Having examined quantum computing and the emerging competition to build fault-tolerant quantum hardware, this chapter turns to semiconductors, the foundational technology domain whose fabrication expertise underpins both classical and quantum computing.
The semiconductor industry occupies a distinctive position in the modern innovation landscape. As the foundational technology enabling computing, telecommunications, automotive electronics, and an expanding universe of connected devices, semiconductors represent one of the most capital-intensive and patent-dense fields in the United States patent system. This chapter examines the evolution of semiconductor-related patenting — from the early days of discrete transistors and basic integrated circuits through the current era of advanced process nodes, 3D packaging, and heterogeneous integration.
Growth Trajectory
Figure 1
Semiconductor Patent Filings Grew From 817 in 1976 to 22,511 in 2020, Reflecting Decades of Sustained Investment
Annual count and share of utility patents classified under semiconductor-related CPC codes (H01L), 1976–2025. H01L is one of the most heavily used CPC classes in the entire patent system, corresponding to the substantial R&D investment required to advance semiconductor manufacturing. Grant year shown. Application dates are typically 2–3 years earlier.
The sustained volume of semiconductor patents corresponds to the continued pace of process node advancement, where each new process node requires billions of dollars in R&D investment and is associated with thousands of patent filings.
Figure 2
Semiconductor's Patent Share Rose From 1.2% in 1976 to a Peak of 6.7% in 2016
Semiconductor patents as a share of all utility patents, showing the evolving weight of chip innovation.
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Percentage of all utility patents classified under semiconductor-related CPC codes. Changes in this share reflect the relative pace of semiconductor innovation compared to the broader patent system, including periods of expansion associated with new device types and periods of relative stability.
The semiconductor share of total patents captures the evolving balance between hardware and software innovation in the patent system, with fluctuations reflecting both industry cycles and shifts in inventive focus.
Figure 3
Semiconductor Patenting Shows Sustained Incumbent Dominance: Incumbents Produced 97.1% of 2024 Patents
Annual patent counts decomposed by entrants (first patent in domain that year) versus incumbents.
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Entrants are assignees filing their first semiconductor patent in a given year. Incumbents had at least one prior-year patent. Grant year shown.
Semiconductor Subfields
Figure 4
Manufacturing Led With 9,054 Patents in 2024; Organic Semis Grew 1,318x From 4 (1976) to 5,270 (2024)
Patent counts by semiconductor subfield over time, based on CPC group codes within H01L.
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Patent counts by semiconductor subfield over time, based on CPC classifications within H01L. Manufacturing processes and semiconductor devices have historically dominated, while organic semiconductors and packaging and interconnects have grown substantially, reflecting the industry's expansion into new device architectures and advanced packaging techniques.
The subfield composition reveals the dual nature of semiconductor innovation: sustained investment in core manufacturing processes and semiconductor devices alongside the growth of application-driven subfields such as organic semiconductors and packaging and interconnects.
Leading Organizations
Figure 5
Samsung (31,152), TSMC (25,412), and IBM (19,177) Lead in Total Semiconductor Patent Volume
Organizations ranked by semiconductor patent count (1976–2025 Sep), showing IDM and foundry concentration.
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Organizations ranked by total semiconductor-related patents, 1976–2025. The data reveal a mix of East Asian and US-based firms at the top, with integrated device manufacturers, pure-play foundries, and fabless design houses all represented.
The dominance of both East Asian and US-based firms in semiconductor patenting reflects the globally distributed nature of the semiconductor supply chain, where design, fabrication, and packaging are often performed by different organizations in different countries.
Top Inventors
Figure 6
Top 10 Semiconductor Inventors Hold 7,115 Patents, Deeply Specialized in Process and Device R&D
Primary inventors ranked by total semiconductor-related patents, 1976–2025. The distribution exhibits pronounced skewness, with a small number of highly productive individuals accounting for a disproportionate share of total semiconductor patent output.
