SiC/SiO2 Gate Interface Patent Landscape 2026
The SiC/SiO2 gate interface field is dominated by a small cluster of power-semiconductor specialists, with Wolfspeed holding a commanding lead over all other filers. Annual activity peaked in 2021 and has since eased, signaling a maturing but still strategically active technology space.
Wolfspeed dominates a highly concentrated field
Wolfspeed leads the SiC/SiO2 gate interface ranking by a substantial margin, followed by Fuji Electric, Infineon Technologies, Sumitomo Electric Industries, and ROHM. The top five filers collectively account for 46% of the combined patent records of the hundred largest filers, confirming a high degree of concentration at the apex.
A clear tier gap separates Wolfspeed from the rest of the field. The second-ranked filer, Fuji Electric, holds less than half of Wolfspeed’s tally, and the gap continues to widen down the ranking. Challengers such as STMicroelectronics show recent momentum, but the structural lead of the top player remains intact.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolfspeed Inc | 294 | |
| 2 | Fuji Electric Co Ltd | 131 | |
| 3 | Infineon Technologies AG | 96 | |
| 4 | Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd | 71 | |
| 5 | ROHM Co Ltd | 59 | |
| 6 | General Electric Co | 57 | |
| 7 | Semicon Components Industries LLC | 39 | |
| 8 | ABB Research Ltd | 34 | |
| 9 | French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 33 | |
| 10 | Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd | 31 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Toshiba Corporation | 28 | |
| 12 | Hitachi Energy Ltd | 22 | |
| 13 | Renesas Electronics Corporation | 21 | |
| 14 | Monolith Semiconductor Inc | 20 | |
| 15 | Hitachi Ltd | 18 | |
| 16 | Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation | 18 | |
| 17 | Applied Materials Inc | 18 | |
| 18 | Denso Corporation | 17 | |
| 19 | STMicroelectronics International NV | 17 | |
| 20 | Xidian University | 16 |
Wolfspeed’s position, built on decades of SiC commercialization, creates a dense prior-art thicket around core gate-oxide process routes. Competitors are differentiating through device architecture, dielectric alternatives, and passivation techniques rather than contesting the most-cited foundational claims directly.
Patent records from 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and are likely under-counted; the apparent softening in those years should not be interpreted as a structural decline in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2021; semiconductor device classes dominate the technology mix
Two charts together show the pace of filing over time and the distribution of technical subject matter. Reading them together reveals where investment has been concentrated and which adjacent classes remain comparatively thin.
Annual filing trend
Annual filing volume rose from 82 records in 2017 to a peak of 123 in 2021, then eased to 98 in 2022, 86 in 2023, and 82 in 2024. The 2025 and 2026 figures are heavily affected by publication lag and should not be read as continuation of the declining trend.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
The H01L semiconductor device class overwhelmingly dominates the IPC mix, reflecting the device-centric nature of gate-interface innovation. H10P and H10D follow at significantly lower shares. Adjacent branches such as C30B (crystal growth), C23C (coating and surface deposition), and H10W each hold small but non-trivial positions, pointing to upstream materials and novel device architecture as secondary focal points.
↗ 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.
Low-temperature processing method for improving 4h…
Disclosed are a low-temperature processing method for improving a 4H—SiC/SiO<sub>2 </sub>interface based on a supercritical oxynitride, and use thereof. The method includes: performing standard cleaning on a silicon carbide sample to be processed; performing dry-oxygen oxidation on the cleaned silicon carbide sample to grow an oxide layer; placing the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | High brightness electroluminescent device emitting… | 484 |
| 2 | Semiconductor device and production method therefor | 450 |
| 3 | Silicon carbide based field effect gas sensor for … | 390 |
| 4 | Silicon carbide semiconductor device | 314 |
| 5 | High brightness electroluminescent device, emittin… | 237 |
| 6 | Silicon carbide metal-semiconductor field effect t… | 216 |
| 7 | Semiconductor memory device | 174 |
| 8 | Layered dielectric on silicon carbide semiconducto… | 173 |
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
The combination of high concentration, a post-peak filing trajectory, and a narrow IPC core shapes both the risks and the entry paths for new and existing players.
Field is in a post-peak phase after its 2021 high
The lifecycle stage is assessed as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2021 peak of 123 records. Core gate-oxide process routes are heavily claimed, reducing the incremental novelty available in mainstream positions. R&D investment is best directed toward differentiated sub-routes—alternative dielectrics, interface passivation, and novel anneal chemistries—where prior-art density is lower.
Post-peak · 2021 highTop five filers hold nearly half the leading-filer share
The top five filers account for 46% of combined patent records among the hundred largest filers, and Wolfspeed alone outpaces the next four combined. This concentration means freedom-to-operate analysis is non-trivial for any new entrant targeting mainstream MOSFET gate-oxide processes. Challengers must identify white-space routes or license strategically.
High concentrationFrench CEA ecosystem leads co-filing activity; Fuji Electric–AIST partnership is notable
The most active co-filing pair is the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) with the University of Paris-Sud 11, with 10 joint filings, followed by Fuji Electric with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) at 8. CEA also co-files with CNRS (7 records) and Soitec (5 records), indicating a coherent French public-private research cluster. Wolfspeed and Auburn University share 5 co-filings, the only major U.S. industry–academia collaboration evident in the data.
Public-private clustersU.S. filings dominate; China and Europe are secondary but active
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, reflecting the home offices of Wolfspeed and several other leading applicants. Europe (EPO) is the second-ranked jurisdiction, with China third. WIPO PCT filings suggest multi-regional protection strategies are common among the top players. South Korea and Taiwan show limited filing activity relative to their semiconductor industry size, suggesting either geographic licensing strategies or under-represented domestic players.
