SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, France – November 6, 2024 │ The quarterly report for Q3 2024 SiC Patent Monitor is now available. This monitoring service allows you to keep up to date on SiC-related patent activity for power electronics: new patent applications, patents newly granted, expired or abandoned patents, latest patent transfers, patent litigations and oppositions.
Overview of SiC-related IP activities during the quarter
Our latest quarterly report reveals continued significant intellectual property (IP) activity in the silicon carbide (SiC) field for power electronic applications. In Q3 2024, over 850 new patent families (inventions) were published, and more than 440 inventions were patented for the first time. We highlight 11 notable IP collaborations (patent co-filings), including partnerships between Fuji Electric and Denso, FAW and CETC, Silan and Wavetechnic, as well as FAU and Audi. Additionally, we identified over 20 new entrants in the IP landscape (i.e., entities publishing their first SiC-related patents for power electronics during Q3 2024), such as Intel, EQ Tech Plus, Winsheng material technology (WMT), Aichuangwei, and Solid Power Semiconductor. This Q3 2024 report also provides an in-depth look at the patenting activities of Rohm, Infineon, Wolfspeed, onsemi, and STMicroelectronics.
Ranking of main patent assignees according to the number of inventions published during the third quarter of 2024.
Notable new inventions across the SiC supply chain
In bulk and bare wafers segment, innovations include improvements in SiC wafer processing and quality control. For example, Soitec developed engineered SiC substrates comprising c-SiC on poly-SiC and having a very low resistivity, a low deformation and a good thermal conductivity, while Sumitomo Metal Mining focuses on warping issues in such engineered substrates. Winsheng material technology (WMT) focused on a SiC crystal expansion process for expanding a 6-inch SiC seed to 8 inches and SICC advanced the laser slicing technique. Epitaxial substrates-related new patent applications focused on enhancing SiC epitaxial quality. Resonac developed a large-diameter SiC epitaxial wafer (≥150mm) with reduced basal plane dislocations, and Denso, Mirise Technologies and Toyota worked together on SiC substrate having a Young’s modulus of 475 GPa or more at 500° C to suppress the occurrence of warpage during the manufacturing process.
The SiC power device category includes improvements in transistor technologies and device reliability. EQ Tech Plus developed a method to reduce defects in SiC substrates during a high-temperature oxidation process, while Qorvo focused on vertical junction field-effect transistors (VJFETs) with integrated source-drain anti-parallel diodes.
Several players were aimed at improving power module efficiency. AIST developed a method to reduce the parasitic inductance of a gate drive circuit that constrains the switching speed of a SiC device, and Mitsubishi Electric proposed a means to enhance reliability while minimizing electrical losses during the operation of SiC devices.
Moreover, innovations involve circuit-level improvements, such as controlling SiC junction temperatures. Ford worked on dynamic models for estimating the temperature of a SiC inverter switch junction and to control the motor accordingly. Other automotive players, such as Vitesco Technologies and ZF, have published notable inventions this quarter. Focusing on different applications, NC State University developed a solar inverter system using hybrid switches that include a Si-IGBT switch in parallel with a SiC-MOSFET switch.
A patent monitoring service to help you track competitors’ IP activity and detect weak signals
The SiC quarterly patent monitoring service captures the evolution of the patent landscape by tracking new inventions, newly issued patents, IP collaborations, and abandoned or expired patents by IP players and technology. Additionally, it provides insights into the companies’ recent technological developments and R&D strategies, with a focus on identifying weak signals. Such knowledge can assist in understanding competitors’ R&D roadmaps and strategies, evaluating risks, and detecting business opportunities.
This patent monitoring service offers both a quarterly-updated Excel database containing all patent data (including pending patent applications, granted patents, abandoned patents, IP rights transfers, etc.) and quarterly analysis reports featuring graphs and comments on patent landscape evolutions, focusing on key IP players, newcomers, and technologies. Furthermore, you benefit from direct access to our analysts, allowing for on-demand Q&A sessions and discussions on trends, analyses, specific patented technologies, or companies’ patent portfolios in the field of SiC power electronics.
The SiC Quarterly Patent Monitor can be subscribed to at any time directly from here. If you need more information, reach us at contact@knowmade.fr or with our contact forms.
Press contact
contact@knowmade.fr
Le Drakkar, 2405 route des Dolines, 06560 Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, France
www.knowmade.com
About KnowMade
KnowMade is a technology intelligence and IP strategy consulting company specialized in analyzing patents and scientific publications. The company helps innovative companies, investors, and R&D organizations to understand competitive landscape, follow technological evolutions, reduce uncertainties, and identify opportunities and risks in terms of technology and intellectual property.