Silicon Photonics Patent Landscape 2026
Silicon Photonics Patent Landscape in 2026
Silicon photonics has reached a mature, high-volume field with 14,545 patent families on record and activity concentrated among a small group of semiconductor and networking giants. Intel leads the corpus, but TSMC’s recent surge and active collaboration networks signal an intensifying competitive dynamic across integrated photonics and optical interconnect.
Intel leads a concentrated but contested top tier
Intel Corporation holds the leading position with 809 patent families, followed closely by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (718) and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (613). Cisco Technology Inc. (500) and Infinera Corporation (407) round out the top five, together accounting for 22% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers.
The top-five share of 22% among the hundred largest filers indicates moderate concentration — dominant enough that the leaders set foundational technology reference points, yet open enough that challengers such as OpenLight Photonics (376 patent families) and Marvell Asia (337 patent families) maintain meaningful footholds.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intel Corporation | 809 | |
| 2 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | 718 | |
| 3 | Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. | 613 | |
| 4 | Cisco Technology Inc. | 500 | |
| 5 | Infinera Corporation | 407 | |
| 6 | OpenLight Photonics Inc. | 376 | |
| 7 | Marvell Asia Pte. Ltd. | 337 | |
| 8 | GlobalFoundries US Inc. | 316 | |
| 9 | NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY | 316 | |
| 10 | IBM Corporation | 308 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) | 292 | |
| 12 | Rockley Photonics Ltd. | 279 | |
| 13 | Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | 269 | |
| 14 | NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP | 257 | |
| 15 | CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives) | 229 | |
| 16 | Ciena Corporation | 227 | |
| 17 | Ghent University | 197 | |
| 18 | Oracle International Corporation | 196 | |
| 19 | Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP | 194 | |
| 20 | Google LLC | 190 |
Intel and TSMC’s parallel scale at the top reflects the dual emphasis of the field: Intel anchors the photonic integration stack (optical elements plus transmission), while TSMC’s semiconductor-device depth positions it as the leading foundry-side actor. This bifurcation means the two leaders are more complementary than directly substitutable, creating room for specialist challengers.
The most recent 18–24 months of filing data are subject to publication lag and undercount actual activity; any apparent softening in 2024–2025 figures should be interpreted with this in mind rather than as a confirmed trend reversal.
Activity plateaued near its 2022 peak; optical elements dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that has passed its fastest growth phase and settled into a technology-diverse but optically-anchored maturity.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed steadily from 1,202 in 2017 to a peak of 1,964 in 2022, then eased to 1,936 in 2023. The 2024 and 2025 figures appear lower, but these years fall within the publication-lag window and should not be read as a confirmed decline. On a multi-year basis the field has still grown 8% in the recent window relative to the prior period, consistent with a lifecycle stage best described as plateaued near peak rather than contracting.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G02B (Optical elements and systems) overwhelmingly dominates the IPC mix, reflecting that waveguide and fiber-coupling architecture is the shared foundation of virtually every silicon photonics application. G02F (optical control and modulation), H01S (lasers and stimulated emission), H04B (transmission), and H01L (semiconductor devices) form a secondary tier, indicating that the field extends from core photonic integration into active components, communications, and CMOS co-integration. Classes associated with sensing (G01S, G01J, G01N) and computing (G06N, G06E) are present but smaller, pointing to newer application vectors.
↗ 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.
Electronic-photonic integrated circuit based on si…
Disclosed is a silicon photonics-based electronic-photonic integrated circuit (EPIC). The silicon photonics-based EPIC includes a silicon photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip in which an optical device is mounted on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer including a trench region, an electronic integrated circuit (EIC) chip mounted in the trench region of the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silicon-Compatible Surface Plasmon Optical Elements | 315 |
| 2 | Transmitter photonic integrated circuits (TxPIC) a… | 293 |
| 3 | 3D photonic integration with light coupling elements | 286 |
| 4 | Transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) ch… | 281 |
| 5 | Optical signal receiver photonic integrated circui… | 274 |
| 6 | High index-contrast fiber waveguides and applicati… | 270 |
| 7 | Apparatus and Methods for Optical Neural Network | 256 |
| 8 | Planar beam forming and steering optical phased ar… | 223 |
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 landscape structure means for R&D investment
Four structural features — lifecycle stage, competitive concentration, collaboration patterns, and geographic footprint — define the risk and opportunity profile for any new entrant or incumbent expanding their silicon photonics portfolio.
