Gate-All-Around Transistor Patent Landscape 2026
Gate-All-Around Transistors Patent Landscape in 2026
The gate-all-around transistor space is highly concentrated, with TSMC alone commanding a dominant share of the top-hundred filers’ combined activity, followed by Intel, IBM, and Samsung at a considerable distance. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual filing volume has eased from its 2022 peak and the most recent years remain understated by publication lag.
TSMC leads an extremely concentrated field; four foundry and IDM incumbents hold the high ground
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) ranks first by a wide margin, followed by Intel, IBM, and Samsung Electronics—a four-player group that together accounts for the bulk of activity among the hundred largest filers. TSMC’s lead over the second-ranked player is more than fivefold, signaling a structural dominance uncommon even in mature semiconductor sub-fields.
The top five filers collectively hold 72% of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent records. The gap between the fifth-ranked applicant (Applied Materials) and the first is large enough that new entrants or challengers would need sustained, decade-scale programs to close it on volume alone.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) | 14,783 | |
| 2 | Intel Corporation | 2,747 | |
| 3 | International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | 2,292 | |
| 4 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 2,150 | |
| 5 | Applied Materials, Inc. | 618 | |
| 6 | Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation | 603 | |
| 7 | Qualcomm Incorporated | 571 | |
| 8 | GlobalFoundries US Inc. | 547 | |
| 9 | Tokyo Electron Limited | 474 | |
| 10 | Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation | 430 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (imec) | 369 | |
| 12 | Monolithic 3D Inc. | 339 | |
| 13 | Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc. | 332 | |
| 14 | Unisantis Electronics Singapore Pte. Ltd. | 255 | |
| 15 | Macronix International Co., Ltd. | 245 | |
| 16 | Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 242 | |
| 17 | National Taiwan University | 183 | |
| 18 | Socionext Inc. | 165 | |
| 19 | ASM IP Holding B.V. | 153 | |
| 20 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 150 |
TSMC’s position, combined with its +40% recent-period momentum, suggests the leader is actively widening its moat rather than coasting. Intel’s +81% and Samsung’s +86% recent-period surges indicate that the two closest integrated-device manufacturer challengers are accelerating, making the competitive gap more dynamic than static portfolio sizes alone imply.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are systematically under-counted due to publication lag; apparent softness in 2024–2025 data should not be read as a genuine slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth continues from a 2022 peak; semiconductor device patents dominate the technology mix
Two lenses frame the field’s trajectory: an annual filing trend that peaked in 2022 and has since eased (with recent years further suppressed by publication lag), and a technology composition overwhelmingly anchored in core semiconductor device classes with a set of smaller adjacent branches that warrant attention.
Annual filing trend
Filings grew steadily from 2017 through a 2022 peak, then moderated in 2023–2024; 2025–2026 counts are near-zero due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as activity levels. The 32% recent-window growth confirms the field is still expanding on a multi-year basis despite the annual-volume easing.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (Semiconductor devices) dominates by a wide margin, reflecting the core device-physics and fabrication focus of GAA work. H10B (Memory device manufacture), H10D (Semiconductor devices, general), and B82Y (Nanotechnology applications) form a secondary tier, pointing to active memory integration and nanowire/nanosheet research threads.
↗ 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.
Gate-all-around (GAA) transistor with insulator on…
A gate-all-around (GAA) transistor has an insulator on a substrate. The GAA transistor also may have different crystalline structures for P-type work material and N-type work material. The GAA transistor includes one or more channels positioned between a source region and a drain region. The one or more channels, which may be nanowire, nanosheet, or… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method of cutting metal gate | 3,247 |
| 2 | FINFETs with wrap-around silicide and method formi… | 1,368 |
| 3 | Apparatus and method for forming semiconductor con… | 1,322 |
| 4 | Contact resistance reduced p-MOS transistors emplo… | 888 |
| 5 | Self-aligned wrapped-around structure | 822 |
| 6 | Aligned gate-all-around structure | 789 |
| 7 | Nanowire field effect transistor device having a r… | 788 |
| 8 | Strained nanowire CMOS device and method of forming | 585 |
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 patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of a Growth lifecycle stage, extreme top-tier concentration, and active cross-institution collaboration shapes both the risk profile and the entry calculus for teams evaluating GAA investments.
