The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the increasing demand for compact and lightweight power supplies, energy efficiency requirements, and the growing adoption of renewable energy sources. This has resulted in the growing importance of technologies such as power metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), control and drive circuitry, high-speed switching devices, thermal pads, and advanced cooling techniques. These technologies collectively contribute to the development of compact, efficient, and reliable power supply solutions for a wide range of applications, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, industrial equipment, and automotive systems. In the last three years alone, there have been over 4.1 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in technology: power MOSFET SMPS. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
190+ innovations will shape the technology industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the technology industry using innovation intensity models built on over 1.5 million patents, there are 190+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, aural exciters, in-memory computing, and network-on-a-chip are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. RAID transmission error detection, projector-camera system, and hyperspectral imaging, and surround sound systems are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are digital image interpolation and distributed RAID drives, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the technology industry
Power MOSFET SMPS is a key innovation area in technology
Power MOSFET SMPS, also known as a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) with a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), is a power supply technology that utilizes MOSFET as the primary switching component. This technology offers advantages such as high efficiency, minimal noise, low ripple, and fast switching speed. It finds widespread applications in consumer electronics such as computers, televisions, DVD players, and gaming consoles, where its benefits are highly valued for efficient and reliable power delivery.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 130+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of power MOSFET SMPS.
Key players in power MOSFET SMPS – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to power MOSFET SMPS
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Qualcomm | 118 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cirrus Logic | 36 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Texas Instruments | 277 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MediaTek | 163 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Apple | 54 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alpha and Omega Semiconductor | 56 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NXP Semiconductors | 82 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing | 47 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ricoh | 44 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dell Technologies | 71 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Murata Manufacturing | 54 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Monolithic Power Systems | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Renesas Electronics | 245 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hon Hai Precision Industry | 68 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 75 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Panasonic | 70 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Delta Electronics | 63 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Infineon Technologies | 311 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ROHM | 202 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fuji Electric | 55 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sharp | 35 | Unlock Company Profile |
| STMicroelectronics | 125 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ASUSTeK Computer | 54 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anpec Electronics | 98 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Microchip Technology | 224 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toshiba | 138 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sumitomo Electric Industries | 141 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Intel | 78 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Silergy | 57 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Intersil Americas | 95 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Wolfson Microelectronics | 39 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Navitas Semiconductor | 106 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Renesas Electronics is one of the leading patent filers in the power MOSFET SMPS space. One of the company’s patents describes a switching power supply in which a booster circuit is employed between the output node of a switching element and a predetermined voltage terminal. This booster circuit consists of a bootstrap capacitor and a MOSFET. The boosted voltage generated by the booster circuit is utilized as the operational voltage for the switching element's driving circuit. When the MOSFET is in the off state, the connection between another source/drain region and the substrate gate ensures that the junction diode between them is reverse biased with respect to the boosted voltage from the bootstrap capacitor.
Other prominent patent filers in the space include Infineon and Texas Instruments.
By geographic reach, Navitas Semiconductor leads the pack, followed by Sumitomo and Microchip Technology. In terms of application diversity, Navitas Semiconductor holds the top position, followed by Renesas Electronics and Monolithic Power Systems.
Power MOSFET SMPS can provide efficient and reliable power conversion for various electronic devices. It offers advantages such as high efficiency, low noise, low ripple, and fast switching speeds. Power MOSFET SMPS plays a crucial role in modern electronics, enabling the development of compact and energy-efficient devices such as computers, TVs, DVD players, and game consoles. By efficiently converting and regulating power, it contributes to improved performance, reduced energy consumption, and enhanced overall functionality of electronic systems.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Technology.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