Field is at plateau: core IP is dense, application extensions are open
Annual filings peaked in 2022 and have plateaued near that level, signalling that foundational waveguide and modulator IP is heavily occupied. Incremental improvements to core optical elements face high prior-art density. R&D capital is better directed toward application-specific extensions — sensing, neuromorphic optical computing, and LiDAR — where the filing base is comparatively thin.
Lifecycle: MaturityTop five hold 22% of the hundred largest filers’ output — contested, not monopolised
The top-five share of 22% among the hundred largest filers signals that no single actor controls the field. Intel’s 809-family lead is meaningful but not prohibitive; TSMC (718) and Huawei (613) are close enough to threaten leadership in specific sub-domains. For a new entrant, freedom-to-operate analysis should focus on the overlap between G02B6 (fiber and waveguide elements) — where all leaders concentrate — and their specific application target.
Concentration: ModerateIMEC and Ghent University anchor the most active co-filing network
The most active co-filing pair in the corpus is IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) and Ghent University, with 190 joint patent families — by far the largest collaborative relationship observed. IMEC also co-files with KU Leuven (21 joint families) and Samsung Electronics (18 joint families). IBM and its Chinese subsidiary account for 12 joint filings, and Huawei Technologies co-files with its US entity (10 joint families). These networks indicate that European academic-industrial partnerships and intra-group cross-border filings are the dominant collaboration modes.
Collaboration: Hub-and-spokeUS dominates filings; Europe and WIPO are the key secondary routes
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). China, Germany, and Taiwan form a secondary tier. South Korea, Japan, and Singapore are present but smaller. The limited filing depth in South Korea relative to Samsung’s ranking, and in China relative to Huawei’s ranking, may reflect deliberate IP strategy choices worth investigating before entering those markets.
Geography: US-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 |
|---|---|---|
| IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) | Ghent University | 190 |
| IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) | KU Leuven | 21 |
| IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) | Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | 18 |
| IBM Corporation | IBM China Co. Ltd. | 12 |
| Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. | Huawei Technologies USA Inc. | 10 |
| IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) | KU Leuven Research & Development | 9 |
| Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) | NTT Inc. | 8 |
| IBM Corporation | IBM UNITED KINGDOM LTD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPAR… | 7 |
| Rockley Photonics Ltd. | California Institute of Technology | 6 |
| IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) | UNIV OF AEGEAN | 5 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Intel anchors the field; TSMC is the fastest-rising challenger
The top two players share a dominant focus on optical elements (G02B6) but diverge sharply in their secondary emphasis: Intel extends into transmission and lasers while TSMC deepens into semiconductor device co-integration. Both trajectories reflect distinct positions in the photonics supply chain.
Intel Corporation
Intel holds the largest corpus at 809 patent families, with primary focus on optical elements and systems (G02B6, 660 families), transmission (H04B10, 99 families), and lasers (H01S5, 79 families) — a profile consistent with end-to-end photonic interconnect IP. Recent filing momentum shows a 62% increase versus the prior three-year period, indicating Intel is actively reinforcing rather than harvesting its position.
patent families: 809TSMC
TSMC ranks second with 718 patent families and has posted the strongest momentum of any major filer, with recent filings running at 4.1× the prior three-year level — a trajectory that could close the gap with Intel within the current cycle. TSMC’s technology emphasis pairs optical elements (G02B6, 663 families) with semiconductor device packaging and integration (H01L23, 136 families; H01L25, 97 families), positioning it as the foundry-layer IP leader for co-packaged photonics.