Growth stage: multi-year expansion, annual volume easing from 2022 peak
The field is classified as Growth, with the recent three-year filing window sitting well above the prior three-year window. Annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak, consistent with the most advanced process nodes (3 nm and below) moving from research into volume production, which typically compresses purely exploratory patent activity. The publication-lag effect on 2024–2025 data means the true current pace is higher than raw counts suggest.
Lifecycle: Growth72% top-5 share signals a fortress market; challenger acceleration is the key variable
The top five filers hold 72% of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent records, a concentration level that creates high barriers for new entrants on volume alone. However, Intel’s +81% and Samsung’s +86% recent-period momentum show that even well-resourced incumbents are investing aggressively to close the gap with TSMC, suggesting the competitive order at the top tier may shift over the next filing cycle. Smaller players such as Applied Materials (+187%) are building positions in process-equipment adjacencies.
High concentrationIBM is the most networked co-filer; TSMC anchors two key academic partnerships
IBM is the most active co-applicant hub, with documented co-filing relationships with IBM United Kingdom, IBM China, GlobalFoundries, STMicroelectronics, and the French CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique), each relationship involving 18–54 joint records. TSMC co-files with National Taiwan University (140 joint records) and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (25 joint records), anchoring Taiwan’s academic-industry pipeline. Tokyo Electron and its US holding entity also appear as a paired co-filer (54 joint records).
Ecosystem partnershipsUS filing dominance is near-total; EPO and PCT entries are a fraction of US volume
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction by a large margin. Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT) represent much smaller shares, and country-level entries for Singapore, the UK, Australia, and others are sparse. This concentration in the US patent system reflects both the location of key R&D centers and a deliberate litigation-risk strategy; teams seeking freedom-to-operate in Asian fabs or European supply chains should note that patent density outside the US is considerably lower.
US-centric filingGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) | National Taiwan University | 140 |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | IBM United Kingdom Limited | 54 |
| Tokyo Electron Limited | Tokyo Electron US Holdings Inc. | 54 |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | IBM China Co., Ltd. | 47 |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | GlobalFoundries Inc. | 37 |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) | National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University | 25 |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA) | 25 |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | IBM Deutschland GmbH | 25 |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | STMicroelectronics, Inc. | 24 |
| GlobalFoundries Inc. | STMicroelectronics, Inc. | 18 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
TSMC sets the pace; Intel and Samsung are the fastest-accelerating challengers
All leading players concentrate their filings in core H01L semiconductor device subclasses, but differ meaningfully in trajectory and secondary focus—Monolithic 3D, for instance, shows a distinct lean toward memory-integration classes alongside standard device subclasses.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
TSMC holds 14,783 patent records, more than five times the second-ranked filer, with filings concentrated entirely in H01L semiconductor device subclasses (device structure, fabrication process, and integrated circuits). Its recent-period filing rate is up +40% versus the prior window, indicating the leader is actively extending its position rather than maintaining a static portfolio. The TSMC–National Taiwan University collaboration (140 joint records) adds an academic research pipeline to its industrial scale.
patent records: 14,783Intel Corporation
Intel ranks second with 2,747 patent records and shows the strongest absolute acceleration among the major IDMs, with a +81% recent-period trend. Its technology focus mirrors TSMC’s across H01L device and fabrication subclasses, reflecting Intel’s own transition to GAA (Intel 20A/18A process nodes). Samsung Electronics, ranked fourth at 2,150 patent records and up +86% recently, is the other fast-moving challenger, making the second and fourth positions the most dynamic in the current cycle.
