RF GaN專利狀況（2020）

在下一代通信和軍事技術的需求推動下，RF GaN的知識產權（IP）活動持續增長。根據YoleDveloppement的數據，2019年全球GaN RF市場規模為7.4億美元。到2025年，該市場的複合年增長率預計將達到12％，超過20億美元。

首個RFGaN專利申請於1990年代提交。當活動於2004年開始時，自2015年以來已大大加快。如今，知識產權擴張受到兩個關鍵因素的推動：中國和知識產權在價值鏈中的進一步轉移。自2015年以來，中國的知識產權活動一直在加速。在過去的兩年中，來自中國的專利數量顯著增加，並且在中國有許多新進入者進入了RF GaN IP的局面。

本報告調查了RF GaN在世界範圍內的專利狀況，並按公司/國家/地區/技術，重點介紹了主要IP增長因素和趨勢，主要IP產品組合的優勢及其技術/應用。它提供了諸如專利申請的時間演變，對RF GaN專利技術的狀態的洞察力以及每種技術和應用趨勢的識別等信息。

本報告中列出的公司

Air Water, AIST, Akash Systems, Akoustis, Ampleon, Analog Devices, Avago Technologies, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bosemi, Broadwave Electric, Carsem, CEA, CETC, China Mobile, CNRS, Comba Telecom, Cree, Dynax Semiconductor, Element Six/Group4 Labs, Ericsson, Eridan Communications, ETRI, Everbright Technology, Fraunhofer, Fudan University, Fujitsu, Gaxtrem, Gemini Semiconductor Manufacturing, Georgia Tech, GlobalWafers, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hanhua Semiconductor, Hatchip, HC Semitek, HiWafer, HKUST, HRL Laboratories, Huawei, II-VI, Imec, IMECAS, Infineon, Institute of Semiconductors (CAS), Intel, IQE, Japan Radio, Jiejie Microelectronics, KETI, KNU, Korean Agency for Defense Development, KPU, LG, Lockheed Martin, MACOM, Mems Solution, MIT, Mitsubishi Electric, Murata Manufacturing, Nagoya University, Nanjing Changfeng Aerospace Electronic Equipment, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanyang Technological University, National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, NEC, Nexgo (Shenzhen Xinguodu Technology), NGK Insulators, Nichia, NIMS, Nokia, Northrop Grumman, Northwestern Polytechnical University, NPP Pulsar, NTT, NXP, OKI Electric Industry, ON Semiconductor, Panasonic, Peking University, Qorvo, Qualcomm, Raytheon, Renesas Electronics, RFHIC, Samsung Electro Mechanics, Samsung Electronics, Sanan IC, Sanken Electric, SCIOCS/Sumitomo Chemical, SCUT, SETi, Shaanxi Reactor Microelectronics, Shandong University, Sharp, Shin-Etsu, Sichuan University, SINANO, SITP, Soitec/Epigan, South China Normal University, Southeast University Nanjing, STMicroelectronics, Sumitomo Electric, Sun Yat Sen University, SUSTECH, Suzhou Jena Microelectronics, Tagore Technology, Taiyo Yuden, Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, Thales, Tianjin University, Tiger Microwave, Tomsk State University, Toshiba, Tower Semiconductor, Transphorm, Tsinghua University, TSMC, TUS - Semiconductor, UESTC, University of California, University of Colorado, University of Florida, U-Tel, Wavepia, Wavice, Win Semiconductors, Xidian University, Zhonghe Boxin Semiconductor, Zhuhai Crystal Resonance Technologies, ZTE, and more.

目錄

簡介

• 環境
• 調查範圍
• 報告的主要功能
• 報告中引用的公司
• 調查專利情況的原因

調查方法和條款

執行摘要

專利情況概述

• 專利申請/公開的時間發展
• 公司總部的時間發展
• 主要專利申請人
• 具有3個或更多專利家族的其他專利受讓人
• 主要受讓人的專利出版物的開發時間
• 自2019年1月以來主要活躍的專利申請人
• 2019年1月之後發佈的新專利主題
• 2019年至2020年的新進入者
• 新專利主題
• 自2015年以來的主要知識產權轉讓和知識產權聯盟
• 主要IP參與者及其專利的當前法律地位
• 授予和正在申請的專利的地理範圍
• 主要受讓人的知識產權組合的地理範圍
• 專利權人的知識產權領導
• 各國主要知識產權公司的總部
• 專利受讓人的專利組合強度指數
• 按技術領域劃分的專利家族概述
• 主要技術領域的IP動態
• 主要受讓人的知識產權組合的技術覆蓋率
• 按價值鏈細分的主要專利申請人

