Patents

This is how China circumvents 2,000 ASML patents with a laser trick

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The extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) is the tightest bottleneck in the entire semiconductor industry. Only one company in the world, the Dutch ASML, manufactures these machines, essential for producing integrated circuits below 7 nm, and since 2019 is prohibited from selling its most advanced models to China due to US pressure. Each device costs between 200 and 400 million dollars, and so far not a single Chinese client has managed to obtain one. A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, based at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, has built China’s first laser-plasma EUV light source platform. In front is Lin Nanformer ASML scientist and technical manager of its light sources for metrology, who returned to China in 2021 as part of a state talent attraction program. His team has chosen a path that deliberately avoids ASML’s method, as well as more than 2,000 of its patents. Qiu Yanfang, Chinese columnist specializing in semiconductors, has summed it up unambiguously: This patent rodeo is not just a legal maneuver; It’s genuine engineering. And it is this assessment, published just two weeks ago, that has once again put the focus on how far China has really come in its race for technological independence in lithography. The longest road to mass production The technical trick is this: while ASML generates EUV light by firing powerful carbon dioxide lasers at moving tin droplets (a method known as LPP), Lin Nan’s team uses a 1-micron solid-state laser that hits a solid tin target. In a published article In December 2024, Lin and his team were already arguing that this type of laser could replace carbon dioxide lasers as a next-generation source thanks to its compact size and higher conversion efficiency. However, Qiu Yanfang herself qualifies her initial enthusiasm. In the short term, he maintains, this solid-state source cannot shake ASML’s dominance, since the entire global semiconductor industry has built its supply chains, patents and engineering expertise around the carbon dioxide laser. Although Chinese technology achieves results in the laboratory, it still has a long way to go until achieve large scale production. The real value of Lin’s achievement, in any case, lies in laying the foundation and forging a research team that covers everything from theory to applied engineering. The Chinese Government aims to produce chips with this technology in 2028, although many analysts consider 2030 a more realistic date. This effort also coexists with another parallel and much more hermetic path. As revealed Reuters As of December 2025, China has assembled a working prototype EUV machine inside a high-security laboratory in Shenzhen, although it has not yet manufactured functional integrated circuits. Huawei coordinates this initiative, which involves thousands of engineers: the Harbin Institute of Technology is in charge of the light source, the Changchun Institute of Optics for the optical systems, and SMEE (Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment) of the final integration, with YesCarrier (the Chinese company backed by the Shenzhen Government and linked to Huawei) as another of the key actors. The Chinese Government aims to produce chips with this technology in 2028, although many of the analysts consider 2030 a more realistic date. For now, no Chinese prototype has proven to be capable of manufacturing commercial integrated circuits with its own UVE lithography, and doubts about the real speed of this advance have returned to the front line of information for a very different reason. US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has raised ASML senior managers the possibility that one of its SVU teams has reached China through clandestine channels, something that the Dutch company has denied emphatically: none of its 314 operational EUV machines in the world, nor is any of the 26 already withdrawn located in Chinese territory. China does not have its EUV machine yet. But, thanks to Lin Nan, it now has something that until recently it didn’t have either: its own path to try to build it. Image | ASML More information | Asia Times In Xataka | ASML’s new lithography equipment divides chipmakers. TSMC plans not to use it until 2030

Ferrari wants your car to charge itself in the sun while parked. One of his patents explains how