The concentration of semiconductor patenting among a small cohort of prolific inventors reflects the deep specialization required in process engineering, device physics, and circuit design — fields where decades of accumulated expertise translate into sustained inventive productivity.
Geographic Distribution
Figure 7
Japan (120,425), South Korea (53,177), and Taiwan (47,024) Lead Non-US Semiconductor Patenting
Countries ranked by semiconductor patents based on inventor location.
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Countries ranked by total semiconductor-related patents based on primary inventor location. The geographic distribution closely mirrors the location of major fabrication facilities, with the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan dominating.
The geographic distribution of semiconductor patents closely tracks the location of advanced fabrication facilities, underscoring the tight coupling between manufacturing presence and patenting activity in this capital-intensive industry.
Figure 8
California (50,265), New York (23,071), and Texas (11,756) Lead US Semiconductor Patenting
US states ranked by semiconductor patents based on inventor location.
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US states ranked by total semiconductor-related patents based on primary inventor location. The distribution reflects the location of major fabrication facilities (Oregon, Arizona, Texas) and design centers (California), as well as corporate headquarters and R&D laboratories.
The state-level distribution of semiconductor patents reflects both fabrication site locations and design center clusters, with California's dominance reflecting its concentration of fabless design firms and corporate R&D laboratories.
Quality Indicators
Figure 9
Semiconductor Patent Claims Grew From 10.4 in 1976 to 16.7 in 2024, Growing Complexity
Average claims, backward citations, and technology scope for semiconductor patents by year.
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Average claims, backward citations, and technology scope for semiconductor-related patents by year. The rise-and-fall pattern in backward citations — peaking around 2012 before declining — alongside modest increases in technology scope suggest that semiconductor patents reflect shifting citation practices and growing interconnection with adjacent fields.
Backward citations peaked around 2012 before declining, consistent with broader shifts in citation practices, while expanding technology scope indicates that semiconductor innovation is becoming more interconnected with adjacent domains, reflecting the industry's shift toward systems-level integration and heterogeneous architectures.
Figure 10
Semiconductor Top-Decile Citation Share Declined From 15.6% in 1990 to 10.1% in 2020, Consistent With Field Maturation
Share of domain patents in the top decile of system-wide forward citations by grant year × CPC section.
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Top decile computed relative to all utility patents in the same grant year and primary CPC section. Rising share indicates domain quality outpacing the system; falling share indicates dilution.
Team Composition
Figure 11
Semiconductor Patents Average 3.58 Inventors versus 3.16 Non-Semiconductor in 2024
Average inventors per patent for semiconductor vs. non-semiconductor utility patents by year.
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Average number of inventors per patent for semiconductor-related versus non-semiconductor utility patents, 1976–2025. The data indicate that semiconductor patents consistently involve larger teams, reflecting the collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of semiconductor process development.
Semiconductor patents involve larger inventor teams than non-semiconductor patents, consistent with the multidisciplinary nature of fabrication R&D, which requires expertise in materials science, physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering.
Assignee Type Distribution
Figure 12
Corporate Assignees Account for 99.5% of Semiconductor Patents in 2024
Semiconductor patents by assignee type (corporate, university, government, individual) over time.
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Distribution of semiconductor patent assignees by type (corporate, university, government, individual) over time. The data reveal that corporate assignees account for the vast majority of semiconductor patents, consistent with the substantial capital requirements of semiconductor fabrication and the central role of corporate R&D laboratories.
The pronounced corporate dominance in semiconductor patenting reflects the capital-intensive nature of the industry, where building and operating a leading-edge fab requires investments exceeding $20 billion.
Semiconductor Patenting Strategies
The leading semiconductor patent holders pursue different strategies, shaped by their position in the supply chain. Integrated device manufacturers such as Samsung and Intel patent broadly across manufacturing processes, IC design, and packaging. Pure-play foundries like TSMC concentrate on process technology. Fabless design firms such as Qualcomm focus on circuit architecture and system-on-chip innovations. A comparison of subfield portfolios across major holders reveals where each organization concentrates its inventive effort.
