SiC Power Device Thermal Management Patent Landscape
The SiC power device thermal management field is in active growth, with a 44% rise in filing volume over the recent window and China accounting for the dominant share of jurisdictional activity. Xi’an Jiaotong University leads all filers, and the top five applicants hold 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output, indicating a fragmented competitive field with no single entity in commanding control.
Xi’an Jiaotong University leads a fragmented field with no dominant industrial player
Xi’an Jiaotong University ranks first with 30 patent families, followed by Denka Co. Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd. tied at 26 each, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology at 17. The top of the ranking is unusually mixed: academic institutions sit alongside materials specialists and diversified industrial conglomerates.
The top five applicants collectively hold 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total — a relatively low concentration figure that signals no single entity controls the technical agenda. The gap between rank one (30 families) and rank five (Semicon Components Industries LLC at 16 families) is narrow, reinforcing the fragmented picture.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | 30 | |
| 2 | Denka Co. Ltd. | 26 | |
| 3 | Hitachi Ltd. | 26 | |
| 4 | HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 17 | |
| 5 | Semicon Components Industries LLC | 16 | |
| 6 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 14 | |
| 7 | Denso Corporation | 14 | |
| 8 | Yangzhou Guoyang Electronics Co. Ltd. | 13 | |
| 9 | Wolfspeed Inc. | 12 | |
| 10 | Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | 11 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Raytheon Company | 10 | |
| 12 | BYD Co. Ltd. | 9 | |
| 13 | Xidian University | 9 | |
| 14 | Tokin Corporation | 9 | |
| 15 | Tianjin Yunqu Technology Co. Ltd. | 8 | |
| 16 | Shanghai Automotive Electric Drive Engineering Technology Research Center Co. Ltd. | 7 | |
| 17 | Zhejiang University | 7 | |
| 18 | Shanghai Automotive Electric Drive Co. Ltd. | 7 | |
| 19 | Shanghai Daozhi Technology Co. Ltd. | 6 | |
| 20 | Tonghui Electronics Co. Ltd. | 6 |
The leadership of academic institutions — Xi’an Jiaotong University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in the top four — suggests that foundational research is still a large part of the filing activity, leaving room for industrial players to consolidate specific sub-domains through focused prosecution strategies.
Filing counts for the most recent 18–24 months are understated due to standard patent publication lag; the field’s true recent activity is likely higher than current numbers reflect. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Annual volume is growing and semiconductor packaging dominates the technology mix
Two dimensions define the field’s current shape: a clear upward filing trajectory across the review window and a technology mix anchored in semiconductor device packaging, with several adjacent branches remaining thin.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed from 49 families in 2017 to a recorded peak of 119 in 2024, with the 2025 and 2026 counts significantly understated by publication lag and not indicative of a real decline. The multi-year growth rate of 44% confirms this is an expanding field.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (semiconductor devices) is the dominant branch with 620 records, followed by H05K (printed circuits and assemblies) at 412 and H10W at 256. Power conversion (H02M, 158 records) and ceramics and refractories (C04B, 30 records) are present but comparatively thin, pointing to under-served territory in materials and system-level power conversion integration.
↗ 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.
Three-dimensional integrated package device for hi…
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional integrated package device for a high-voltage silicon carbide power module, comprising a source substrate, first chip submodules, a first driving terminal, a first driving substrate, a ceramic housing, a metal substrate, a water inlet, a water outlet, second chip submodules, a second driving terminal, a… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heat sink assembly with thermally-conductive plate… | 346 |
| 2 | Method of extracting heat from a semiconductor bod… | 303 |
| 3 | High density integration of semiconductor circuit | 205 |
| 4 | Microchannel cooling of high power semiconductor d… | 169 |
| 5 | Laser diode cooling apparatus | 128 |
| 6 | Thermal heat sink encapsulated integrated circuit | 108 |
| 7 | Liquid cooled diamond bearing heat sink | 99 |
| 8 | Baseboard for orthogonal chip mount | 96 |
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 competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of growth-stage dynamics, fragmented ownership, and geography concentration creates both opportunity windows and strategic risks that engineers and R&D planners should weigh explicitly.
Growth stage: filings rising on a multi-year basis
The lifecycle evidence places this field firmly in Growth, with a 44% increase in filing volume over the recent window and no sign of annual volume easing from its 2024 peak. New entrants continue to appear in the ranking, and foundational research institutions remain active filers, both consistent with an early-to-mid growth phase. Investing now positions teams ahead of the consolidation phase that typically follows.
Lifecycle: GrowthLow concentration: the top five hold only 22% of leading filers’ output
With the top five applicants accounting for 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, no single organization controls the technical agenda. The narrow gap between rank one and rank five means competitive positions are not yet entrenched. A focused filing programme in a specific sub-domain — such as ceramic substrates or power conversion integration — could establish a defensible position relatively quickly.
Fragmented fieldUniversity-utility and university-industry co-filing is the dominant collaboration pattern
Xi’an Jiaotong University is the most active co-filer, collaborating with State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co. (4 joint families), Shaoxing Tongyue Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Research Institute (2 families), and State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co. (1 family). Huazhong University of Science and Technology co-files with Guangdong Power Grid Electric Power Research Institute (3 families) and Changzhou Ruihua New Energy Technology Co. (2 families). Hitachi Ltd. co-files across its own subsidiary network. These patterns reveal that academic-utility and academic-startup linkages are where new thermal management IP is being generated collaboratively.