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A few weeks ago, Ferrari dropped a time bomb with its first electric car, Luce. the car has given to talk at lengthand has generated all kinds of opinions. It is also a vehicle that gives us clues about the direction the brand wants to take in this stage of transition that we are going through. But it is not the only one, because if we delve into the intricate world of patents, Ferrari has registered accounts that would raise some eyebrows. One of his last patents registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is share the CarBuzz medium, which describes a system of photovoltaic panels that deploy from the roof of the vehicle when it is parked. It is not a typical solar roof and has peculiarities that are worth commenting on. What’s in the patent. The document describe a rollable photovoltaic panel housed in a cavity inside the roof of the car. When the vehicle is stopped and turned off, the panel can be removed through a slot to cover it. According to the technical drawings of the patent, there are two possible positions: one of the panels deploys forward, over the windshield, generating shadow in the cabin; another does it from the rear, under the rear window, oriented at an angle to better capture sunlight. The mechanism uses a U-shaped element and two support rods to extend the panel from its roller. Why do you do it this way and not any other way? The solution may seem complicated (and it is) compared to simply integrating solar cells into the roof, as some manufacturers already do. But Ferrari seems to have its reasons. First, a roll-up panel that is only activated when parking allows the use of a larger photovoltaic surface than would fit on the fixed roof. Furthermore, the patent explicitly mentions the dual purpose of the system, which is to charge the battery and reduce the interior temperature of the cabin when the car is in the sun. Along with this, in the patent is pointed out The system includes sensors and weather data to automate when it is deployed or picked up. Limitations. A solar panel that only works when the car is stationary and in the sun has a very limited range in real life. In the end, the efficiency of these systems depends greatly on weather conditions, the orientation of the vehicle and the exposure time. It is not a fixed place with a large space that allows these losses of efficiency to be counteracted, as is the case in a photovoltaic installation that we can integrate into a house. CarBuzz mention the case of Hyundai, which has been studying this technology for years and that it integrates into some of its test vehicles. The firm stated that its solar roof can replenish between 30% and 60% of the battery per day in ideal conditions, which for a car with more than 300 kilometers of autonomy could cover the average trip to work. But those “ideal conditions” are the exception, not the norm. What it says about Ferrari. As we have mentioned before, the patent appears at a very specific time, as Ferrari has just launched the Luce, its first fully electric car, conceived as a vehicle for everyday use and not just as a sports car for occasional use. It makes sense for the brand to start exploring ways to manage autonomy and charging in different ways than conventional ones. On the other hand, just as points out CarBuzz, adding weight and complexity to the roof goes against Ferrari’s historic philosophy, focused on pure handling and clean design. These are ideas that the brand will have to play with to clarify its priorities in the coming years. However, it should be noted that, at the moment, it is only a patent, not a product announcement. Ferrari, like many other companies, registers technical ideas without necessarily implying that they will reach a production car. Cover image | Matt Antonioli and Ferrari In Xataka | “Solid-state batteries are not the Holy Grail”: the head of CATL explains why it will take us a while to see them in cars

China has more solid-state battery patents than anyone else and still fears being left behind for one reason: Japan

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What China is leading the energy and mobility transition What we are witnessing does not take anyone by surprise at this point. However, not all fish are sold, and in energy storage we are going to witness a significant evolution with the arrival of solid state batteriesa type of battery that we have been talking about for years. Just like they count From CarNewsChina, the country dominates the volume of research and records on solid-state batteries, but be careful because that leadership on paper does not guarantee winning the commercial race. And it is that a new analysis of the Xinhua agency recognizes that the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea are moving forward with more industrial coordination and better international deployment of patents, just when the technology enters a decisive phase for its commercialization. Why it matters. Solid-state batteries are considered the next big leap from current lithium-ion batteries. These promise more energy density, faster charges, greater security and longer lifespan. They not only affect the electric car, but also humanoid robotseVTOL (vertical take-off aircraft), consumer electronics and stationary storage. Basically, whoever controls the technology and, above all, its manufacturing at scale, will set the pace of mobility and energy in the next decade. Patent war. China accounts for around 35% of the world market for solid-state patents and 39% of those related to electrolytes, the largest global share, according to share from CarNewsChina. Scientific publications have gone from 21 articles in 2015 to 562 in 2023, with institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Tsinghua University leading advances in the engineering of the solid-solid interface, which for years has been one of the great bottlenecks. On the other hand, Japan continues to be the leading technological source with about 37% of global requests, compared to 30% from China. Japan is ahead. The problem in China is not quantity, but the concentration and quality of your strategy. Among the 30 most relevant institutions in the world in solid state and electrolyte patents, 17 are Japanese7 Chinese, 5 South Korean and only 1 European. The top ten positions are entirely Japanese or Korean. Toyota, alone, accumulates around 40% of all intellectual property in the sector. Added to this is a structural weakness, since Chinese companies register many fewer international patents than their Japanese and South Korean rivals, who shield their technology in the United States, Europe, India and Southeast Asia. The companies that move the board. CATL, BYD and SVOLT are leading the latest phase of this technology. And only in 2023 will Chinese companies filed more than 500 patent applications. Gotion High-tech The design of a 2 GWh line for totally solid batteries has already been finalized and another 0.2 GWh pilot line is operating with tests on vehicles. Ganfeng Lithium, backed by Changan, claims to have reached 1,100 cycles in a 400 Wh/kg cell and aims for 500 Wh/kg in production. On the other hand, Chinese researchers have also shown a prototype of 451.5 Wh/kg capable of charging in three minutes. CATL, for its part, is patenting lithium compounds with fluorine and sulfur electrolytes to improve fast charging and thermal stability. Deadlines. own report Xinhua places the start of production in small series around 2027 and broader commercialization around 2030. The industry continues to work in parallel on three electrolyte routes (sulfide, oxide and polymer) without any having won yet. Furthermore, according to the media, there are still challenges to overcome, including the formation of lithium dendrites, ionic transport mechanisms, solid-solid interface engineering or cell failure modes. And now what. China is preparing to industrialize what it currently masters in the laboratory. And its first national standard on solid state batteries (“Terms and Classification”) is under public consultation and proposes to differentiate between liquid, solid-liquid hybrid and totally solid cells. For now, the country dominates in terms of volume of papers and research, but it is clear that real dominance will come from manufacturers who first resolve large-scale production, cost, durability and safety. And let’s be honest, China has an advantage, especially with CATL and BYD controlling much of the world’s battery sharebut in the field of solid-state batteries there is still play. Cover image | Michael Fousert In Xataka | The EU no longer knows what to do to stop its car manufacturers from buying parts from China. So he’s going to force them