patent families: 718| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation | 330 | ▲ +62% |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | 472 | ▲ 4.1× vs prior 3-yr |
| Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. | 53 | ▼ -33% |
| Infinera Corporation | 12 | ▲ new entrant |
| Cisco Technology Inc. | 121 | ▼ -18% |
| Rockley Photonics Ltd. | 48 | ▼ -67% |
| IBM Corporation | 10 | ▼ -86% |
| Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) | 41 | ▼ -78% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant optical-elements core
Several IPC branches sit adjacent to the dominant G02B optical-elements cluster but carry meaningfully lower filing shares, suggesting areas where prior-art density is lower and technical differentiation may be more accessible.
G01S · Radar, sonar & positioning (LiDAR)
With a 2% share among observed branches, G01S is sparsely filed relative to its technical adjacency: silicon photonics optical phased arrays are a direct enabling technology for solid-state LiDAR. One of the most-cited patents in the corpus — ‘Planar beam forming and steering optical phased array’ — directly straddles this boundary, confirming technical relevance. An entrant with existing waveguide IP could extend into beam-steering claim sets with a comparatively clear landscape, particularly outside the United States where filing depth is thin.
Search this in Eureka →H04J · Multiplex communication (WDM/optical interconnect scaling)
H04J (Multiplex communication) carries a 3% share — modest given that wavelength-division multiplexing is fundamental to scaling silicon photonic transceivers for data-centre interconnects. The gap between the heavy G02B and H04B filing base and the thinner H04J layer suggests that system-level multiplexing architectures, particularly for co-packaged AI-accelerator optical I/O, may offer patentable white space. Entry paths include novel arrayed-waveguide grating architectures and on-chip WDM demultiplexer designs targeting AI cluster networking.
Search this in Eureka →How top filers differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | G02B 6 · Optical elements & systems | G02F 1 · Optical control & modulation | H01S 5 · Lasers & stimulated emission | H04B 10 · Transmission (general) | H04J 14 · Multiplex communication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infinera Corporation | Strong · 329 | Moderate · 159 | Strong · 216 | Strong · 211 | Moderate · 160 |
| Intel Corporation | Strong · 660 | Emerging · 73 | Emerging · 79 | Emerging · 99 | Emerging · 25 |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | Strong · 663 | Emerging · 76 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. | Strong · 450 | Moderate · 115 | Absent | Emerging · 44 | Emerging · 21 |
| Cisco Technology Inc. | Strong · 289 | Absent | Moderate · 66 | Moderate · 61 | Emerging · 27 |
| Rockley Photonics Ltd. | Strong · 244 | Moderate · 99 | Moderate · 68 | Absent | Absent |
| IBM Corporation | Strong · 255 | Absent | Moderate · 93 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 14,545 patent families globally. Filing activity grew from 1,202 families recorded in 2017 to a peak of 1,964 in 2022, and the multi-year recent window shows an 8% growth rate versus the prior period.
Intel Corporation leads with 809 patent families, followed by TSMC (718), Huawei Technologies (613), Cisco Technology (500), and Infinera Corporation (407). These five together represent 22% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers.
TSMC shows the strongest momentum among major filers, with recent filings running at 4.1× the prior three-year level. Intel also shows strong growth at plus 62% versus the prior period. By contrast, Huawei, Rockley Photonics, and IBM have filed less in the recent window than in prior periods.
G02B (optical elements and systems) dominates the IPC mix by a wide margin, reflecting its role as the foundational waveguide and coupling architecture. G02F (optical control and modulation), H01S (lasers), H04B (transmission), and H01L (semiconductor devices) form a secondary tier of active sub-fields.
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction. Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT) are the main secondary routes. China, Germany, and Taiwan form a further tier, with Japan, Singapore, and South Korea also present.
IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) and Ghent University are the most active co-filers, with 190 joint patent families. IMEC also co-files with KU Leuven (21 families) and Samsung Electronics (18 families). IBM and its Chinese subsidiary account for 12 joint filings, and Huawei co-files with its US entity across 10 joint families.
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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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