointing, and thermal management — is sparsely covered relative to the hardware it governs. As EUV systems move toward high-numerical-aperture configurations demanding tighter process windows, control-system innovations become increasingly valuable. Entrants with control engineering or sensor-fusion expertise may find this branch accessible, particularly in combination with H01S laser sub-classes.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | G03F 7 · Photolithography & photomechanics | G02B 5 · Optical elements & systems | G02B 17 · Optical elements & systems | H01S 3 · Lasers & stimulated emission | H05G 2 · X-ray technique |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH | Strong · 642 | Strong · 329 | Moderate · 283 | Emerging · 26 | Emerging · 38 |
| ASML Netherlands BV | Strong · 102 | Strong · 71 | Emerging · 14 | Strong · 88 | Strong · 102 |
| Cymer Inc | Strong · 100 | Moderate · 61 | Absent | Strong · 128 | Strong · 71 |
| Canon Inc | Strong · 157 | Moderate · 64 | Strong · 81 | Absent | Absent |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | Strong · 38 | Strong · 24 | Absent | Moderate · 13 | Strong · 37 |
| Nikon Corporation | Strong · 41 | Strong · 27 | Moderate · 10 | Absent | Absent |
| Gigaphoton Inc | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 47 | Strong · 24 |
Frequently asked questions
Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH leads with 798 patent records, followed by ASML Netherlands BV at 325 and Canon KK at 186. These three form a distinct top tier well ahead of Cymer at 82 and Gigaphoton at 69.
It is highly concentrated. The top five filers account for 72% of combined patent records across the hundred largest applicants, with Carl Zeiss SMT alone holding a dominant share. This concentration creates significant freedom-to-operate considerations in the core optics and lithography routes.
The field is assessed as Decline: annual filing volume peaked in 2020 at 92 records and has eased since. Note that 2024–2026 data is suppressed by publication lag and does not represent a verified further drop — the field is in late-maturity consolidation rather than collapse.
G02B (Optical elements and systems) and G03F (Photolithography and photomechanics) are the largest branches by patent-record count. H01S (Lasers and stimulated emission), G21K (Particle and radiation handling), and H05G (X-ray technique) form a secondary cluster.
The United States is the leading jurisdiction with 1,042 patent records. Europe via the EPO accounts for 261, WIPO PCT for 253, and Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea each carry between 51 and 65 records. China holds 33 records.
The most active co-filing pair is Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH and ASML Netherlands BV with 38 joint filings. Cymer Inc and Komatsu Ltd have collaborated on 21 filings. ASML has also co-filed with TRUMPF Laser Systems for Semiconductor Manufacturing, the University of Amsterdam, and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter.
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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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