FinFET SoC Integration Patent Snapshot 2026
This is a highly concentrated, decline-stage niche: IBM holds a dominant position among only two ranked filers, and recorded filings peaked in 2017 with no activity observed after 2019. New entrants face a field where the foundational positions have been staked but annual origination has effectively ceased.
IBM dominates a two-player field in sharp concentration
IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) leads the applicant ranking by a wide margin, accounting for the overwhelming majority of the top-ranked filers’ combined output. GlobalFoundries Singapore is the only other ranked applicant in the corpus.
The top five filers collectively account for 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, and the ranking itself collapses to just two named entities — a level of concentration that leaves virtually no structural room for mid-tier challengers.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Business Machines Corporation | 15 | |
| 2 | GlobalFoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd. | 1 |
IBM’s positional dominance, built primarily around stacked FinFET non-volatile memory structures and anti-fuse devices, implies that any entrant pursuing similar device architectures will encounter a dense prior-art thicket controlled by a single incumbent.
Filing counts for the most recent periods reflect publication lag and should be interpreted cautiously; apparent zeros in 2020 onward do not necessarily confirm a complete absence of new activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2017 and has eased; semiconductor device classes dominate the mix
The filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that burst briefly in 2017 and has since contracted, with its technical scope anchored firmly in core semiconductor device classifications.
Annual filing trend
Filings peaked at five records in 2017, stepped down through 2018 and 2019, and show no recorded activity from 2020 onward. The absence of recent filings is consistent with both genuine decline and publication lag; the latter applies particularly to 2024–2026 and those years should be treated as under-counted.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (Semiconductor devices) is the visible IPC branch, followed by H10D (Semiconductor devices, general) and H10B (Memory device manufacture). G11C (Static and digital memories) and H10P appear at lower counts, while H10W is the sparsest branch — a signal of relative under-coverage in that classification.
↗ 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.
Method and device for embedding flash memory and l…
Methods for preventing step-height difference of flash and logic gates in FinFET devices and related devices are provided. Embodiments include forming fins in flash and logic regions; recessing an oxide exposing an upper portion of the fins; forming an oxide liner over the upper portion in the flash region; forming a polysilicon gate over and perpendicular… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stacked FinFET EEPROM | 9 |
| 2 | Vertically stacked FinFET fuse | 9 |
| 3 | Multiple breakdown point low resistance anti-fuse … | 7 |
| 4 | Stacked finfet eeprom | 5 |
| 5 | Vertically stacked FinFET fuse | 4 |
| 6 | Metal finfet Anti-fuse | 2 |
| 7 | Metal FinFET anti-fuse | 2 |
| 8 | Stacked finfet eeprom | 1 |
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.
International Business Machines Corporation
IBM leads with 15 patent records, concentrated in H01L 27 (integrated semiconductor circuits), H01L 29 (semiconductor device elements), and H01L 23 (semiconductor device details). The most-cited works cluster around stacked FinFET EEPROM and vertically stacked FinFET fuse and anti-fuse architectures. Applicant momentum data is not available in the evidence, so trajectory cannot be quantified beyond the filing-trend observation that activity ceased after 2019.
15 patent recordsGlobalFoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd.
GlobalFoundries Singapore holds 1 patent record, spread evenly across H01L 21 (semiconductor fabrication processes), H01L 27, and H01L 29. Its single record provides minimal IP leverage but signals awareness of the stacked FinFET SoC integration space from a foundry perspective. Momentum data is not available in the evidence.
1 patent recordFrequently asked questions
The corpus contains 12 patent families in scope, representing the current evidence base for this technology topic.
International Business Machines Corporation leads with 15 patent records, far ahead of the only other ranked applicant, GlobalFoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd., which holds 1 patent record.
The field is assessed as being in decline, with annual filings easing back from a peak in 2017 and no recorded activity from 2020 onward in the evidence. Publication lag means recent years may be under-counted, but the multi-year trend is clearly downward.
H01L (Semiconductor devices) is the visible branch, followed by H10D (Semiconductor devices, general) and H10B (Memory device manufacture). G11C (Static and digital memories) and H10P also appear, with H10W being the sparsest at 2 patent records.
No co-applicant activity is recorded in the evidence. All filings appear to be proprietary, single-applicant submissions, with no joint-filing relationships detected between IBM and GlobalFoundries or any other parties.
All patent records in the corpus are filed exclusively in the United States. No filings appear under PCT, European, Korean, Japanese, or other national offices in the current evidence.
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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.