China comprises majority of new RF GaN patent families in Q2/2026, says KnowMade

The concentration of new RF GaN patent publications in China, particularly from both industrial companies like CETC and academic institutions such as Xidian University, indicates a robust, domestically focused innovation effort. While the majority of Chinese protection strategies remained within China, the filing of PCT applications by Huawei, Ampleon, and San’an suggests some intent to secure broader international protection beyond their primary market.

The focus of newly published inventions on RF GaN devices, circuits, and applications, rather than wafers or packaging, highlights where disclosed inventive activity is currently centered within the RF GaN supply chain. This distribution implies that recent efforts are geared towards refining device performance and integration, rather than fundamental material or manufacturing process innovations.

The emergence of over 30 new entrants, mostly Chinese, including Unicompound Semiconductor, suggests a dynamic and expanding innovation base. These early publications, such as Unicompound's work on reducing parasitic capacitance in HEMTs, can offer an early view into technical priorities and potential future competitive landscapes before these companies establish large patent portfolios. Outside China, Seoul Viosys's work on GaN HEMT epitaxy points to similar foundational research efforts.