<div id="readability-page-1"><p>News: Microelectronics</p>  <p>Global IP dynamics highlight surging GaN innovation activity in Q3/2025, says KnowMade</p><p>KnowMade has released its ‘Q3 2025 GaN Patent Monitor’, which highlights major  gallium nitride (GaN) innovation trends in third-quarter 2025,  the evolving competitive IP landscape, and the technological advances  shaping future power and RF electronics.</p><p>The Q3/2025 patent landscape confirms  GaN’s accelerating industrial expansion. During the quarter, 599 new patent  families were published, maintaining a high innovation pace.  Notably, 70% of these  originated from Chinese players, demonstrating China’s  continued drive to lead GaN development. </p><p>A detailed application-based breakdown  reveals strong momentum in power electronics:</p><ul type="disc">  <li>376 new patent families targeted power applications, significantly outpacing RF technologies;</li>  <li>107 patent families focused on RF applications;</li>  <li>over 110 patent families addressed multiple application fields, reflecting the transversal relevance of GaN materials and devices.</li></ul><p>This sustained IP flow illustrates the  robust global interest in GaN technologies across energy efficiency,  fast-charging systems, electric vehicle (EV) powertrains, telecom infrastructure, and  high-frequency components, all central drivers of Q3/2025 GaN  innovation.</p><h2>Newcomers  joining GaN IP landscape</h2><p>Q3/2025 saw a high number of IP newcomers  filing their first GaN-electronics-related patents, most of them being Chinese  companies. Several notable non-Chinese new entrants introduced meaningful  contributions: </p><ul type="disc">  <li>Alpsemi (in France) disclosed a high-voltage high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) epitaxial structure dedicated to advanced power conversion; </li>  <li>Soth Korea-based SK Foundry introduced a GaN transistor structure designed to mitigate current collapse, improving device reliability; </li>  <li>Atomera (in USA) unveiled a superlattice structure enabling enhanced stress and strain control in GaN-on-silicon epitaxy while facilitating self-separation from the growth substrate — a key manufacturing advantage.</li></ul><h2>Breakthrough collaborative innovation</h2><p>A highlight of Q3/2025 GaN  innovation is a prominent US-based academic–military  collaboration between the University of California, University of Maryland,  University of  Virginia, and the US Navy. The partners introduced carbide ‘phonon  bridge layers’, engineered to reduce thermal boundary resistance  between an integrated diamond heat spreader and an aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN)  HEMT. This development could unlock dramatic improvements in GaN device  thermal management.</p><h2>Strengthening  IP positions among established players</h2><p>Confirming the competitive consolidation  of the GaN ecosystem, Q3/2025 also recorded 426 patent families being granted for the first time,  including: </p><ul type="disc">  <li>over 230 newly granted families concerned power applications, versus 90 for RF; </li>  <li>about 100 newly granted families covered multi-application inventions.</li></ul><p>Among the power GaN market players, Infineon  stands out as the quarter’s strongest GaN IP performer, securing 15 newly granted  patent families, well ahead of Innoscience (7) and Rohm (3).  Infineon’s newly granted patents span GaN transistors, manufacturing methods, low-inductance packaging, power ICs,  and DC/DC converter-based  systems.</p><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2025/dec/Image2-3.jpg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="825" height="469" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2025/dec/Image2-3.jpg"/></p><p>Major foundries also reinforced their IP  position: UMC  obtained eight granted  patents; TSMC and GlobalFoundries each strengthened their IP portfolios  with three additional  granted patent families. </p><p>This competitive dynamic underscores a  rapidly maturing industry in which both integrated device manufacturers (IDMs)  and foundries are investing heavily in foundational GaN technologies, concludes  KnowMade.</p><p>More  players exhibiting a common IP strategy for power and RF GaN technologies</p><p>Status of the IP competition for vertical GaN power devices</p><p>GaN power devices</p><p>www.knowmade.com</p>    </div>

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<p>KnowMade's Q3 2025 GaN Patent Monitor reveals significant innovation in GaN technologies, with 599 new patent families published, 70% from China. Key areas include power electronics and RF applications. Notable contributions from Alpsemi, SK Foundry, and Atomera highlight global interest. A US academic-military collaboration introduced a breakthrough in thermal management. Infineon leads in newly granted patents, with major foundries like UMC, TSMC, and GlobalFoundries strengthening their IP positions, indicating a maturing GaN industry.</p>