Nanoscale Surface Metrology Patents: Who Leads, Gaps 2026
Nanoscale surface metrology patents: mapping who holds the calibration and measurement-uncertainty claims
Five assignees account for all 19 records in scope, so this is a small, fully concentrated field rather than a crowded one — there is no long tail to screen out. Filings rose to a peak of 7 records in 2019, up from 2 in 2017, then declined toward the end of the window. The 2026 figure is partial by design — this is a publication-lag effect, not necessarily a real stop in R&D.
- 1PURDUE RES FOUND26.3%
- 2COSTA LARRY J26.3%
- 3UNIV OF HYOGO21.1%
- 4HOLOWAY INC KOBE SHI15.8%
- 5COSTA LARRY10.5%
See the full nanoscale surface metrology analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions about this patent landscape
Who are the leading patent holders in nanoscale surface metrology?
This dataset returns five ranked assignees, and together they account for all 19 records in scope — there is no unattributed long tail. The leading assignee holds the largest single share at 5 records, but no party controls the field outright. For a full name-by-name breakdown, the ranking table on this page is the authoritative source rather than any summary in prose.
Is patent filing in this field growing or slowing down?
Filing peaked in 2019 at 7 records and has declined since, with the most recent tracked year showing no filings from any ranked assignee. Because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the last one to two years understate real activity rather than proving a stop. A meaningful growth rate cannot be computed from this window because too few complete years remain once the lag is accounted for.
What does US20150177272A1 actually cover?
It is a Purdue Research Foundation filing from 2015 describing a MEMS-based displacement measurement method, where a movable mass is driven against two displacement-stopping surfaces and measured via differential capacitance. Its stated uses include measuring atomic force microscope cantilever deflection and building combined accelerometer-gyroscope motion sensors. It is the most-cited record in this corpus, which signals influence within the searched set rather than current commercial dominance.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Nanoscale Surface Metrology covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.