Solid-State Battery Cathode Material Patent Landscape
Solid-State Battery Cathode Material Patent Landscape in 2026
Air Products & Chemicals dominates a tightly concentrated field of 32 patent families, holding the largest single-applicant position by a wide margin. Activity peaked in 2022 and has since eased, signaling a field moving past its initial expansion phase.
Air Products & Chemicals leads a highly concentrated field
Air Products & Chemicals holds the top position with 13 patent families, more than twice the count of the next-ranked filer, Dyson Technology with 5 patent families. Robert Bosch and SVOLT Energy Technology each hold 4 patent families, rounding out the top tier.
The top five filers account for 82% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers — an unusually high concentration for an emerging energy-materials field, suggesting that a small group of incumbents has established early structural dominance.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AIR PROD & CHEM INC | 13 | |
| 2 | Dyson Technology Limited | 5 | |
| 3 | Robert Bosch GmbH | 4 | |
| 4 | SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 4 | |
| 5 | TIANJIN B&M SCI & TECH LTD | 2 | |
| 6 | POSCO Holdings Inc. | 2 | |
| 7 | RES INST OF IND SCI & TECH | 2 | |
| 8 | Jiangsu Hanqing Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 9 | Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd. | 1 |
This concentration implies that new entrants face an incumbent-defined problem space. However, the relatively small absolute corpus of 32 patent families also means that several adjacent technical routes remain largely unclaimed, preserving targeted entry opportunities.
Filing data for the most recent 18–24 months is subject to publication lag and likely understates true recent activity; trend reads should account for this. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2022 peak, a heterogeneous IPC mix, and visible white space
The annual filing trend reveals a field that surged to a peak in 2022 and has since pulled back, while the technology composition chart shows that battery electrochemistry (H01M) dominates but several process and materials branches remain thinly populated.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible through 2018, accelerated sharply to 10 families in 2020, reached a confirmed peak of 11 in 2022, then dropped to 4 in 2023. The zeroes in 2024–2026 reflect publication lag and should not be read as a cessation of activity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) covers the full corpus, confirming a tight electrochemistry focus. C01G (compounds of other metals) and B01J (chemical and physical processes) are meaningfully represented, while C23C (coating and surface deposition), F27D (furnace details), C08F (addition polymers), and G01R (electrical measurement) each account for a small share — identifying the adjacent branches most likely to be under-served.
↗ 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.
Solid state battery cathode material
A solid state battery cathode material includes a first polymer of the general formula <img src=” class="img-anchor sg-l" img-id="US20200388831A1-C00001"/> where R is naught, C<sub>1</sub>-C<sub>4 </sub>alkyl, C<sub>1</sub>-C<sub>4 </sub>perfluoroalkyl, or C<sub>1</sub>-C<sub>4 </sub>alkanone; X is naught, O, S, or NR<sup>1</sup>; and R<sup>1</sup>… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种复合包覆的全固态电池正极材料及其制备方法和全固态电池 | 23 |
| 2 | Method of forming crystalline layer, method of for… | 7 |
| 3 | Lithium-rich carbonate precursor, preparation meth… | 3 |
| 4 | 一种固态电池负极材料检测装置 | 1 |
| 5 | Method of forming crystalline layer, method of for… | 1 |
| 6 | Lithium-rich carbonate precursor, preparation meth… | 1 |
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 trend, and thin coverage in process and materials sub-classes frames a specific set of strategic considerations for teams evaluating entry or expansion in this space.
Past peak — consolidation phase underway
The lifecycle evidence places this field in Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2022 peak. The multi-year corpus remains small at 32 patent families, consistent with a niche that attracted a burst of activity around 2020–2022 but has not yet broadened into a mass-filing wave. Teams should expect incremental, rather than foundational, claims from new filings.
Post-peakTop five hold 82% of the leading-filer pool
The top five filers’ 82% share of the hundred largest filers indicates oligopolistic control. Air Products & Chemicals alone accounts for a disproportionate share. This level of concentration typically signals that freedom-to-operate analysis is essential before committing R&D resources, and that licensing or partnership with incumbents may be more efficient than independent filings in the core H01M space.
High concentrationPOSCO Holdings and its research institute co-file actively
The only confirmed co-filing relationship in evidence is between POSCO Holdings and the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, with 2 jointly filed patent families. This pairing reflects an industry-research institute model typical of Korean battery materials development. No other co-applicant pairs are recorded in the current evidence, suggesting that the broader ecosystem has not yet formed cross-company alliances in this specific sub-field.
