Nanostructured GaN LED (Nanowire) Patent Snapshot 2026
The nanostructured GaN LED (nanowire) patent space is highly concentrated, with Yale University alone holding a dominant position among a small group of four known applicants. Filing activity has been sparse and episodic, pointing to an early-stage niche where foundational positions are still being staked.
Yale University leads a highly concentrated, early-stage niche
Yale University ranks first with 4 patent records, followed by Quanzhou Sanan Semicon Tech Co. Ltd. with 2 patent records. The remaining ranked applicants — University of Science and Technology Beijing and Shenzhen University — each hold 1 patent record.
The top five filers account for 100% of the combined total among the ranked applicants visible in this query, which in this case is the entirety of the known applicant pool. This near-total concentration in a handful of organizations signals that no broad incumbent coalition has yet formed.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale University | 4 | |
| 2 | Quanzhou Sanan Semicon Tech Co. Ltd. | 2 | |
| 3 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH BEIJING | 1 | |
| 4 | Shenzhen University | 1 |
Yale’s position reflects a research-institution anchor — consistent with the field’s apparent academic origins — while Quanzhou Sanan Semicon Tech’s presence signals early commercial interest from a volume LED manufacturer.
The corpus covers a small number of patent families; filings from the most recent 18–24 months are likely under-represented due to standard publication lag and should not be read as indicating the full current state of activity.
A single 2018 burst dominates the filing timeline; semiconductor device classification prevails
The two charts below capture when filings occurred and which technology branches they fall under, revealing both the uneven pace of activity and the visible role of semiconductor device patents.
Annual filing trend
A cluster of 4 filings in 2018 represents the most active single year on record, followed by a gap until 2 further filings appeared in 2023. All other years show zero activity. The 2023 filings may understate the true picture given publication lag; years from 2024 onward should be treated as incomplete.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (Semiconductor devices) is the visible classification with 8 patent records, followed by B82Y (Nanotechnology applications) with 3 records. C09K (Materials for miscellaneous applications) accounts for 2 records, and C01G (Compounds of other metals) holds 1 record — the thinnest branch in the corpus.
↗ 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.
Nanoporous micro-led devices and methods for making
The present invention provides LED devices comprising gallium nitride LED diodes, at least a portion of which have been modified with color-converting quantum dots. The invention also provides methods of fabricating the LED devices of the invention. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanoporous micro-led devices and methods for making | 51 |
| 2 | Nanoporous micro-led devices and methods for making | 43 |
| 3 | 一种氮化物发光二极管的外延结构 | 14 |
| 4 | 基于双重钝化策略的高稳定性CsPbX<sub>3</sub>量子点的制备及应用方法 | 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.
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.
Yale University
Yale University leads with 4 patent records, concentrated in H01L 33 (Semiconductor devices) with additional coverage in C09K 11 (Materials for miscellaneous applications) and H01L 25 (Semiconductor devices). This multi-subclass positioning suggests a broad foundational strategy spanning device architecture and materials. No recent-period momentum data is available for Yale, but the 2018 filing cluster establishes it as the earliest and most active filer in the corpus.
patent records: 4Quanzhou Sanan Semicon Tech Co. Ltd.
Quanzhou Sanan Semicon Tech holds 2 patent records, with technology emphasis across B82Y 30 and B82Y 40 (Nanotechnology applications) as well as H01L 33 (Semiconductor devices), reflecting an approach that bridges nanoscale fabrication methods and device-level IP. As the only volume LED manufacturer in the ranked group, its presence signals that industrial translation of nanowire GaN technology is already on the strategic agenda of at least one commercial player.
patent records: 2Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 6 patent families in scope. This is a very small corpus, reflecting either the highly specialized nature of the technology or early-stage IP development — or both.
Yale University leads with 4 patent records, making it the visible filer by a clear margin in a four-applicant field. Quanzhou Sanan Semicon Tech Co. Ltd. is the second-ranked filer with 2 patent records.
China accounts for 4 patent records, the highest among all jurisdictions. Europe (EPO) follows with 2 records, and the United States and WIPO (PCT) each hold 1 record.
H01L (Semiconductor devices) is the visible classification with 8 patent records. B82Y (Nanotechnology applications) is second with 3 records, followed by C09K (Materials for miscellaneous applications) with 2 records and C01G (Compounds of other metals) with 1 record.
No co-applicant filings are recorded in the current evidence. All four applicants appear to be operating independently, with no visible joint-development or cross-institutional filing arrangements detected.
Shenzhen University and University of Science and Technology Beijing are both flagged as new entrants, each with 1 patent record in the most recent period tracked. Their entry broadens the applicant base but neither has yet built a multi-patent position.
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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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