Gallium Oxide Power Device Patent Landscape 2026
Gallium Oxide Power Device Patent Landscape in 2026
Gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) power devices remain an early-stage, research-dominated field with 39 patent families on record, led by Cornell University and concentrated heavily in semiconductor device structures. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, and the competitive landscape is fragmented across universities and early-stage commercial entrants.
Cornell University leads a fragmented, research-dominated field
Cornell University holds the top position with 6 patent families, followed by Power CubeSemi Inc. with 5 and Xidian University with 4. The top five filers together account for 41% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate concentration at the top but a long tail of single-family contributors.
The tier gap between the leader and mid-tier applicants is narrow — the top three are separated by only two families — which suggests no single actor has yet established a commanding IP fortress. Most applicants hold only one or two patent families, consistent with a field still in early, exploratory R&D.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | 6 | |
| 2 | Power CubeSemi Inc. | 5 | |
| 3 | Xidian University | 4 | |
| 4 | The Government of the United States of America | 2 | |
| 5 | Sun Yat-sen University | 2 | |
| 6 | Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 2 | |
| 7 | PDPM INDIAN INST OF INFORMATION TECH DESIGN & MFG … | 2 | |
| 8 | UNIV OF ELECTRONICS SCI & TECH OF CHINA | 2 | |
| 9 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 1 | |
| 10 | TOYOTA MOTOR ENG & MFG NORTH AMERICA INC | 1 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | AGENCY FOR SCI TECH & RES | 1 | |
| 12 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH OF CHINA | 1 | |
| 13 | Foshan Institute of Sun Yat-sen University | 1 | |
| 14 | Kyushu University | 1 | |
| 15 | KING ABDULLAH UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 1 | |
| 16 | Ohio State Innovation Foundation | 1 | |
| 17 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 1 | |
| 18 | Beijing Microelectronics Technology Institute | 1 | |
| 19 | Beijing Mxtronics Corp. | 1 | |
| 20 | Southeast University | 1 |
The presence of Cornell and multiple Chinese and Indian universities as the dominant filers, rather than established power semiconductor manufacturers, signals that industrialization of the technology is still nascent. Commercial entrants such as Power CubeSemi Inc. are beginning to appear, but the field remains largely pre-competitive.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are systematically under-counted due to publication lag; the apparent slowdown after 2023 should not be read as a real decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity surged in 2023; semiconductor device structures dominate the technology mix
Two patterns define this landscape: a multi-year growth trajectory driven by a sharp 2023 spike, and an overwhelming concentration of filings in semiconductor device structure classes with only thin coverage of adjacent enabling technologies.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings were negligible before 2019, rose erratically through 2022, then peaked sharply at 14 families in 2023 before easing to 9 in 2024. The 2024 and 2025 figures are understated due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as a structural decline. The three-year recent window is up 136% versus the prior three-year window, confirming the field is still expanding on a multi-year basis.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (Semiconductor devices) accounts for all 39 families, confirming the field is tightly defined around device architecture. H10D (Semiconductor devices, general) appears as a secondary class in 9 families. C30B (Crystal growth) covers only 5 families despite being a critical enabling step, and all remaining branches — H10W, B08B, G01R, H05K, H10P — each appear in 2 or fewer families, pointing to thin coverage of packaging, measurement, and substrate preparation.
↗ 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.
Vertical gallium oxide (GA2O3) power fets
A vertical gallium oxide (Ga2O3) device having a substrate, an n-type Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3 </sub>drift layer on the substrate, an, n-type semiconducting channel extending from the n-type Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3 </sub>drift layer, the channel being one of fin-shaped or nanowire shaped, an n-type source layer disposed on the channel; the source layer has a… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vertical gallium oxide (GA2O3) power fets | 39 |
| 2 | VERTICAL GALLIUM OXIDE (Ga 2O 3) POWER FETS | 26 |
| 3 | 一种氧化镓衬底的表面处理方法及大尺寸氧化镓功率器件 | 7 |
| 4 | Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>薄膜材料及其柔性器件的制备方法 | 7 |
| 5 | （AlxGa1-x）2O3/Ga2O3器件的外延层转移方法 | 6 |
| 6 | 基于超临界CO<sub>2</sub>处理的Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>金… | 5 |
| 7 | 一种优化横向氧化镓功率器件表面电场的结构及制备方法 | 4 |
| 8 | Plurality of heat sinks for a semiconductor package | 2 |
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 IP structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of early lifecycle stage, fragmented ownership, and thin coverage outside core device structures creates both risk (uncertain IP freedom-to-operate in the dominant class) and opportunity (adjacent enabling technologies are largely unclaimed).
Growth stage — multi-year expansion with a 2023 peak
The field is classified as Growth. Recent three-year filings are 136% above the prior three-year window, confirming sustained multi-year expansion. Annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, but publication lag means 2024–2025 data is not yet complete. Investors entering now are in an early-growth window, not a mature one.
Growth stageModerate top-five share; no dominant incumbent
The top five filers account for 41% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, and the gap between first and third place is only two patent families. No single applicant holds a blocking portfolio. This structure means freedom-to-operate risk is lower than in mature semiconductor fields, but first-mover advantage is still available to early commercial actors.
