Semiconductors and Memory Ranks as the #1 Technology Area in the 2020 Patent 300®
The 2020 Patent 300® details the top 300 companies, organizations, and universities obtaining patents in the United States. Data from the report shows that nearly 56% of patents obtained in the U.S. in 2019 were by Patent 300® companies. The top 10 technology areas, which represent 47% of the 189,796 U.S. patents obtained by Patent 300® companies in 2019, are again dominated by electrical technologies.
As shown in Chart 1, the Semiconductors and Memory technology area ranked highest in 2019. There were 15,841 patents issued for Patent 300® companies in the US. Semiconductors and Memory technology covers multiple United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) technology classifications.
Included are processes for manufacturing semiconductors and solid-state devices. Also included are processes and apparatus for addressing, accessing and controlling, and forming memory addresses in a computer or digital data processing system.
Chart 1 – Top 10 Technology Areas for Patent 300® (2019 U.S. Patents)
| Rank | Patent 300 Technology Area | 2019 U.S. Patents | Percentage of Total 2019 U.S. Patents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semiconductors/Memory | 15841 | 8% |
| 2 | Electrical Circuits and Systems | 14269 | 8% |
| 3 | Multiplex and VoIP | 10824 | 6% |
| 4 | Printing/Measuring and Testing | 10383 | 6% |
| 5 | Optics | 9830 | 5% |
| 6 | Selective Visual Display Systems | 7338 | 4% |
| 7 | Thermal & Combustion Technology, Motive & Fluid Power Systems | 5951 | 3% |
| 8 | Computer Networks | 5753 | 3% |
| 9 | Cryptography and Security | 5016 | 3% |
| 10 | Telecommunications | 4714 | 2% |
The top 20 companies in the Semiconductors and Memory area, shown below in Chart 2, include Taiwan Semiconductor (#1), Samsung Electronics (#2), International Business Machines (#3), Micron Technology (#4), and others. Taiwan Semiconductor again tops the list having obtained 1,807 US patents. Samsung had 1,592 US patents, up 5% from 2018. IBM, at 1,364, was up 3% from 2018. The top 20 companies represent a cross-section of the technology sector. Included are chip makers, device makers, and various electronics companies.
Chart 2 – Top 20 Companies by U.S. Patents in Semiconductors and Memory
| Rank | Patent 300® | 2019 Semiconductor and Memory Patents | % of Company's 2019 US Patents | 2018 Semiconductor and Memory Patents | Change from 2018 Patents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taiwan Semiconductor | 1807 | 77% | 1972 | -8% |
| 2 | Samsung Electronics | 1592 | 18% | 1522 | 5% |
| 3 | International Business Machines | 1364 | 14% | 1318 | 3% |
| 4 | Micron Technology | 864 | 68% | 645 | 34% |
| 5 | Mubadala Investment | 554 | 72% | 593 | -7% |
| 6 | BOE Technology Group | 504 | 23% | 387 | 30% |
| 7 | Intel | 471 | 13% | 377 | 25% |
| 8 | SK Hynix | 442 | 55% | 468 | -6% |
| 9 | Toshiba Memory | 427 | 59% | 419 | 2% |
| 10 | Infineon Technologies | 343 | 40% | 392 | -13% |
| 11 | Semiconductor Energy Lab | 321 | 46% | 478 | -33% |
| 12 | United Microelectronics | 313 | 89% | 318 | -2% |
| 13 | LG Display | 271 | 31% | 224 | 21% |
| 14 | Renesas Electronics | 266 | 50% | 320 | -17% |
| 15 | Western Digital | 265 | 36% | 215 | 23% |
| 16 | China Star Optoelectronics | 235 | 35% | 5 | 4600% |
| 17 | STMicroelectronics | 224 | 30% | 249 | -10% |
| 18 | Sony | 201 | 8% | 197 | 2% |
| 19 | SMIC | 198 | 84% | 133 | 49% |
| 20 | Osram Licht | 194 | 50% | 142 | 37% |
For more detailed information about this technology area, or any other data related to the 2020 Patent 300®, please visit harrityllp.com/patent300/.