美國IP播放器

歐洲IP播放器

日本IP播放器

中國IP播放器

香港和台灣的IP播放器

韓國IP播放器

按國家/地區：

• 主要專利受讓人
• 主要受讓人的專利出版物的開發時間
• 主要受讓人的知識產權組合的地理範圍
• 主要受讓人的知識產權組合的技術覆蓋率

細分

• 按類別劃分的專利族概述
• 主要領域專利出版物的時間演變
• 主要受讓人知識產權投資組合的技術範圍
• 按價值鏈細分的主要專利申請人
• 按射頻功能和頻段劃分的主要專利申請人
• 矩陣技術和射頻設備/功能/頻段
• 矩陣主要問題和主要分類

技術

• GaN-on-Sic
• GaN-on-Silicon
• GaN-on-Sapphire
• GaN-on-Diamond
• GaN-on-GaN
• 對於每種技術：主要專利申請人，主要主題和著名的近期專利

射頻設備

• 電場效應晶體管（FET，HEMT，HFET，常關等）
• 異質結雙極晶體管（HBT）
• RF二極管（熱鍵，Baractor，RTD，IMPATT等）
• 射頻聲音設備（SAW，TC-SAW，FBAR，BAW-SMR）
• 對於每個RF設備：主要專利申請人，主要主題和著名的近期專利

MMIC

• 主要專利申請人
• Cree，Toshiba，Raytheon，Win Semiconductors，Qorvo，Northrop Grumman，BAE Systems，Tiger Mircrowave擁有的著名專利

電路和操作方法

• 主要專利申請人和專利出版物與偏差，保護，匹配和線性有關的時間演變
• 近期著名專利

功能

• RF放大器（PA，LNA，Doherty PA，開關模式PA）
• 射頻開關
• 射頻濾波器
• 對於每個功能：主要專利申請人，專利出版物的時間演變以及著名的近期專利

頻段

• 有關無線電，微波，毫米波和太赫茲的主要專利申請人和已開發的專利出版物
• 針對5G網絡的專利申請人
• 5G網絡的著名專利

結論

知識介紹

RF GaN intellectual property (IP) activities continue to grow, driven by next-gen telecom and military technologies requirements

The radio frequency (RF) GaN market is experiencing impressive growth, mainly driven by telecom and military applications. The overall GaN RF market is expected to increase from $740M in 2019 to more than $2B in 2025, with a CAGR of 12%, according to Yole Développement.

In this report, Knowmade's Semiconductor team gives a thorough description and analysis of the patent landscape related to GaN-based RF electronics, covering the whole value chain from epitaxial structures to RF semiconductor devices, circuits, packages, modules and systems. Analysts have selected and analyzed more than 6,300 patents published worldwide up to August 2020, representing more than 3,000 patent families (inventions) filed by more than 500 different organizations. This 2020 edition comprises 2x more patent families and more than 100 new players compared to the 2019 edition.

The first RF GaN patent applications were filed in the 1990s. The level of activity took off in 2004 and accelerated significantly from 2015. Today, the IP dynamics are driven by two major factors: (1) China, and (2) the shift of IP further down the value chain. Chinese IP activity has been accelerating since 2015. Over the last 2 years, we witnessed a remarkable increase in patents coming from China and many Chinese newcomers entering the RF GaN IP landscape. In 2019-2020, the Chinese organizations represented more than 40% of the patent applicants (Americans = 23%, Japanese = 10%, Europeans = 3%). The rise in RF GaN patents from China-based companies follows a more general trend as the country transitions from a manufacturing to an innovation-driven economy. This trend also reflects the situation in the RF industry, with a Chinese market that shows exploding demand for commercial wireless telecom applications and Chinese companies already developing next-gen telecom networks. Moreover, following the US-China trade war, numerous China-based companies are trying to develop GaN RF for 5G infrastructures internally.

Over the last few years, the level of creativity to address all the technology and manufacturing roadblocks for GaN RF devices has been impressive. More recently, IP developments are accelerating on topics further down the value chain: RF circuits, packaging, and modules/systems. The current patent activity suggests that manufacturing and technology issues still need to be solved in monolithic integration of different RF semiconductor devices; thermal management at epi-stack, semiconductor device and package levels; linearity at semiconductor device and circuit levels; and protection, matching and distortion compensation at circuit level.

GaN RF leading companies should not underestimate China's IP as it is changing the landscape

The RF GaN patent landscape is currently dominated by American and Japanese companies such as Cree, Fujitsu, Sumitomo Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, Intel, MACOM, Toshiba, Qorvo and Raytheon. The IP competition has been stronger in the US, as demonstrated by a much higher number of granted patents (1,200+) in contrast with China (640+), Japan (440+) and Europe (250+). However, the patenting activity is now focused on China.

