Laser Diode In-Situ Epi Monitoring Patent Snapshot
The laser diode in-situ epitaxial monitoring field is concentrated among a small number of specialist filers, with PINSSAR PTY LTD holding the largest share and material-analysis (G01N) dominating the technology mix. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2017 peak and the most recent filing years remain undercounted due to publication lag.
A concentrated niche led by PINSSAR PTY LTD, with growing interest from industrial and academic entrants
PINSSAR PTY LTD stands as the clear leader in this space, followed by THORNTON ROBERT L and ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG in a tight second tier. The top five filers account for 43% of the combined patent records of the ranked applicants visible in this query, signaling meaningful concentration in a technically specialized niche.
The gap between the first-ranked applicant and the rest of the field is notable: PINSSAR PTY LTD holds 9 patent records, while the next two applicants each hold 6. Below that, a long tail of single- and dual-record filers — spanning universities, instrument makers, and industrial companies — reflects broad but shallow participation.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PINSSAR PTY LTD | 9 | |
| 2 | THORNTON ROBERT L | 6 | |
| 3 | ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG | 6 | |
| 4 | Seiko Epson Corporation | 4 | |
| 5 | SUZHOU RUILAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TECHCO LTD | 4 | |
| 6 | NEW DIMENSION RES & INSTR | 3 | |
| 7 | Adelphi University | 3 | |
| 8 | China Jiliang University | 2 | |
| 9 | PROSENSYS | 2 | |
| 10 | Spectral Sciences Inc. | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nanjing Kelisaike Safety Equipment Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 12 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Foxconn) | 2 | |
| 13 | Shaanxi Normal University | 2 | |
| 14 | King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 2 | |
| 15 | Beihang University | 2 | |
| 16 | SRM University | 1 | |
| 17 | University of Maryland | 1 | |
| 18 | Chongqing University of Science and Technology | 1 | |
| 19 | WALLETMED LTD | 1 | |
| 20 | China Southern Power Grid Extra High Voltage Power Transmission Co., Ltd. | 1 |
PINSSAR PTY LTD’s position, reinforced by its focus on material analysis and testing (G01N), suggests a deliberate strategy to build a foundational patent position around optical sensing in process environments. ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG’s presence indicates that established industrial instrumentation players see strategic value in this monitoring technology.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 are expected to rise as additional applications clear publication delays; the apparent slowdown in those years should not be read as reduced activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth with a material-analysis core and sparse process-integration coverage
The annual filing trend and IPC technology composition charts together reveal a field that has grown substantially on a multi-year basis while remaining anchored in optical measurement science, with process-integration and crystal-growth branches receiving comparatively little coverage.
Annual filing trend
Filing activity peaked in 2017, dipped through 2018–2021, then recovered with a secondary cluster in 2022. The recent three-year window is up 88% versus the prior three-year window, confirming genuine multi-year expansion. Counts for 2024 and 2025 are understated by publication lag and should be read as floor estimates rather than final totals.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G01N (Material analysis and testing) is visible in the IPC mix, reflecting the sensing and spectroscopy foundation of the field. H01S (Lasers and stimulated emission) and G01J (Radiation and light measurement) form a second tier, while C23C (Coating and surface deposition) and C30B (Crystal growth) — the branches most directly tied to epitaxial process control — each account for only a small share, indicating that process-side patent coverage remains thin relative to the measurement-science core.
↗ 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.
Apparatus for real-time monitoring of a workpiece
An apparatus for real-time monitoring of a workpiece (40) includes a laser diode (12) emitting a light irradiating the workpiece, a digital camera module (20) imaging the workpiece and forming an optical image signal, and a signal processing unit (30) electrically connected with the laser diode and the digital camera module respectively The optical image… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optical spectroscopy apparatus and method for meas… | 154 |
| 2 | Raman spectrometer | 141 |
| 3 | Optical film thickness measurement method, film fo… | 85 |
| 4 | Fluorescence imaging of biological media on a rota… | 74 |
| 5 | Optical spectroscopy apparatus and method for meas… | 67 |
| 6 | Ellipsometric approach to anti-reflection coatings… | 62 |
| 7 | Method for measurement of analyte concentrations a… | 58 |
| 8 | Off-line-locked laser diode species monitor system | 43 |
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.
PINSSAR PTY LTD
PINSSAR PTY LTD holds 9 patent records and focuses tightly on G01N (Material analysis and testing), indicating a strategy centered on optical sensing methods applicable to in-situ process monitoring. Its momentum trend is classified as a new entrant in the recent filing window, with 2 recent filings — consistent with a firm that established its core position earlier and is now selectively extending it. The intra-group collaboration with Pinssar Holdings Pty Ltd suggests a structured IP holding approach.
families: 9ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG
ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG holds 6 patent records and is classified as a new entrant in the recent filing window, with 5 recent filings — the highest recent activity of any tracked applicant. Its technology emphasis spans G01N (Material analysis and testing) and G01J (Radiation and light measurement), with a secondary G01N 33 thread. This profile matches an industrial analytics supplier broadening its spectroscopic monitoring portfolio into epitaxial and process-control environments. ABB’s entry could signal accelerating commercial interest from large instrument vendors.
families: 6Frequently asked questions
The PatSnap Eureka corpus for this topic contains 36 patent families in scope, spanning multiple jurisdictions including China, the United States, Europe (EPO), Australia, and WIPO (PCT).
PINSSAR PTY LTD leads with 9 patent records, followed by THORNTON ROBERT L and ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG each with 6 patent records. The top five filers account for 43% of the combined patent records among the ranked applicants visible in this query.
The field is in a Growth lifecycle stage. The recent three-year filing window is up 88% versus the prior three-year period, indicating genuine multi-year expansion. However, annual volume has eased from the 2017 peak, and counts for 2024 and 2025 are understated by publication lag, so those years should be read as floor estimates.
G01N (Material analysis and testing) is the visible branch, reflecting the optical spectroscopy and sensing foundation of the field. H01S (Lasers and stimulated emission) and G01J (Radiation and light measurement) form a secondary tier. Process-side branches such as C23C (Coating and surface deposition) and C30B (Crystal growth) are comparatively sparse.
China leads with 19 patent records, followed by the United States with 18 and Europe (EPO) with 10. Australia and WIPO (PCT) each carry 7 records, with smaller presences in Canada, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Romania, and Taiwan.
Collaboration activity is minimal. The only documented co-filing relationship is between Pinssar Holdings Pty Ltd and PINSSAR PTY LTD — effectively an intra-group arrangement. No cross-organizational university-industry or multi-party co-filing clusters are evident in the current evidence.
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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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