Cross-Domain Diffusion
Semiconductors, as a foundational technology, are deeply embedded across multiple sectors of the economy. By tracking how frequently semiconductor-classified patents also carry CPC codes from other technology areas, it is possible to measure the integration of semiconductor innovation with computing, telecommunications, healthcare devices, and other application domains.
Figure 13
28.9% of Semiconductor Patents Co-Classified With Physics (G) in 2024, Deep Cross-Domain Ties
Semiconductor patents co-classified with other CPC sections, measuring cross-domain integration.
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Percentage of semiconductor patents that also carry CPC codes from other sections. Rising lines indicate growing integration of semiconductor technology with that sector. The pattern reflects the foundational role of semiconductors in enabling innovation across virtually every technology domain.
The broad co-classification of semiconductor patents across multiple CPC sections confirms the foundational nature of semiconductor technology, which underpins innovation in computing, telecommunications, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Analytical Deep Dives
For metric definitions and cross-domain comparisons, see the ACT 6 Overview.
Figure 14
Top-4 Concentration in Semiconductor Patents Rose From 11.3% in 1977 to 32.6% in 2023, a Sustained Consolidation Trend
Share of annual patents held by the top 4 organizations, measuring semiconductor concentration.
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CR4 computed as the sum of the top 4 organizations' annual patent counts divided by total semiconductor patents. Unlike most ACT 6 domains where concentration declined, semiconductors show sustained consolidation, led by Samsung, TSMC, and other East Asian firms scaling patent portfolios.
The rising concentration in semiconductors is distinctive among ACT 6 domains and is consistent with the industry's increasing capital intensity: leading-edge fabrication facilities now cost $20 billion or more, creating structural barriers that concentrate innovative activity among a diminishing number of firms capable of leading-edge manufacturing.
Figure 15
Semiconductor Subfield Diversity Remained High and Stable at 0.79–0.95, Mature Technical Breadth
Normalized Shannon entropy of subfield distributions, measuring evenness across semiconductor.
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Normalized Shannon entropy (H/ln(N)) ranges from 0 (all activity in one subfield) to 1 (perfectly even distribution). The consistently high values indicate that semiconductor innovation has been broadly distributed across manufacturing processes, device architectures, packaging, organic semiconductors, and testing throughout the study period.
The stability of semiconductor subfield diversity at high entropy levels is consistent with a mature industry where innovation occurs simultaneously across all technical dimensions, from lithographic processes to packaging and interconnect technologies.
Figure 16
Semiconductor Velocity Plateaued at 197 Patents/Year for 1990s and 2010s Entrants
Mean patents per active year for top organizations grouped by decade of first semiconductor filing.
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Mean patents per active year for top semiconductor organizations grouped by entry decade. The 1990s cohort's peak velocity reflects the rapid scaling of Samsung, TSMC, and other East Asian firms that entered semiconductor patenting during the DRAM and foundry expansion era.
The plateau of velocity at 197 patents per year for both 1990s and 2010s entrants suggests a structural ceiling on organizational patenting capacity in semiconductors, possibly reflecting the finite number of novel process and device innovations achievable per year.
Having documented the landscape of semiconductor patenting, the analysis demonstrates the foundational role of chip technology in the broader innovation system. The organizational strategies behind semiconductor portfolios are explored further in Assignee Composition, while the interaction between semiconductor and artificial intelligence patents is examined in Artificial Intelligence.
Figure 17
Semiconductor Filings Peaked at 24,463 (2019), Grants at 22,511 (2020) — Shortest Lag
Annual patent filings versus grants for semiconductors, showing the mature examination pipeline.
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Semiconductors exhibit the tightest filing-to-grant alignment among large ACT 6 domains, with filing and grant peaks separated by only one year. The alignment reflects the mature and well-established examination processes for semiconductor patents at the USPTO, a domain with decades of prior art and classification history.
Data coverage: January 1976 through September 2025. All 2025 figures reflect partial-year data.