Ultra-High Purity Gas Purification Patents: Leaders & White Space 2026
- Filing has cooled since its 2017 peak. 663 records filed in 2017 fell to 475 by the 2022 midpoint, and the trend has not recovered — this is a maturing claim space, not a growing one.
- No single filer controls the field. The leader holds 1,227 records and the top 5 combined account for just 3.6% of all 106,799 records in scope — concentration is low even at the top.
- Analysis and separation classes dominate the IPC mix. G01N (material analysis & testing) and B01D (separation processes) lead the technology composition, ahead of semiconductor-specific classes like H01L.
What this patent set covers
This landscape covers 106,799 published records filed between 2015 and mid-2026 that reference ultra-high purity gas handling, sub-ppb impurity removal, purifier capacity and related analytical verification methods used around wafer fabs and adjacent process industries. The search string spans both device-level purification claims and the moisture, oxygen-breakthrough and particle-generation testing methods used to qualify them, which pulls in a wider set of assignees than a fab-only search would.
Because the corpus mixes semiconductor-specific filings with adjacent materials and packaging work, the IPC composition below reads broader than a pure gas-purifier dataset — a useful signal in itself about how much of this claim space sits outside dedicated semiconductor-equipment makers.
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 106,799-record dataset: how filing volume has moved year on year, and which IPC subclasses carry the claims.
Filing trend, 2017–2026
Filings peaked at 663 in 2017 and eased to 475 by the 2022 midpoint; 2026 shows only 25 records because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the most recent year is always undercounted.
IPC subclass composition
G01N (material analysis & testing) leads at 1.4% of the 106,799 records in scope, followed by B32B (laminates), B01D (separation processes) and H01L (semiconductor devices) — each in the 0.8–0.9% range. Because records can carry multiple IPC codes, these shares add up to more than the record total.
Shares are the percentage of the 106,799 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Ultra-High Purity Gas Purification for Fabs with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about ultra-high purity gas purification for fabs and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaRepresentative filing and most-cited records
Methods for measuring real-time dew-point value and total moisture content of material to be molded or extruded
A method for accurately measuring the real-time valid dew-point value of a material and determining the total moisture content of the material by using an algorithm during the material drying process. The algorithm estimates the valid dew-point value by analyzing sensor data received on a server and determining an inflection point of the moisture content versus time curve, from which total moisture content is determined within the valid dew-point value.Filed by Machinesense, LLC, published 2019-12-26.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US5167897A | Method for incrementally stretching a zero strain stretch laminate web to impart elasticity thereto | 2,110 |
| 2 | US5156793A | Method for incrementally stretching zero strain stretch laminate web in a non-uniform manner to impart a vary… | 1,509 |
| 3 | US5934272A | Device and method of creating aerosolized mist of respiratory drug | 1,475 |
| 4 | US5143679A | Method for sequentially stretching zero strain stretch laminate web to impart elasticity thereto without rupt… | 1,344 |
| 5 | US10398434B2 | Closed loop velocity control of closure member for robotic surgical instrument | 1,064 |
| 6 | US7774145B2 | Transcutaneous analyte sensor | 759 |
| 7 | US4619956A | Stabilization of high solids coatings with synergistic combinations | 668 |
| 8 | US5943044A | Force sensing semiconductive touchpad | 582 |
| 9 | US3869828A | Planter package | 576 |
| 10 | US20110143461A1 | In vacuum optical wafer heater for cryogenic processing | 524 |
Citation counts favour older filings by construction — a highly cited 1990s laminate patent signals influence within this searched corpus, not current commercial relevance to fab gas purification.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Put your own technology through the same analysis
Eureka on the web
When you want the answer in the next five minutes.
The agent works the prompt against patents and technical literature, citing every source.
Run your analysis now →MCP server & REST API
When it has to run inside your own pipeline.
Patent search, landscape analysis and assignee resolution as MCP tools. Drop them into any agent framework, or call REST directly.
Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for filing strategy
Three signals stand out once the data is put side by side: a cooling filing trend, a flat top of the assignee table, and an IPC mix weighted toward analysis and separation rather than semiconductor-specific classes.
Volume has been flat-to-declining since 2017
The peak year on record is 2017 at 663 filings; the 2022 midpoint sits at 475, well below peak. That pattern points to a technology whose core claim space is largely staked out rather than one still attracting a wave of new entrants.
