FinFET Metrology & Inspection Patent Snapshot 2026
The evidence base for FinFET metrology and inspection is extremely narrow — a single patent family in scope, filed in 2019 and concentrated entirely in the United States. Activity has not recurred since that peak year, placing this niche in a post-peak phase with no visible pipeline momentum.
A two-applicant niche with total concentration at the top
Nova Measuring Instruments and GlobalFoundries US each hold one patent record in this corpus, making them co-equals at the top of the ranking and together accounting for all activity captured.
The top five filers’ share of the ranked applicants visible in this query stands at 100%, reflecting a corpus so small that no meaningful tier gap exists — there is simply no second tier.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. | 1 | |
| 2 | GlobalFoundries US Inc. | 1 |
The leaders’ joint position implies that FinFET-specific metrology IP, at least as captured under this search, is being developed collaboratively rather than competitively — the single documented filing is a co-applicant record.
Caution is warranted: a corpus of one patent family is insufficient to draw broad conclusions about the assignee snapshot; additional searches across adjacent IPC classes or broader keyword formulations are recommended before follow-up research decisions are made.
A single 2019 filing defines both the trend and the technology mix
The annual trend chart and the technology-composition breakdown both reflect a corpus of one patent family, so observations must be read as directional signals rather than statistical patterns.
Annual filing trend
One filing appears in 2019; all other years in the window show zero activity. Publication lag typically suppresses counts in the most recent 18–24 months, but the gap here extends well before that window, so the absence of filings in 2020–2026 appears substantive rather than artifactual.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
The single family maps equally to G01N (material analysis and testing) and H01L (semiconductor devices), confirming the dual analytical and device-integration character of FinFET metrology work. No other IPC classes appear, leaving adjacent branches entirely uncharted in this corpus.
↗ 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.
Process control of semiconductor fabrication based…
Process control during manufacture of semiconductor devices by collecting scatterometric spectra of a FinFET reference fin structure on a reference semiconductor wafer at a first checkpoint proximate to a first processing step during fabrication of the reference semiconductor wafer, collecting reference measurements of the reference fin structure at a… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Process control of semiconductor fabrication based… | 3 |
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.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Nova Measuring Instruments
Nova Measuring Instruments holds 1 patent record in scope, with technology emphasis across G01N 21 (optical material analysis), H01L 21 (semiconductor processing), and H01L 29 (semiconductor device structures). Applicant momentum data is not available in the evidence base, so trajectory cannot be quantified. Their role as an equipment specialist co-filing with a foundry partner is consistent with their broader process-control business.
patent records: 1GlobalFoundries US
GlobalFoundries US also holds 1 patent record, with the same IPC focus as Nova — G01N 21, H01L 21, and H01L 29 — reflecting the joint nature of the filing. As a foundry partner, their interest is in integrating metrology capabilities directly into the fabrication process. Momentum data is not available in the evidence base.
patent records: 1Frequently asked questions
The evidence captures 1 patent family in scope. This is an extremely narrow corpus and suggests either that FinFET-specific metrology IP is filed under different terminology or that significant activity is protected as trade secrets rather than patents.
Nova Measuring Instruments and GlobalFoundries US each hold 1 patent record and are ranked equally at the top. They are co-applicants on the same filing rather than independent competitors.
The lifecycle stage is classified as Decline. Annual filings peaked in 2019 and have not recurred in subsequent years captured in the trend data.
The single patent family in scope is filed exclusively in the United States. No PCT, EPO, or Asian counterparts are captured in this corpus.
The corpus maps to two IPC classes: G01N (material analysis and testing) and H01L (semiconductor devices), each represented by the single patent family. No other classes appear.
Yes. The one documented filing is a co-applicant record between Nova Measuring Instruments and GlobalFoundries US, representing the sole collaboration on record. No other co-filing relationships are captured.
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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.