Vat Photopolymerization Patents: Leaders, Trends & White Space 2026
- Filing peaked in 2019 at 62 families, then declined toward flat single digits by 2022 — this is a maturing claim space, not a growing one.
- B29C and B33Y cover nearly all records, but only 11 records touch G03F photolithography, leaving light-engine and exposure-optics claims comparatively open.
- The United States receives roughly half of all filings, with WIPO PCT and EPO together adding another third — file strategy here is dominated by a US-first, PCT-second pattern.
What the vat photopolymerization patent record shows
Vat photopolymerization covers stereolithography, digital light processing (DLP) and continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) — processes that cure a liquid photopolymer layer by layer with light. The dataset behind this page spans 184 patent families filed between 2015 and mid-2026, concentrated overwhelmingly in two IPC subclasses: B29C (shaping of plastics) and B33Y (additive manufacturing). Filing activity is not accelerating. It rose to a peak in 2019 and has since fallen back toward the low double digits, a pattern more consistent with a technology whose core claim space is already staked out than one still opening up.
Resin chemistry shows up as a secondary but substantial layer: addition polymers (C08F) and condensation polymers (C08G) appear in a large minority of records, alongside smaller but non-trivial counts in polymer additives (C08K) and compositions (C08L). Photolithography and exposure-optics claims (G03F) are comparatively rare, which is one of the clearer signals in this dataset about where claim density has not yet caught up with commercial interest.
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 184-family dataset: publication activity over time, and how records distribute across the IPC subclasses that define the technology.
A 2019 peak followed by decline
Filings rose from 6 in 2017 to a peak of 62 in 2019, then fell back to 15 by the 2022 midpoint. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the final one to two years in this trend will fill in somewhat as later applications publish — but the shape of the decline from 2019 predates that lag effect and is unlikely to reverse.
Concentration in B29C and B33Y
B29C (166 records) and B33Y (165 records) between them touch nearly the entire dataset, confirming this is fundamentally a plastics-shaping and additive-manufacturing claim space. Resin chemistry subclasses (C08F, C08G, C08K, C08L) appear at meaningfully lower counts, and G03F photolithography claims are the thinnest of all at 11 records.
Shares are the percentage of the 184 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Vat Photopolymerization Technology Landscape with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about vat photopolymerization technology landscape and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe most-cited records in this dataset
US20200070407A1 — Tough, high temperature polymers produced by stereolithography
The present invention concerns methods of forming a three-dimensional object, and polymerizable liquids such as dual cure resins useful for making a three-dimensional object by stereolithography, such as by continuous liquid interface production (CLIP).Filed by Carbon, Inc., published 2020-03-05. Dual-cure resin chemistry combined with CLIP processing sits at the centre of this filing.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US9975295B2 | Acceleration of stereolithography | 22 |
| 2 | US20210229364A1 | Stereolithography with micron scale control of properties | 20 |
| 3 | WO2018080397A1 | A resin formulation and uses thereof | 20 |
| 4 | WO2020117490A1 | Window thermal profile calibration in additive manufacturing | 18 |
| 5 | US20190263070A1 | Lattice base structures for additive manufacturing | 18 |
| 6 | WO2018165090A1 | Tough, high temperature polymers produced by stereolithography | 18 |
| 7 | WO2019204258A1 | Temperature regulated stereolithography apparatus with infrared heating | 17 |
| 8 | US20210155722A1 | Methods and compositions for photopolymerizable additive manufacturing | 14 |
| 9 | WO2019195763A1 | Methods and compositions for photopolymerizable additive manufacturing | 14 |
| 10 | US20180215093A1 | Additive manufacturing with high intensity light | 14 |
Citation counts reflect influence within the searched corpus and favour older filings; treat them as a signal of what shaped the field, not of what matters most today.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Three patterns stand out once the raw counts are read against what they imply for where to file and where competitors are already dug in.
The core claim space is already staked out
A sharp rise to 2019 followed by a steady fall is the signature of a technology whose foundational process claims — resin formulation, window/interface mechanics, exposure control — were filed early and are not being significantly re-contested. New entrants are more likely to find open ground in adjacent applications than in the core CLIP or DLP process itself.
Exposure-optics claims are thin relative to process claims
Light-engine design, exposure-pattern control and photomask-adjacent claims sit in G03F, and this subclass is touched by a small fraction of the dataset compared with B29C and B33Y. For teams working on resolution or exposure uniformity, this is one of the more concrete openings in an otherwise dense field.
US-first filing dominates, PCT is the standard second step
Roughly half of all records were filed with the United States as receiving office, with WIPO PCT applications the next largest group and EPO close behind. China, India and Canada each receive single-digit-to-low-double-digit counts, suggesting freedom-to-operate work outside the US/EU/PCT corridor has had less patent activity to contend with so far.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to vat photopolymerization technology landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the claims, and where momentum has stalled
The assignee ranking (rendered separately) sits alongside a set of co-filing relationships and momentum figures that are worth reading together: several of the most active historical filers show zero activity in the latest tracked year.