Limited ecosystemUS and EPO lead; China and PCT coverage thin
The United States leads with 10 patent records and the EPO follows with 8, together covering the two most commercially significant jurisdictions. China holds only 3 records despite the presence of Chinese applicants such as SVOLT and Tianjin B&M, suggesting that some China-origin innovation may be filed primarily domestically in ways not fully captured here. WIPO PCT coverage is limited to 2 records, which may constrain the global enforceability of key families.
Western-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 |
|---|---|---|
| POSCO Holdings Inc. | Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Air Products & Chemicals versus Dyson Technology — contrasting route emphases
The top two filers differ markedly in their technical approach: Air Products anchors in electrochemistry and catalytic processing, while Dyson Technology focuses on thin-film coating techniques applied to battery electrodes.
Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products & Chemicals holds 13 patent families and entered the corpus as a new entrant in the recent period, making its position structurally recent rather than historically accumulated. Its technology emphasis sits squarely in H01M 4 (electrode materials) combined with B01J 6 and B01J 8 (chemical and physical processes, including high-temperature synthesis), indicating a process-chemistry approach to cathode material development.
families: 13Dyson Technology
Dyson Technology holds 5 patent families and concentrates its work at the intersection of C23C 14 (physical vapor deposition and related coating techniques) and H01M 4 (electrode materials), with secondary coverage in H01M 10 (secondary batteries). This coating-centric route is technically distinct from the process-chemistry emphasis of Air Products, suggesting the two leaders occupy largely non-overlapping claim spaces.
families: 5| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. | 11 | ▲ new entrant |
| POSCO Holdings Inc. | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Tianjin B&M Science and Technology Co., Ltd. | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the core cathode material space
Four IPC branches sit at the periphery of the dominant H01M core with low filing counts, each representing a distinct technical dimension of cathode material processing or characterization that has not yet attracted concentrated patent activity.
C08F · Polymer binders and solid electrolyte matrices
Only 2 patent records fall under C08F (addition polymers including vinyl-type), representing 3% of the branch-level record pool. Polymer binders and solid-polymer electrolyte components are structurally essential to composite cathode design, yet the sparse coverage here suggests that claims bridging polymer chemistry and solid-state cathode architecture remain largely unclaimed. Robert Bosch is the only filer with confirmed C08F activity, and its 2 records leave substantial room for differentiated filings targeting specific monomer chemistries or curing processes relevant to cathode fabrication.
Search this in Eureka →G01R · In-situ characterization and measurement of cathode performance
A single patent record covers G01R (electric and magnetic measurement), making this the sparsest adjacent branch in the corpus. Instrumentation for in-situ or operando characterization of solid-state cathode interfaces — impedance spectroscopy fixtures, contact-resistance probes, or inline quality-control systems — is technically valuable for process qualification but almost entirely unaddressed in the current patent landscape. The single filing from Jiangsu Hanqing Technology Research Institute confirms the branch is recognized but not competed upon, suggesting a realistic entry path for teams with measurement or diagnostics capabilities.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across IPC classes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01M 4 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | C01G 53 · Compounds of other metals | B01J 6 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 8 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. | Strong · 13 | Moderate · 4 | Strong · 7 | Strong · 9 | Strong · 9 |
| Robert Bosch GmbH | Strong · 4 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Dyson Technology Limited | Strong · 5 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| POSCO Holdings Inc. | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| Tianjin B&M Science and Technology Co., Ltd. | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The current evidence covers 32 patent families in scope across the global corpus for this topic.
Air Products & Chemicals holds the top position with 13 patent families, more than twice the count of the second-ranked filer, Dyson Technology, which holds 5 patent families.
The top five filers account for 82% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, indicating a high degree of concentration where a small group of incumbents dominates the documented claim space.
The United States leads with 10 patent records, followed by the EPO with 8 and China with 3. WIPO PCT coverage is limited to 2 records, and several European national offices each hold a single record.
No. Filing activity peaked in 2022 and has since eased, placing the field in a post-peak phase. The most recent years show zeroes due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as zero activity, but the confirmed trend from 2022 onward is downward.
C08F (addition polymers, relevant to polymer binders and solid-polymer electrolytes) holds only 2 patent records, and G01R (electric and magnetic measurement, relevant to cathode characterization) holds just 1. Both are technically adjacent to the core H01M cathode space and remain largely uncontested based on current evidence.
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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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