FragmentedXidian University anchors China’s collaborative cluster
Four collaboration pairs are on record. Xidian University (Xidian Univ) co-files with its Guangzhou Research Institute, with Beijing Mxtronics Corp, and with Beijing Microelectronics Technology Institute — forming a vertically integrated Chinese R&D cluster. Sun Yat-sen University similarly co-files with its Foshan Institute. No cross-border or industry-university collaborations involving non-Chinese entities are recorded, leaving international partnership opportunities open.
China-clusterUS leads filings; China is a strong second
The United States is the lead jurisdiction with 20 patent records, followed by China with 14. India and WIPO (PCT) each account for 2 records, and Singapore holds 1. The US advantage reflects Cornell’s and the US Government’s activity; China’s share is driven by multiple universities and institutes. PCT coverage is minimal, suggesting most filers are not yet pursuing broad international protection.
US + ChinaGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Xidian University | Xidian University Guangzhou Research Institute | 1 |
| Xidian University | Beijing Mxtronics Corp. | 1 |
| Xidian University | Beijing Microelectronics Technology Institute | 1 |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Foshan Institute of Sun Yat-sen University | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Cornell University leads on fundamentals; Power CubeSemi Inc. is the top commercial filer
The two front-runners represent distinct strategic postures: an academic institution building foundational IP in device physics and crystal growth, and a commercial startup concentrated on manufacturable device structures.
Cornell University
Cornell holds 6 patent families and is a new entrant on the recent momentum measure, meaning its filings are concentrated in the most recent window. Its technology focus spans H01L 29 (semiconductor device structures), H10D 64 (general semiconductor devices), and C30B 29 (crystal growth) — a breadth that covers both device architecture and substrate fundamentals. This positioning makes Cornell a key licensor to watch as the field commercializes.
families: 6Power CubeSemi Inc.
Power CubeSemi Inc. holds 5 patent families and is also a new entrant, with all filings in the recent window. Its focus is tightly on H01L 21 (semiconductor fabrication processes) and H01L 29 (device structures), with secondary coverage in H10D 62 — indicating a process-and-device orientation consistent with a commercial product development agenda rather than basic research. It is the only pure-play commercial Ga₂O₃ power device company in the top tier.
families: 5| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Power CubeSemi Inc. | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Xidian University | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| The Government of the United States of America (as represented by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| University of Electronic Science and Technology of China | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Sun Yat-sen University | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| PDPM INDIAN INST OF INFORMATION TECH DESIGN & MFG … | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| King Abdullah University of Science and Technology | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Crystal growth, packaging, and measurement are under-served adjacent branches
Several IPC classes that are technically necessary for a mature Ga₂O₃ power device supply chain show very sparse patent coverage relative to the dominant H01L device-structure class, suggesting these areas have received less focused IP attention to date.
C30B · Crystal growth
With only 5 patent families, crystal growth — a fundamental enabler for high-quality Ga₂O₃ substrates — is sparsely covered relative to device structures. Substrate quality directly determines breakdown voltage and defect density in finished devices. An entrant with proprietary bulk or epitaxial growth methods could establish a supply-chain chokepoint. Cornell’s presence here is notable but leaves room for specialized substrate suppliers.
Search this in Eureka →H05K · Printed circuits and assemblies / packaging
Only 1 patent family falls under H05K, despite thermal management and packaging being critical bottlenecks for wide-bandgap power devices operating at high temperatures. The near-absence of packaging IP is an observation of relative sparsity; given that Ga₂O₃’s thermal conductivity limitations are a known engineering challenge, this branch warrants monitoring as the technology approaches commercialization.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across IPC classes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 29 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 23 · Semiconductor devices | C30B 29 · Crystal growth | H10D 64 · Semiconductor devices (general) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | Absent | Strong · 6 | Absent | Strong · 4 | Strong · 5 |
| Power CubeSemi Inc. | Strong · 5 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Xidian University | Strong · 4 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Moderate · 1 | Absent | Absent |
| PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing Jabalpur | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Strong · 2 | Absent | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| The Government of the United States of America (as represented by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The current dataset contains 39 patent families in scope. This is a small corpus relative to mature power semiconductor technologies such as SiC or GaN, consistent with the field’s early growth stage.
Cornell University leads with 6 patent families, followed by Power CubeSemi Inc. with 5 and Xidian University with 4. The top five filers account for 41% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total.
The United States is the lead jurisdiction with 20 patent records, followed by China with 14. India and WIPO (PCT) each hold 2 records, and Singapore holds 1. PCT coverage is minimal, suggesting limited international filing strategies so far.
Annual filings were negligible before 2019, grew erratically through 2022, then peaked at 14 families in 2023. The three-year recent window is up 136% versus the prior three-year window. The 2024 and 2025 figures are understated due to publication lag.
H01L (Semiconductor devices) covers all 39 families. H10D (Semiconductor devices, general) appears in 9 families as a secondary class. C30B (Crystal growth) covers 5 families; all other classes — H10W, B08B, G01R, H05K, H10P — appear in 2 or fewer families.
Four co-filing pairs are on record, all within China. Xidian University collaborates with its Guangzhou Research Institute, Beijing Mxtronics Corp, and Beijing Microelectronics Technology Institute. Sun Yat-sen University co-files with its Foshan Institute. No cross-border collaborations are recorded in the dataset.
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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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