U.S.-centric with EPO/CN coverageGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | University of Paris-Sud 11 | 10 |
| Fuji Electric Co Ltd | National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | 8 |
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | 7 |
| Wolfspeed Inc | Auburn University | 5 |
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | Soitec SA | 5 |
| Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd | Renesas Electronics Corporation | 4 |
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | Thomson-CSF (Thales) | 2 |
| Fuji Electric Co Ltd | Kyushu University | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Wolfspeed and STMicroelectronics represent opposite ends of the momentum spectrum
Wolfspeed’s structural lead is uncontested in volume, but STMicroelectronics shows the strongest recent momentum among the major filers, while Fuji Electric and Infineon have seen recent filing rates ease.
Wolfspeed Inc
Wolfspeed holds 294 patent records, more than double the second-ranked filer. Its technical focus is concentrated on H01L 29 and H01L 21 semiconductor device classes, with a substantial position in H10P 95, reflecting deep coverage of SiC MOSFET gate structures. Recent filings show a new-entrant momentum signal in the most recent period, suggesting a shift in filing portfolio composition rather than an increase from a large prior base.
patent records: 294STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics (listed as STMicroelectronics International NV in the ranking) holds 17 patent records in the overall ranking, but its recent filing momentum of +38% versus the prior period stands out as the strongest upward trajectory among the named major filers. Its technical focus mirrors the field’s core—H01L 29 and H01L 21—with a secondary position in H10D 62, consistent with a push toward advanced SiC device architectures. This trajectory warrants monitoring as an indicator of accelerating competitive intent.
patent records: 17| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfspeed Inc | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| Fuji Electric Co Ltd | 31 | ▼ -6% |
| Infineon Technologies AG | 21 | ▼ -34% |
| STMicroelectronics | 44 | ▲ +38% |
| Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| ROHM Co Ltd | 13 | ▼ -52% |
| General Electric Co | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in crystal growth and surface deposition
Several IPC branches sit at the periphery of the dominant H01L core with low filing counts relative to the field total. These are observations of relative sparsity; technical value and entry feasibility vary by branch.
C30B · Crystal growth
Crystal growth (C30B) holds 86 patent records in the corpus—approximately 3% of IPC branch records—despite being a direct upstream determinant of SiC substrate quality and, by extension, gate-interface defect density. The sparse coverage relative to device-level classes suggests that substrate epitaxy optimization specifically tied to gate-oxide outcomes is an under-filed area. For process engineers, this represents a technically plausible entry point: improved SiC epilayer stoichiometry and surface preparation protocols could be pursued with comparatively lower prior-art density than mainstream MOSFET claims.
Search this in Eureka →C23C · Coating and surface deposition
Surface and thin-film deposition techniques (C23C) account for 53 patent records, roughly 2% of IPC branch records. Gate dielectric deposition—including ALD and CVD of alternative high-k oxides or nitrided interfaces on SiC—is a known lever for improving channel mobility and reducing interface trap density, yet the C23C branch remains sparsely populated relative to the device-level classes. Players with deposition process expertise, including equipment vendors and materials specialists, face a comparatively open landscape if they can link novel deposition chemistries to demonstrated gate-interface performance improvements.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across technology sub-routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01L 29 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H10P 95 | H10D 62 · Semiconductor devices (general) | H10D 30 · Semiconductor devices (general) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfspeed Inc | Strong · 223 | Strong · 205 | Strong · 121 | Emerging · 40 | Moderate · 49 |
| Fuji Electric Co Ltd | Strong · 121 | Strong · 91 | Moderate · 35 | Moderate · 40 | Emerging · 17 |
| Infineon Technologies AG | Strong · 90 | Strong · 79 | Moderate · 24 | Moderate · 28 | Emerging · 9 |
| STMicroelectronics | Strong · 74 | Strong · 55 | Moderate · 27 | Moderate · 27 | Moderate · 18 |
| Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd | Strong · 75 | Strong · 62 | Emerging · 10 | Moderate · 25 | Moderate · 22 |
| ABB Research Ltd | Strong · 50 | Strong · 63 | Strong · 41 | Absent | Emerging · 11 |
| General Electric Co | Strong · 56 | Strong · 32 | Moderate · 24 | Moderate · 15 | Emerging · 8 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 773 patent families in scope. The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction by a substantial margin.
Wolfspeed Inc is the leading filer with 294 patent records, more than double the second-ranked applicant, Fuji Electric, which holds 131 patent records.
Annual filing volume peaked in 2021 at 123 patent records and has eased since then. Figures for 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and should not be read as a continuation of the declining trend.
The most active co-filing partnership is the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) with the University of Paris-Sud 11 (10 joint records), followed by Fuji Electric with Japan’s AIST (8 records). CEA also co-files with CNRS and Soitec. Wolfspeed and Auburn University represent the leading U.S. industry–academia pair with 5 co-filings.
Crystal growth (C30B) and coating and surface deposition (C23C) are the two most notable under-served adjacent branches, with 86 and 53 patent records respectively. H10W and H10B also show low record counts relative to the dominant H01L classes.
Among the major filers with named momentum data, STMicroelectronics shows the strongest upward trend at +38% versus the prior period. Rohm Co Ltd shows the sharpest decline at -52%, while Infineon Technologies AG is down -34% and Fuji Electric is down -6%.
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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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