Company patents
FEI Company
FEI Company's patent strategy is heavily concentrated in Electron / Ion Tubes & Discharge, accounting for 72.7% of its portfolio, which saw a significant rebound in 2025 with a 30.1% YoY growth after a decline. While core areas like Material & Chemical Analysis and Image Processing also show substantial presence, the company surprisingly demonstrated a rapid emerging focus in Pattern Recognition & ML Models with a 200.0% YoY growth in 2025, despite a sharp decline so far in 2026, indicating a fluctuating but notable interest in advanced computing applications beyond its traditional hardware strengths.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
469 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 26 themes
Techniques and devices for generating, shaping, focusing, and deflecting electron or ion beams, often involving multi-pole lenses, deflectors, and aberration correction for applications like microscopy or processing.
Methods and apparatus for precise wafer positioning, ion beam uniformity, and dose monitoring during ion implantation processes in semiconductor device manufacturing.
Techniques for precise material removal, pattern shaping, and controlling etch selectivity or uniformity, often involving plasma, wet chemistry, or directed beams to achieve desired features on semiconductor substrates.
Techniques and systems for real-time or near-real-time measurement and adjustment of semiconductor manufacturing parameters (e.g., temperature, etch rate, ion beam uniformity) to ensure process quality and consistency.
Techniques and apparatus for achieving and maintaining vacuum conditions within charged particle and plasma processing chambers, including pump control, vacuum degree monitoring, and chamber sealing.
Techniques and systems for precisely measuring electrical or electromagnetic properties of materials or components, often involving specialized resonators, waveguides, or multi-range measurement systems to ensure accuracy.
Systems and methods for delivering radio frequency (RF) power to plasma processing chambers, including impedance matching, pulse shaping, and feedback control for stable and efficient plasma generation.
Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.
Methods and compositions for identifying, quantifying, or characterizing specific biological molecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, antibodies) or microbial species, often for diagnostic, prognostic, or quality control applications.
Design and engineering of specialized components within deposition systems, such as heaters, targets, susceptors, and chamber walls, to achieve precise control over process parameters like temperature, material flux, and plasma characteristics.
Development of sophisticated optical lens assemblies and computational methods to achieve high-resolution, precise, or specialized imaging, often for medical or scientific applications.
Design and control of plasma processing chambers, including heating, gas delivery, electrode configurations, and magnetic field control for uniform and efficient material processing in semiconductor manufacturing.
Techniques and apparatus for electrically testing semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, or wafers during manufacturing or post-assembly, including built-in self-test (BIST) and contact reliability assessment.
Methods and apparatus for improving the visual fidelity, resolution, or compression efficiency of video signals, often through advanced processing, up-scaling, or neural network-based filters.
Processes for creating or manipulating three-dimensional digital representations of objects or environments, including mesh generation, surface fitting, and depth estimation from multiple views.
Methods for depositing thin films with controlled conformality, thickness, and material properties, including selective deposition on specific areas, often using atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or epitaxial growth.
Utilizing machine learning, particularly deep learning, to analyze medical data such as images, sensor readings, or physiological signals for disease prediction, diagnosis, or treatment assessment.
Development and use of engineered biological systems, such as organ-on-a-chip devices, dynamic hydrogels, or genetically modified cells, to mimic physiological conditions, study disease mechanisms, screen compounds, or develop cell-based therapies.
Use of specialized materials and structures, such as vacuum insulation panels or phase change materials, to improve thermal efficiency and maintain stable temperatures within refrigeration appliances.
Self-contained or portable units designed for maintaining specific temperatures for food, beverages, or sensitive items during transport, often incorporating active cooling or smart monitoring features.
Engineering solutions for X-ray tube components, including integrated cooling systems (e.g., oil circulation) and control mechanisms for tube voltage and current to ensure stable and safe operation.
Developing and applying machine learning algorithms that leverage quantum computing principles, such as quantum circuits or autoencoders, for tasks like simulation or data processing.
Techniques utilizing deep learning models like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) or diffusion models to create new images, modify existing ones, or generate synthetic data based on various inputs or conditions.
Techniques for combining data from disparate sensor types (e.g., cameras, radar, mobile device signals) to achieve a more robust and comprehensive understanding of an environment or subject, often leveraging machine learning for interpretation and correlation.
Processes involving chemical and mechanical forces to planarize surfaces (CMP) or wet chemical treatments for cleaning, etching, or material removal, often utilizing specialized compositions, nozzles, or fluid management systems.
Methods for temporarily attaching a wafer or substrate to a carrier for thinning, dicing, or other processing, followed by controlled debonding, often using light-sensitive resins, temporary adhesives, or roughened interfaces.
Patents
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3D Reconstruction & Modeling