Company patents
Merck Patent GmbH
Merck Patent GmbH's patent strategy reveals a surprising shift away from its historically strong Functional Materials (LCD, Lubricants) category, which constitutes 35.8% of its portfolio but saw a significant 23.2% decline in 2025 and a further 46.6% drop so far in 2026. While core pharma categories like Heterocyclic Compounds (Pharma) and Pharmaceutical Preparations remain substantial, the company showed an emerging focus in 2024 with rapid growth in Coating Compositions (Paints, Inks) at +163.6% YoY and Photolithography at +100.0% YoY, suggesting diversification into materials and semiconductor manufacturing, although patenting in these areas has also seen a decline so far in 2026.
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.
839 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 39 themes
Development and optimization of organic chemical compounds and their structures, including guest-host systems and metal complexes, used within the emission layer to achieve specific light emission characteristics such as color, efficiency, and operational lifetime.
Synthesis and application of organic compounds designed to impart specific functionalities in material science, such as photosensitivity or charge transport, for electronic or optical devices.
Mixtures of liquid crystal compounds and other additives, such as monomers or carbon black, designed to achieve specific optical, electrical, or physical properties for use in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or other electro-optical devices.
Design and synthesis of acyclic or carbocyclic organic compounds that selectively modulate specific biological targets or pathways for the treatment of diseases.
Development of novel chemical compositions for photoresists, including polymers, sensitizers, and crosslinking agents, to achieve improved lithographic performance such as resolution, sensitivity, line edge roughness, and etch resistance.
Methods and equipment for applying photoresist uniformly onto wafers, forming patterns through various exposure techniques (e.g., direct imaging, multi-exposure), and integrating patterned layers into semiconductor structures or packaging.
Development of small molecules, often bifunctional (e.g., PROTACs) or molecular glues, that induce the ubiquitin-proteasome system or autophagy to selectively degrade specific disease-causing proteins.
Abrasive slurry compositions used in semiconductor manufacturing for planarizing wafer surfaces, typically containing abrasive particles and chemical additives to achieve specific material removal rates and selectivity.
Techniques and structural designs for fabricating the physical layers of an OLED display, including material deposition, patterning, and methods to protect the active organic layers from environmental degradation like moisture and oxygen.
Innovations in backlight units, optical films, and light management structures to enhance display performance, uniformity, viewing experience, or specific functionalities like touch.
Novel formulations and mechanisms for initiating or controlling the polymerization and cross-linking of adhesives, including dual-curing systems, radical polymerization, and partial curing for tailored material properties.
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 modification of antibodies or antibody-derived fragments for targeted therapeutic intervention, including bispecific formats, Fc region modifications, and activatable constructs.
Development of therapeutic approaches involving the genetic modification of cells (e.g., T cells, stem cells, macrophages) or the use of viral/non-viral vectors to deliver genetic material for disease treatment.
Delivery systems specifically engineered to administer advanced drug formulations (e.g., microparticles, biologics, extended-release systems) to achieve precise targeting, controlled release kinetics, or enhanced therapeutic efficacy within the body.
Techniques for driving electrophoretic displays, including managing remnant voltage, optimizing particle movement, and specific addressing pulse schemes to improve optical quality and update speed.
Techniques for preparing and characterizing specific solid forms, such as crystal forms, salts, co-crystals, or amorphous forms, of active pharmaceutical ingredients to optimize properties like stability, solubility, and bioavailability.
Therapeutic interventions that target immune checkpoint pathways to either enhance or suppress immune responses, often used in cancer immunotherapy or autoimmune diseases.
Additives or compositions specifically formulated for surface application or modification to impart protective, decorative, or specialized functional properties to polymer products.
Development and application of therapeutic proteins or peptides produced through recombinant DNA technology, including fusion proteins and modified growth factors.
Therapeutic strategies employing nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, oligonucleotides) to modulate gene expression, deliver genetic material, or interfere with disease-causing pathways. Includes gene therapy using viral vectors.
Therapeutic approaches involving the use of living cells, often genetically modified or ex vivo activated, to treat diseases, particularly cancer, by modulating immune responses or replacing damaged cells.
Polymer compositions incorporating inorganic or organic filler materials to impart specific functional properties such as thermal conductivity, flame retardancy, electrical conductivity, or enhanced mechanical strength and dimensional stability.
Engineering and fabrication of semiconductor structures incorporating quantum dots, often for quantum information processing (e.g., spin qubits) or advanced light-emitting applications, focusing on controlled growth and isolation.
Optical and pixel-defining materials for display panels, including black matrix compositions, color filter pigments, optical alignment films, and pixel-define layers.
Development of memory cells utilizing resistive switching or phase-change materials, including novel material compositions, multi-layered structures, and integration with selector devices like bipolar junction transistors, to achieve non-volatile storage.
Processes and methodologies for the efficient and scalable preparation of complex heterocyclic compounds and their precursors, including specific reaction conditions, purification techniques, and intermediate compounds.
Innovations in the design, materials, and manufacturing of lithography masks, including reflective masks, programmable masks, and defect mitigation strategies, to enable finer feature patterning and process control.
Methods and structures for incorporating touch sensing capabilities directly into OLED display panels, typically involving conductive layers and insulating layers within or on top of the display stack.
Design and fabrication techniques for magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) cells, focusing on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack profiles, electrode configurations, and dielectric encapsulation to improve performance and reliability.
Engineering of artificial subwavelength structures (meta-atoms) to create metasurfaces that manipulate light properties (phase, polarization, wavelength) for multi-functional optical devices.
Components and techniques aimed at improving the visual quality of OLED displays, such as color accuracy, contrast, brightness uniformity, and reducing reflections or glare through optical layers and coatings.
Formulated liquid compositions designed for specific industrial applications, such as non-flammable cleaning, thermal management in electronics, or as low-viscosity, high-flash-point base fluids.
Methods and apparatus for the efficient and selective production of organic compounds, including amines, acids, and esters, often involving catalytic or continuous processes and purification steps.
Chemical compounds developed for applications in energy storage devices, such as rechargeable lithium batteries, often functioning as electrolyte additives to improve performance, safety, or lifespan.
The design and manufacturing of integrated circuits that combine optical and electronic components, particularly for high-speed data communication between processors and memory.
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.
Materials and processes for hermetic encapsulation, conformal coating, optical chip sealing, and stretchable conductors for electronic and optoelectronic devices.
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.
Patents
Showing 1-10 of 20
Quantum Dot Semiconductor Structures