Co-filing clustersChina dominates jurisdictional coverage; US and Japan are the main secondary markets
China accounts for the largest share of jurisdictional records, followed by the United States (102 records), Japan (49), Europe via EPO (38), and WIPO PCT (24). South Korea (18) and Germany (12) are present but thin. Any player seeking broad protection in power electronics end-markets — automotive, industrial, grid — should audit whether their filings extend into Japan, EPO, and PCT, given the thin coverage relative to the Chinese-origin volume.
China-centricGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co. | 4 |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Electric Power Research Institute of Guangdong Power Grid Co. Ltd. | 3 |
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | Shaoxing Tongyue Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Research Institute | 2 |
| Hitachi Ltd. | Hitachi Power Semiconductor Device Ltd. | 2 |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Changzhou Ruihua New Energy Technology Co. Ltd. | 2 |
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co. Ltd. | 1 |
| Hitachi Ltd. | Hitachi Microcomputer System Ltd. | 1 |
| Hitachi Ltd. | Hitachi Information and Telecommunication Engineering Ltd. | 1 |
| Hitachi Ltd. | Hitachi Micro Systems Inc. | 1 |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Changzhou Ruihua Power Electronic Devices Co. Ltd. | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Academic institutions lead on volume; industrial specialists lead on materials and packaging depth
The top of the ranking mixes Chinese universities with Japanese industrial and materials companies, each emphasizing different technical routes within SiC thermal management.
Xi’an Jiaotong University
Xi’an Jiaotong University leads with 30 patent families and is classified as a new entrant on momentum, with 20 families in the recent period — meaning the bulk of its portfolio has been filed recently and the institution is accelerating, not coasting. Its technology focus centres on semiconductor device packaging (H01L 23 and H01L 25) and H10W40, reflecting a broad thermal management approach at the device and module level.
families: 30Denka Co. Ltd.
Denka Co. Ltd. is tied at 26 patent families but shows a declining momentum trend (−54% in the recent period versus its prior three years), suggesting its portfolio was built primarily in an earlier wave. Uniquely among the top applicants, Denka balances H01L 23 semiconductor packaging with an equally strong H05K 7 (printed circuit assemblies) focus and a meaningful ceramics position (C04B 35, 7 families) — reflecting its substrate and ceramic materials heritage in SiC module thermal paths.
families: 26| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | 20 | ▲ new entrant |
| Denka Co. Ltd. | 6 | ▼ -54% |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Semicon Components Industries LLC | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Denso Corporation | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the SiC thermal management core
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant semiconductor device cluster carry relatively low filing counts, indicating areas where technical activity exists but patent coverage is thin relative to their relevance to SiC power device deployment.
C04B · Ceramics, cement and refractories
With only 30 records, the ceramics branch is sparse relative to its direct relevance: ceramic substrates such as aluminium nitride and silicon nitride are primary thermal interface layers in SiC power modules. Denka Co. Ltd. is the only top-ranked applicant with a meaningful ceramics position (7 families in C04B 35). An entrant with advanced ceramic substrate or composite material capability could establish a defensible position in a branch that connects directly to the dominant H01L thermal packaging cluster.
Search this in Eureka →B60L · Electric vehicle propulsion
The B60L branch contains only 19 records despite electric vehicle inverters being one of the primary application drivers for SiC power devices. This sparsity likely reflects that most filers are claiming at the device and packaging level (H01L, H05K) rather than at the system integration level. Teams focused on EV powertrain thermal management — coolant channel design, liquid-cooled inverter housings, or integrated motor-drive thermal solutions — could file in a less contested space while directly addressing a high-value commercial application.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technical route emphasis
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01L 23 · Semiconductor devices | H05K 7 · Printed circuits & assemblies | H10W 40 | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 25 · Semiconductor devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xi’an Jiaotong University | Strong · 23 | Moderate · 7 | Strong · 15 | Absent | Strong · 17 |
| Denka Co. Ltd. | Strong · 19 | Strong · 19 | Moderate · 4 | Moderate · 5 | Absent |
| Hitachi Ltd. | Strong · 26 | Moderate · 9 | Emerging · 4 | Absent | Emerging · 5 |
| Semicon Components Industries LLC | Strong · 16 | Absent | Moderate · 8 | Strong · 16 | Moderate · 4 |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Strong · 16 | Absent | Moderate · 7 | Moderate · 5 | Moderate · 8 |
| Yangzhou Guoyang Electronics Co. Ltd. | Strong · 13 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 11 |
| Denso Corporation | Strong · 14 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 8 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 737 patent families globally. China is the lead filing jurisdiction by a wide margin.
Xi’an Jiaotong University leads with 30 patent families, followed by Denka Co. Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd. at 26 each, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology at 17.
It is fragmented. The top five applicants account for 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. No single entity controls the technical agenda, and academic institutions occupy two of the top four positions.
The field is in a Growth lifecycle stage, with a 44% increase in filing volume over the recent multi-year window. Annual counts rose from 49 families in 2017 to a recorded 119 in 2024. The 2025 and 2026 figures are understated due to publication lag.
H01L (semiconductor devices) dominates with 620 records, followed by H05K (printed circuits and assemblies) at 412 and H10W at 256. Power conversion (H02M) and ceramics (C04B) are present but comparatively thin.
China accounts for the largest share of jurisdictional records. The United States (102), Japan (49), Europe via EPO (38), and WIPO PCT (24) are the main secondary jurisdictions, but all are substantially smaller than the China count, suggesting that many Chinese-origin families may not be fully extended into key commercial markets.
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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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