There is a place where renewables are gaining the game left over fossil fuels: patents

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Thanks to a new project of GLOBAL RENEWABLE Watch It can be observed The rise of renewable energiesspecifically, solar and wind. However, this considerable increase in clean sources has managed to displace fossil fuels, and much of this advance is due to technological patents. The initiative. An analysis of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has detailed How renewable energy patents have increased 4.5 times faster in the last two decades, surpassing fossil fuel -based patents in number. Global policies. This increase is observed in the growth of renewable capacity and the policies focused on the commitment to achieve the Carbon neutrality. According to the study, support with public policies and public and private financing have managed to reach 60,000 million dollars in large -scale technologies, but some of these projects face challenges such as inflation and political uncertainty. A global movement. Now if you want to have a more open overview about which country has invested, the king is undoubtedly China. The country that has been leading the energy transition It has allocated half of its energy patents and more than 90% of its financing of risky capital to mass technologies, such as batteries and electrolyters. For its part, Europe follows a similar path, focusing on scale engineering projects and renewables have overcome coal. However, the United States has so far maintained a diversified portfolio that covers fossil energy technologies such as clean, but this can change the future By the current Trump administration. Other emerging sources. An area that promises according to the study is hydrogen. Patents related to the production and use of this new source increased 47% in 2022, with an approach to industrial applications such as transport and manufacturing steel. Particularly, in Spain hydrogen is taking the front as A future gas source and be able to export it through Europe. Future investment. From the study They have remarked The need to increase public investment in energy R&D, because currently the financing of the member countries of the IAE does not reach 0.04% of GDP. Researchers have pointed out that the future path is an international collaboration in development plus solutions. In addition, they have focused on other emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), intelligent electrical networks and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in energy management. But there is a bottleneck. On the one hand, long -term shortage of the strategic material supply chain and the lack of infrastructure in some countries. On the other hand, the withdrawal of some large -scale projects focused on clean sources, as the case of BP. Finally, in recent days a tariff war has begun by Trump, so It will be to see how markets open. Image | Pxhere and Pexels Xataka | Now we can see the rise of renewable energy in the world: we just needed the satellite images

Patents linked to Switch 2 show the operation of the Joy-Con as if they were computer mice

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A patent filtered and linked to switch 2originally published in August 2023, shows characteristics of the Joy-Con de Switch 2 They didn’t know each other until now. The main and most noticeable for the change that supposes with respect to the controllers of the first switch is The use of controls as if they were computer micea characteristic that Nintendo has not confirmed but suggested that it could be included among the novelties of its new console. It was in the console presentation video (the only source of official information at the time of Switch 2), where the two controls are seen sliding down a surface by the color dorsos that connect to the screen. In the patent you see a hand holding a joy-with with the SR buttons supported on the surface and eye, the thumb on the stick. It seems to be intuited that the movement sensor will be in the same back as the aforementioned buttons. They are not the only secrets that reveal these patent documents: two more traditional grips are also raised, such as PlayStation and Xbox controls, but that would include (at least one of them) sensors to be also used as mice. Japanese terms that could be translated as ‘sensor to operate as a mouse’ appear in the documents 28 times. Recall that patent documents are not guarantee of anythingonly that Nintendo has explored in that direction, but added to the clues that the presentation spot gives, the bets are more or less safe. They are small clues that round out what will be the new Nintendo presentation of the characteristics of the console, on April 6 at 3:00 p.m. Until then it is unlikely that more official confirmations of the characteristics of the Switch 2 will arrive, although elements such as this “mouse mode” are given by guaranteed. Header | Nintendo In Xataka | Switch 2 appears to be more of the same. But that is exactly the strategy that Nintendo needs right now

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