1.1 Evolution of Patent Application Subject Structure

Japanese companies continue to have an absolute advantage in structural innovation, process improvement, and medium to high voltage applications, forming a "patent iron triangle" dominated by Toshiba, Denso/Toyota, Fuji Electric, Sumitomo Electric, and Mitsubishi Electric.

The Rise of Chinese Power: Taike Tianrun has become one of the top three global applicants for high-frequency utility model and structural patents. More and more Chinese companies and universities are entering the SiC technology patent layout, indicating that China's innovative vitality in the wide bandgap semiconductor field is gradually being released.

American/European giants: Traditional giants such as Wolfspeed, Rohm, STMicroelectronics, and ON Semiconductor continue to invest, focusing on high-performance power devices and advanced packaging fields.

1.2 Dynamics and Transfer Trends of Patent Owners

Patent expiration and abandonment acceleration: Wolfspeed's patent abandonment ratio has increased, reflecting multiple demands for cost control, strategic focus, and asset liquidity management. Leading companies in the industry are actively "slimming down" and focusing on core technological assets.

Patent transfer and joint development: Industrial mergers and acquisitions drive patent integration. The patent transfer between Qorvo and United Silicon Carbide reflects the asset integration after onsemi's acquisition; The collaborative development case between Nissan Renault alliance, domestic universities and enterprises shows that the mode of intellectual property cooperation tends to be diversified.

2、 Technical route: Comprehensive flowering of materials, structures, and systems

2.1 Material Innovation - Overcoming Large Sizes and High Uniformity

SICC Shandong Tianyue and others continue to lay out patents in the direction of 12 inch/8-inch large-sized substrates, low internal stress, and low defect density, providing basic guarantees for downstream SiC applications (such as automotive specifications, high voltage, industrial high power, etc.).

PCT Patent Global Synchronization: More and more Chinese companies are synchronously laying out international patents in key markets such as Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea, enhancing their global discourse power.

2.2 Device Structure - Multi directional Parallel

Superjunction MOSFET: Toshiba, ROHM, and other companies are promoting high-voltage, low loss SiC super junction structures to help break through high-voltage scenarios in electric vehicle main drive and industrial frequency conversion fields.

Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFETs) and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs): Anson, Hitachi, Gexin, and others deepen the performance and process advantages of SiC in traditional high-voltage applications.

Innovative trench design: The optimization of trench gate structure by the Nissan Renault alliance not only improves reliability, but also promotes stable operation of devices in high temperature and high current situations.

Purdue University and other research institutions are paying attention to physical limit challenges such as extreme reduction of channel length and reduction of specific on resistance, exploring the possibility of new power devices under the "Moore's Law of Limits".

2.3 Modules and Packaging - High Integration and High Temperature Tolerance

Three level modules, flip chip pre molded packaging, and high-temperature reliability bonding have become hot topics in patents. Semikron Danfoss、 Ansenmei and others have significantly improved the heat dissipation and reliability of high current and high-power SiC modules through new module structures and advanced packaging material designs, expanding their application boundaries in extreme working conditions such as electric vehicle main drives, charging piles, and rail transit.

3、 Application scenario: High value track continues to expand, patent distribution is highly differentiated

3.1 Electric vehicle main drive, energy storage, nuclear energy, aerospace become the main focus areas

International enterprises continue to consolidate their technological and patent barriers in high barrier tracks such as high-voltage vehicles, aerospace, nuclear energy, and industrial control. Typical examples include Allegro Microsystems' DC bus discharge control, Caterpillar's megawatt portable charging system, and Hitachi's extreme environment measurement system.

Chinese enterprises and universities, on the other hand, are rapidly expanding their presence due to their numerical advantage, with the potential to occupy specific emerging niche areas such as photovoltaic inverters, data centers, energy storage, and power electronics. However, high-end core patents, such as high-voltage/high-frequency extreme performance, are still dominated by international giants.

3.2 Patent Ecology and "Ecological Position"

Single device patents are gradually shifting towards collaborative innovation across the entire chain and system. For example, from a single SiC MOS structure to modular system packaging, and then to system integration control at the application end, a patent "closed loop" has been formed from materials devices systems applications.

Collaborative development, cross licensing, and intellectual property alliances have become new trends, and the "ecological moat" of future industry leaders will continue to expand in patent collaboration and system integration.

4、 Risks and Trends

4.1 Patent barriers and litigation risks

No new patent lawsuits were found this quarter, but patent barriers continue to rise, and patent cross licensing and patent pool collaboration are becoming increasingly important. Chinese enterprises should pay close attention to patent compliance and litigation defense when going global and globalizing their products.

4.2 New entrants and the 'patent war'

More than 15 new entrants (mostly Chinese institutions/enterprises) have emerged, indicating an increase in global innovation activity, but also bringing new challenges such as patent overlap, an increase in invalid patents, and potential patent conflicts.

4.3 "Patent to Product" Conversion

The next focus of global competition will shift from the number and depth of patents to whether patents can be converted into mass production capabilities, system solutions, and downstream licensing benefits. Whoever can achieve an efficient closed-loop from patents to industry, market, and profitability will have the advantage in the second half of the SiC industry.

conclusion

The global SiC patent competition pattern is accelerating its restructuring in Q1 2025, with both Japanese and European giants deeply cultivating high-end technology barriers, as well as a surge in the number and diversified layout of Chinese enterprises/institutions. The trend of collaborative patents in materials, devices, packaging, systems, and terminal applications is evident, with patent pools, alliances, and collaborative innovation becoming core competitiveness. In the next one to two years, industry barriers will continue to rise, and global innovation capabilities, patent synergy, and commercialization speed will become the core watershed determining industry leaders.