patent records: 2,747| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) | 4,577 | ▲ +40% |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | 571 | ▼ -28% |
| Intel Corporation | 920 | ▲ +81% |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 751 | ▲ +86% |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | 250 | ▲ +187% |
| Qualcomm Incorporated | 149 | ▲ +64% |
| Tokyo Electron Limited | 117 | ▼ -34% |
| Monolithic 3D Inc. | 121 | ▲ +39% |
Under-served branches where GAA intersects memory, nanotechnology, and digital systems
Several IPC classes adjacent to the dominant H01L core show relatively low filing share despite plausible technical connections to GAA transistor architectures; these represent observations of relative sparsity rather than validated opportunities, but each has a traceable engineering rationale.
H10D · Semiconductor devices (general)
H10D holds a 6% share of records in scope despite being a direct peer class to H01L for general semiconductor device coverage. As the IPC reorganization progressively migrates device claims from H01L into H10D, this branch is likely to absorb more GAA-specific disclosures going forward. Teams filing or searching under legacy H01L classifications may be missing or under-protecting claims that map more naturally to H10D, creating a near-term classification arbitrage worth monitoring.
Search this in Eureka →G11C · Static & digital memories
G11C (Static and digital memories) accounts for a 3% share, despite the active industry push to integrate GAA nanosheet transistors into SRAM and emerging non-volatile memory cells. Monolithic 3D’s H10B memory-class activity suggests at least one player is pursuing this integration angle, but the G11C branch itself remains sparse. An entrant with a GAA-specific memory-cell architecture and process integration claims could find less crowded prior art in this intersection.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology subclass emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01L 29 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 27 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 23 · Semiconductor devices | H10D 30 · Semiconductor devices (general) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) | Strong · 7,454 | Strong · 7,286 | Strong · 4,459 | Emerging · 1,435 | Emerging · 788 |
| International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) | Strong · 2,099 | Strong · 1,742 | Strong · 1,131 | Emerging · 302 | Emerging · 123 |
| Intel Corporation | Strong · 1,992 | Strong · 1,537 | Strong · 1,217 | Moderate · 458 | Emerging · 145 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Strong · 1,136 | Strong · 737 | Strong · 861 | Moderate · 304 | Emerging · 57 |
| Monolithic 3D Inc. | Strong · 243 | Strong · 217 | Strong · 266 | Strong · 186 | Emerging · 23 |
| Qualcomm Incorporated | Strong · 272 | Strong · 241 | Strong · 236 | Moderate · 63 | Emerging · 18 |
| Tokyo Electron Limited | Strong · 232 | Strong · 255 | Strong · 212 | Emerging · 51 | Emerging · 25 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 17,162 patent families globally. Applicant rankings within this analysis are based on patent records, which can exceed the family total because a single family may be filed across multiple jurisdictions and counted in each.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is the top filer with 14,783 patent records, more than five times the second-ranked applicant, Intel Corporation, which holds 2,747 patent records.
Yes, the field is in a Growth lifecycle stage. The recent three-year filing window is 32% above the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2022 and has eased since, but the most recent years (2024–2025) are further suppressed by publication lag, so the apparent moderation overstates any real slowdown.
Among the top filers, Applied Materials shows the sharpest recent-period increase at +187%, followed by Samsung Electronics at +86% and Intel at +81%. TSMC, despite its dominant absolute position, is also growing at +40%. IBM and Tokyo Electron show declining recent-period trends at -28% and -34%, respectively.
The United States is the dominant filing jurisdiction by a large margin. Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT) are the next most active, though at a much smaller scale. Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany each have modest filing counts. China and Taiwan show very few patent records in this corpus.
The most-cited work covers foundational process and device integration techniques, including a method of cutting metal gates (3,247 citations), FinFET wrap-around silicide formation (1,368 citations), semiconductor contact formation apparatus and method (1,322 citations), and aligned gate-all-around and self-aligned wrapped-around structures (789 and 822 citations respectively). These represent core prior art that any new entrant must address in claim design.
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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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