Co-assignee activity is limited and concentrated
Only three co-assignee pairs appear across the dataset. The strongest, Axtra3D Inc with named inventor Gianni Zitelli (5 shared records), suggests a tight founder-linked filing pattern rather than broad industry consortia. A separate pair links Colorado State University's board of governors with the University of Pennsylvania's trustees, pointing to academic collaboration on the research side.
Historical leaders have gone quiet
Assignees including Carbon, Inc., Poly-Med, University of Southern California, Axtra3D Inc, the University of Pittsburgh system and Novocite show no filings in the most recent tracked year, with at least one recording a -100% year-on-year drop. Given the 18-month publication lag, some of this is an artefact of timing — but the broader pattern is consistent with the post-2019 filing decline seen across the whole dataset.
A dense top with a long single-filer tail
The assignee ranking is built on the full family count, and filing activity is not evenly spread: a small number of names — commercial CLIP and DLP developers alongside university tech-transfer offices — account for a disproportionate share of records, with many other assignees appearing only once or twice.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Poly-Med, Inc. | 0 | -100% |
| University of Southern California | 0 | — |
| AXTRA3D INC | 0 | — |
| University of Pittsburgh – Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | 0 | — |
| Novocite LLC | 0 | — |
| ZITELLI GIANNI | 0 | — |
| The Board of Governors for Colorado State University | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to specific next steps depending on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, sourcing licensable technology, or scouting where to file next.
Check freedom-to-operate against the most-cited records
The five most-cited patents in this dataset, including US9975295B2 and US20210229364A1, define much of the process and resin-property claim territory. Any new filing in core CLIP or DLP resin chemistry should be checked against these first.
Explore the citation network in EurekaMap the G03F exposure-optics gap in detail
With only 11 of 184 records touching photolithography and exposure-optics claims, this branch warrants a dedicated search before committing to a filing strategy in light-engine or exposure-pattern design.
Run a targeted subclass search in EurekaWatch for republication from the 2024–2026 filing gap
Because publication lags filing by about 18 months, the apparent drop-off in the most recent years will partially fill in. Re-run the trend query periodically rather than treating the current low counts as final.
Set up a monitoring alert in EurekaCommon questions about vat photopolymerization patents
Vat photopolymerization is a family of additive manufacturing processes that cure a liquid photopolymer resin held in a vat using a light source, building an object layer by layer or, in continuous processes, in a single continuous pull. Stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP) and continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) are the three processes most commonly covered by this term. In patent classification terms, these processes sit mainly under IPC subclasses B29C (shaping of plastics) and B33Y (additive manufacturing), which together account for nearly the entire dataset behind this page.
The assignee ranking for this dataset is dominated by a mix of commercial resin-printing developers and university technology-transfer offices, with Carbon, Inc. notably associated with the dual-cure CLIP resin chemistry represented in the featured record on this page. However, several historically active filers, including Carbon, Poly-Med and Axtra3D Inc, show no filings in the most recent tracked year, which suggests the field's competitive leadership may be shifting rather than settled. Co-filing activity is limited to just three identified pairs, one of which links Axtra3D Inc directly to a named individual inventor rather than another corporate entity.
Filing activity in this dataset rose from 6 families in 2017 to a peak of 62 in 2019, then declined toward 15 by 2022. This pattern is typical of a technology where the foundational process and resin-chemistry claims were staked out early, after which follow-on filing slows because the core claim space is already occupied. It does not necessarily mean commercial interest in the technology declined, only that new patenting activity in the same core claims did. Readers should also account for the roughly 18-month lag between filing and publication, which understates activity in the most recent one to two years of any trend.
The clearest gap in this dataset is exposure-optics and photolithography-adjacent claims, classified under G03F, which appear in only 11 of 184 records compared with 166 and 165 for the two dominant process subclasses. Sub-areas such as exposure-pattern uniformity control, photomask-free light engine design and window thermal-profile calibration show comparatively low claim density relative to core resin and process claims. This does not guarantee the space is unclaimed elsewhere, but it does indicate lower density within this specific search scope, making it a reasonable starting point for a more targeted freedom-to-operate or whitespace search.
The United States is the largest receiving office in this dataset with 94 records, followed by WIPO PCT applications at 36 and European Patent Office filings at 27. China, India and Canada each receive substantially fewer filings, in the single digits to low double digits. This distribution suggests that most applicants pursue a US-first filing strategy before extending protection through PCT, and that patent activity outside the US, Europe and PCT route has been comparatively limited so far.
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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.
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.