Silicon Photonic Device Test Patent Snapshot 2026
The silicon photonic device test patent corpus is extremely small and highly concentrated, with Intel Corp and a handful of individual inventors accounting for all recorded activity. Filing volume has plateaued near its 2020 peak, signaling a mature but sparsely populated niche with limited active competition.
Intel Corp leads a highly concentrated, narrow field
Intel Corp holds the top position in the applicant ranking, and the top five filers collectively account for 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total — an extreme concentration rarely seen even in emerging niches.
The tier gap between the leader and all other applicants is effectively zero in raw volume terms; no challenger has established a meaningfully larger position than Intel Corp. Individual inventors and smaller firms such as Avago Technologies International Sales, Indigo Diabetes NV, and Marvell Asia sit directly alongside the visible applicants in the ranking.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intel Corporation | 2 | |
| 2 | MORSE MICHAEL T | 2 | |
| 3 | Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Ltd | 1 | |
| 4 | Indigo Diabetes NV | 1 | |
| 5 | Marvell Asia Pte Ltd | 1 |
Intel Corp’s dominance, reinforced by co-inventor relationships with researchers such as Rong Haisheng, Morse Michael T, Liu Ansheng, and Heck John, suggests the core test methodology IP is tightly held within a single corporate ecosystem, leaving little room for incremental differentiation within the established technology routes.
Activity from the most recent 18–24 months may be under-counted due to standard patent publication lag; the apparent flatline in recent years should not be read as confirmed inactivity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity has plateaued; optics and optoelectronics dominate the technology mix
The trend chart and technology composition together reveal a field that reached its modest peak around 2020 and has since stalled, with optical elements and systems (G02B) accounting for the large majority of classified records.
Annual filing trend
Filings first appeared in 2020 and 2022, with no recorded activity in surrounding years. The field has plateaued near its 2020 peak; the most recent periods should be treated as potentially under-counted due to publication lag rather than confirmed zero-activity years.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G02B (Optical elements and systems) is the visible IPC class, reflecting the core waveguide and optical circuit test methods. Adjacent branches — including A61B (diagnosis and surgery), G01M (testing machine and structural balance), G01N (material analysis and testing), G02F (optical control and modulation), and H01L (semiconductor devices) — each appear with a single record, indicating that test techniques are being explored across diverse application contexts but without sustained filing depth in any secondary branch.
↗ 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.
Method of manufacturing and packaging silicon phot…
A method of packaging the silicon photonics wafer for fabricating custom optical-electrical modules includes fabricating a wafer with multiple dies of silicon photonics circuits based on custom design and conducting electrical and optical tests of the silicon photonics circuits in wafer level. The method further includes preparing the wafer for next point… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method of manufacturing and packaging silicon phot… | 9 |
| 2 | Vertical mirror in a silicon photonic circuit | 5 |
| 3 | Silicon photonic multiplexer and de-multiplexer | 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.
What the patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of extreme concentration, plateau-stage lifecycle, and sparse secondary branches shapes the risk-reward calculus for any team considering entry or expansion in silicon photonic device test.
Field has plateaued near its 2020 peak
The lifecycle stage is Maturity: annual filings have plateaued near their peak and have eased from the 2020 high. This suggests that the foundational test IP has been staked and incremental filing has slowed. Teams entering now face an established prior-art landscape rather than a greenfield opportunity.
Lifecycle: MaturitySingle-firm dominance with no visible challenger tier
The top five filers account for 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, with Intel Corp at the apex. There is no second tier of challengers accumulating meaningful portfolio depth. For an entrant, this means freedom-to-operate analysis must focus primarily on Intel Corp’s portfolio, but it also means competitive pressure from multiple large incumbents is absent.
High concentrationIntel Corp anchors all recorded co-filing relationships
All four documented co-applicant pairs link Intel Corp with individual inventors — Rong Haisheng, Morse Michael T, Liu Ansheng, and Heck John — each with 2 co-filed records. This inventor-corporate pairing pattern suggests that key test IP originates from a tight internal research group rather than from cross-institutional collaboration, limiting the ecosystem breadth that could otherwise accelerate standards development.
Closed ecosystemUnited States and PCT channels cover all recorded filings
All 2 patent families are filed in the United States and via WIPO PCT, with 1 record also covering Europe through the EPO. The absence of direct filings in Asian jurisdictions — including key semiconductor manufacturing hubs — represents a geographic gap that could affect enforcement reach and freedom-to-operate in those markets.
US-centric filingGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| RONG HAISHENG | Intel Corporation | 2 |
| MORSE MICHAEL T | Intel Corporation | 2 |
| LIU ANSHENG | Intel Corporation | 2 |
| HECK JOHN | Intel Corporation | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
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.
Intel Corp
Intel Corp holds 2 patent records and is the sole top-ranked corporate applicant. Its technology focus is concentrated entirely in G02B 6 (Optical elements and systems), consistent with waveguide-based photonic circuit test methods. All four recorded co-inventor relationships are anchored at Intel Corp, indicating that its position reflects an internally driven research program rather than opportunistic filing.
patent records: 2Avago Technologies International Sales
Avago Technologies International Sales holds 1 patent record and is identified as a new entrant, having filed with no prior-period baseline in this specific corpus. Its technology focus spans G02B 6 (Optical elements and systems) and G02F 1 (Optical control and modulation), suggesting an interest in active device test as well as passive optical circuit characterization — a slightly broader scope than Intel Corp’s current filings.
patent records: 1Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 2 patent families in scope, making this an extremely small and specialized niche relative to broader silicon photonics.
Intel Corp is the top-ranked filer, holding 2 patent records. It is the only corporate applicant at the top of the ranking, supported by a tight group of named co-inventors including Rong Haisheng, Morse Michael T, Liu Ansheng, and Heck John.
The field is assessed as Maturity: annual filings have plateaued near their 2020 peak and have eased since then. This suggests foundational test IP has been established and incremental new filing has slowed.
The visible branch is G02B (Optical elements and systems). Adjacent branches — A61B, G01M, G01N, G02F, and H01L — each appear with a single record, indicating exploratory rather than sustained coverage across secondary application areas.
All 2 patent records cover the United States and WIPO PCT, with 1 record additionally covering Europe via the EPO. No direct filings in Asian jurisdictions are recorded in this corpus.
Avago Technologies International Sales is the sole applicant identified as a new entrant, with 1 patent record and no prior-period baseline in this specific corpus. Its focus spans both G02B 6 and G02F 1, covering passive and active optical device test methods.
Ready to map your own silicon photonic Patent Snapshot?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
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.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.