Low concentration even at the top
The leading assignee holds 1,227 records, but the top 5 combined account for only 3.6% of all 106,799 records in scope, and the top 10 for 5.9%. No single company has locked up this space.
Analysis and testing classes outrank device classes
G01N (material analysis & testing) tops the IPC composition ahead of B01D (separation processes) and H01L (semiconductor devices), suggesting verification and measurement methods are as heavily claimed as the purification hardware itself.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to ultra-high purity gas purification for fabs, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is filing, and where activity is thin
The assignee ranking spans consumer, chemicals and electronics names rather than a tight cluster of dedicated gas-purification specialists, which matches the broad IPC spread seen above.
The top assignee holds a modest lead
At 1,227 records the leader is well ahead of fifth place (553) and tenth place (439), but still represents a small slice of the 106,799-record total — this is a fragmented field, not a two-player race.
Most volume sits outside the ranked leaders
The top 10 assignees combined account for 5.9% of all records in scope. The remaining 94% is spread across the rest of the ranking and unranked filers, consistent with a technology claimed by many adjacent industries rather than one core sector.
Recent-year activity has gone quiet at the top
Several long-standing large assignees show zero filings in the latest year, and even the more active name in this set logged only a single record — a sign that big incumbents have largely stopped adding to their position here, at least in filings that have published so far.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| LG Electronics Inc. | 1 | — |
| Procter & Gamble Co. | 0 | — |
| E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. | 0 | — |
| AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | 0 | — |
| Panasonic Holdings Corporation | 0 | — |
| Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. | 0 | -100% |
| Theranos, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Deere & Company | 0 | -100% |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a mature, fragmented filing landscape with a few specific openings rather than one dominant race to watch.
Check claim scope before filing near G01N or B01D
These two subclasses carry the densest claim activity in the dataset; a freedom-to-operate check against the most active families here is worth doing before drafting new measurement or separation claims.
Explore IPC detail in EurekaWatch the quiet incumbents
Several large historical filers show no latest-year activity. That can mean a licensing opportunity, a pivot away from this art, or simply publication lag — worth confirming with a live filing pull.
Track assignee activity in EurekaTest the under-claimed branches
Sub-ppb sensing algorithms and getter-bed regeneration show thinner claim density than the core purification hardware classes, making them a reasonable place to scope a first filing.
Map white space in EurekaCommon questions about this landscape
The leading assignee in this dataset holds 1,227 records, noticeably ahead of fifth place at 553 and tenth place at 439. However, the top 5 assignees combined represent only 3.6% of the full 106,799-record dataset, and the top 10 only 5.9%. That means no single company controls the field — filing activity is spread across a long tail of consumer, chemicals and electronics firms rather than concentrated in a handful of specialists.
Filing has slowed since a 2017 peak of 663 records. By the 2022 midpoint, annual filings had fallen to 475, and the trend has not recovered since. Because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the very latest years in any dataset will always look artificially low, but the multi-year decline from 2017 to 2022 is a real signal that this claim space is maturing rather than expanding.
Material analysis and testing (IPC class G01N) leads the technology composition at 1.4% of all 106,799 records, ahead of laminates (B32B), separation processes (B01D) and semiconductor devices (H01L), each around 0.8-0.9%. This mix shows that verification and measurement methods — how purity, moisture and particle levels get confirmed — are claimed as heavily as the purification equipment itself, which is a useful reminder that a purely hardware-focused freedom-to-operate search will miss real prior art.
The dataset's co-assignee activity and IPC spread point to a few thinner branches: sub-ppb moisture sensing algorithms, getter-bed regeneration methods, in-line particle generation monitoring, and cross-industry drying or dew-point analytics. These sit adjacent to the dense G01N and B01D classes rather than inside them, and the low top-10 concentration (5.9% of all records) suggests room for a first-mover claim rather than an already-crowded niche.
Treat citation counts as a measure of influence within this searched corpus, not of current commercial relevance. The most-cited records in this dataset are decades-old laminate and stretch-web patents with thousands of citations, which reflects how long they have been available to cite rather than their bearing on today's fab gas-purification work. For assessing current relevance, filing recency and assignee momentum are more useful than raw citation volume.
Research Ultra-High Purity Gas Purification for Fabs in depth with Eureka
Go past this page: query the whole ultra-high purity gas purification for fabs corpus yourself, in your own scope.
Every answer comes back with patent numbers you can open.
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.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.