Cree has the stronger IP position thanks to numerous fundamental patents, especially for GaN-on-SiC technology. Over the past 5 years, inventive activity at Cree, Sumitomo Electric and Toshiba stalled. These IP leaders have developed broad patent portfolios covering a wide range of RF GaN technology nodes. The reduced IP activity could be a sign of confidence in their already robust RF GaN patent portfolio. Intel and MACOM have strongly increased their IP activity since 2017, especially for GaN-on-Silicon technology. Intel is currently the most active patent applicant in the RF GaN field, with a record-high level of activity of patenting new inventions over the last couple of years which could, down the road, position it ahead of Sumitomo Electric, Fujitsu or Cree in terms of IP leadership.

In China, CETC and Xidian University have the most prolific inventive activity. Other players such as HiWafer, Dynax, Hanhua and China's top public research entities UEST, IMECAS, SCUT and Institute of Semiconductors have built sizeable RF GaN IP portfolios, and ambitious new players are entering the IP landscape (Boxin, Reactor Microelectronics, TUS-Semiconductor, Hatchip, Nexgo, Bosemi, HC Semitek, A-INFO, RDW, Chippacking, China Mobile, Gaxtrem, etc.). European RF players Thales, BAE Systems, Infineon, Ampleon, Ericsson, etc. are only playing a small part in the current RF GaN IP dynamics. In Taiwan, the foundries Win Semiconductors, TSMC and GlobalWafers entered the RF GaN IP landscape first in the mid-2010s, followed by others such as VIS and Wavetek in 2018. South Korean entities are not very active. ETRI continued to file few new inventions every year over the past decade. In 2016, RFHIC acquired GaN-on-Diamond-related patents from Element Six, then we observed the entry of Wavice, UTel and Wavepia more recently.

Strategic and technological paths followed by leading companies and newcomers for RF GaN technologies

This report provides the main IP dynamics of the RF GaN field and offers a complementary vision of the RF GaN competitive landscape through patenting activity. In this report, we give deep insights on the IP portfolios and strategies of key RF GaN players and newcomers. We analyze their patented technologies, IP strength, markets of interest and future intents, and we highlight the strategic and technological paths they are following for RF GaN technologies.

In this 2020 edition, we detail the IP landscape and recent patents of note related to GaN-on-SiC, GaN-on-Silicon, GaN-on-Diamond and GaN-on-Sapphire. We analyze and describe the IP activity related to RF transistors (HEMT, HBT, E-mode, etc.), RF diodes (varactor, RTD, IMPATT, etc.) and RF acoustic wave devices (SAW, TC-SAW, FBAR, BAW-SMR). Furthermore, the report includes a section dedicated to GaN-based MMIC-related patents. Overall, we highlight patents dealing with manufacturing and technology issues still of interest to IP players (heat dissipation, monolithic integration, linearity, impedance matching, etc.), and/or targeting MW/mmWave frequency ranges or 5G applications.

Useful Excel database

This report also includes an extensive Excel database with the 3,000+ patent families analyzed in this study. This useful patent database allows for multi-criteria searches and includes patent publication numbers, hyperlinks to the original documents, priority date, title, abstract, assignees, current legal status and technological and application segments (epitaxial structures, RF transistors, RF diodes, RF acoustic wave devices, MMIC, GaN-on-SiC, GaN-on-Si, GaN-on-Diamond, PA, RF switch, RF filter, Microwaves, mm-waves, 5G, etc.).

Companies mentioned in this report

Air Water, AIST, Akash Systems, Akoustis, Ampleon, Analog Devices, Avago Technologies, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bosemi, Broadwave Electric, Carsem, CEA, CETC, China Mobile, CNRS, Comba Telecom, Cree, Dynax Semiconductor, Element Six/Group4 Labs, Ericsson, Eridan Communications, ETRI, Everbright Technology, Fraunhofer, Fudan University, Fujitsu, Gaxtrem, Gemini Semiconductor Manufacturing, Georgia Tech, GlobalWafers, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hanhua Semiconductor, Hatchip, HC Semitek, HiWafer, HKUST, HRL Laboratories, Huawei, II-VI, Imec, IMECAS, Infineon, Institute of Semiconductors (CAS), Intel, IQE, Japan Radio, Jiejie Microelectronics, KETI, KNU, Korean Agency for Defense Development, KPU, LG, Lockheed Martin, MACOM, Mems Solution, MIT, Mitsubishi Electric, Murata Manufacturing, Nagoya University, Nanjing Changfeng Aerospace Electronic Equipment, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanyang Technological University, National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, NEC, Nexgo (Shenzhen Xinguodu Technology), NGK Insulators, Nichia, NIMS, Nokia, Northrop Grumman, Northwestern Polytechnical University, NPP Pulsar, NTT, NXP, OKI Electric Industry, ON Semiconductor, Panasonic, Peking University, Qorvo, Qualcomm, Raytheon, Renesas Electronics, RFHIC, Samsung Electro Mechanics, Samsung Electronics, Sanan IC, Sanken Electric, SCIOCS/Sumitomo Chemical, SCUT, SETi, Shaanxi Reactor Microelectronics, Shandong University, Sharp, Shin-Etsu, Sichuan University, SINANO, SITP, Soitec/Epigan, South China Normal University, Southeast University Nanjing, STMicroelectronics, Sumitomo Electric, Sun Yat Sen University, SUSTECH, Suzhou Jena Microelectronics, Tagore Technology, Taiyo Yuden, Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, Thales, Tianjin University, Tiger Microwave, Tomsk State University, Toshiba, Tower Semiconductor, Transphorm, Tsinghua University, TSMC, TUS - Semiconductor, UESTC, University of California, University of Colorado, University of Florida, U-Tel, Wavepia, Wavice, Win Semiconductors, Xidian University, Zhonghe Boxin Semiconductor, Zhuhai Crystal Resonance Technologies, ZTE, and more.

Report's Key Features

• PDF with > 230 slides
• Excel file > 3,000 patent families
• Main IP dynamics and key trends.
• IP leaders, most active players and newcomers.
• IP portfolio strength of key players, and their technology/application focus.
• Time evolution of patents filings by company, countries, and technology.
• IP collaborations and IP transfers between key organizations.
• Insights into the status of RF GaN patented technologies, identifying trends for each technology and application.
• Extensive Excel database of over 3,000 patent families with all patent information and technology segmentation.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

• Context
• Scope of the report
• Key features of the report
• Companies cited in the report
• Whystudy the patent landscape

METHDOLOGY & TERMINOLOGY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PATENT LANDSCAPE OVERVIEW

• Time evolution of patent applications / publications
• Time evolution of company headquarters
• Leading patent applicants
• Other patent assignees with 3 or more patent families
• Time evolution of patent publications from main assignees
• Most active patent applicants since Jan 2019
• Topics of new patents published since Jan 2019
• Newcomers in 2019-2020
• Topics of newcomers' patents
• Main IP transfers and IP collaborations since 2015
• Main IP players and the current legal status of their patents
• Geographical coverage of granted and pending patents
• Geographical coverage of main assignees' IP portfolios
• IP leadership of patent assignees
• Key IP players by country of headquarters
• Patent portfolio strength index of patent assignees
• Overview of patent familes by technological segment
• IP dynamics for main technological segments
• Technology coverage of main assignees' IP portfolios
• Main patent applicant by value chain segment

American IP players

European IP players

Japanese IP players

Chinese IP players

Hong kongese and Taiwanese IP players

South Korean IP players

For each country / area:

• Leading patent assignees
• Time evolution of patent publications from main assignees
• Geographic coverage of main assignees' IP portfolios
• Technology coverage of main assignees' IP portfolios

SEGMENTATION

• Overview of patent families by segment
• Time evolution of patent publications for main segments
• Technology coverage of main assignees' IP portfoliios
• Main patent applicants by value chain segment
• Main patent applicants by RF function and frequency band
• Matrix Technology vs RF device/Function/Frequency band
• Matrix Main issues vs Main segments

Technology GaN-on-X

• GaN-on-Sic
• GaN-on-Silicon
• GaN-on-Sapphire
• GaN-on-Diamond
• GaN-on-GaN
• For each technology: leading patent applicants, main topics, and noteworthy recent patents

RF devices

• Field effect transistors (FET, HEMT, HFET, Normally-off, etc.)
• Heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT)
• RF diodes (Schottky, varactor, RTD, IMPATT, etc.)
• RF acoustic wave devices (SAW, TC-SAW, FBAR, BAW-SMR)
• For each RF device: leading patent applicants, main topics, and noteworthy recent patents.

MMIC

• Leading patent applicants
• Noteworthly patents owned by Cree, Toshiba, Raytheon, Win Semiconductors, Qorvo, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Tiger Mircrowave.

Circuit & Operating methods

• Leading patent applicants and time evolution of patent publications related to bias, protection, matching, and linearity.
• Noteworthy recent patents

Function

• RF amplifer (PA, LNA, Doherty PA, switch-mode PA)
• RF switch
• RF filter
• For each function: leading patent applicants, time evolution of patent publications, and noteworthy recent patents.

Frequency bands

• Leading patent applicants and time evolution patent publications for Radio waves, Microwaves, mm-Waves and THz
• Patent applicants targeting 5G networks
• Noteworthy patents targeting 5G networks

CONCLUSIONS

KNOWMADE PRESENTATION