Company patents

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. shows a surprising shift in its patent strategy, with a significant decline across nearly all categories in 2025 and so far in 2026, including its largest segment, Input/Output & User Interfaces, which saw a -69.4% decline in 2025 and -89.4% so far in 2026. Despite this overall reduction, the company had an emerging focus in Memory Devices (Structural) with a +200.0% YoY growth in 2024, indicating a targeted investment in specific semiconductor memory technologies before the broader portfolio decline.

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.

2,559 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 33 themes

Memory System Performance & Reliability

Hardware and control techniques for optimizing memory access latency, ensuring data integrity, and managing storage resources efficiently. This includes error correction, read/write voltage control, and intelligent data placement or in-memory computation.

Computer Hardware ArchitectureMemory & Storage (Static)
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1,093since 2023
-48.8%YoY
Magnetic Head & Actuator Design

Innovations in the mechanical and electromagnetic design of read/write heads, sliders, suspension assemblies, and actuator systems for hard disk drives, focusing on precision, stability, and data integrity.

Information Storage (Recording)
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625since 2023
-17.0%YoY
HDD Servo & Control Systems

Advanced control algorithms and embedded systems for managing hard disk drive operations, including precise head positioning, track following, defect detection, command scheduling, and thermal management.

Information Storage (Recording)
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541since 2023
-37.3%YoY
Recording Media Materials

Development of novel material compositions, thin-film deposition techniques, and surface treatments for recording layers, lubricants, and protective coatings to improve data density, durability, and magnetic or optical properties.

Information Storage (Recording)
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515since 2023
-12.7%YoY
Memory Reliability, Testing & Repairfiltered

Methods and circuits for detecting and mitigating defects, ensuring data integrity, and enabling self-testing and repair mechanisms within memory devices and subsystems.

Memory & Storage (Static)
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332since 2023
-60.9%YoY
Resistive & Phase Change Memory

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.

Memory Devices (Structural)
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325since 2023
-6.6%YoY
Advanced Memory Cell Structures

Focuses on the physical design, materials, and manufacturing processes for individual memory cells, including transistor structures, interconnects, and multi-layered (3D) architectures to enhance density and performance.

Memory & Storage (Static)Memory Devices (Structural)
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203since 2023
+20.6%YoY
3D Die Stacking & Vertical Interconnects

Techniques for stacking multiple semiconductor dies or active layers vertically to achieve higher density and shorter interconnections, often utilizing through-silicon vias (TSVs) or other vertical conductive paths like through-hole electrodes.

Multi-Chip & 3D AssembliesChip-to-Chip Interconnect (Bonding, Bumps)Semiconductor Packaging & EncapsulationMemory Devices (Structural)
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120since 2023
0.0%YoY
High-Speed Data Interconnects

Technologies for establishing and managing high-bandwidth, low-latency communication pathways between computing components, peripherals, or systems, focusing on signal integrity, synchronization, and interface standards.

Computer Hardware Architecture
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119since 2023
-64.4%YoY
Heterogeneous Chiplet Integration

Combining different types of functional chiplets (e.g., compute, memory, I/O, optical, power, biological) into a single package or system, often to optimize performance, power, or cost by leveraging specialized components.

Multi-Chip & 3D AssembliesMemory Devices (Structural)
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64since 2023
-20.0%YoY
Advanced Electronic Packaging

Methods and structures for integrating and enclosing electronic components into compact, multi-functional modules, often involving embedded components, multi-layer substrates, and electromagnetic shielding for performance and miniaturization.

Printed Circuits & Electronic Assemblies
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55since 2023
-63.6%YoY
Specialized Compute Architectures

Novel hardware designs and processing pipelines tailored for specific computational tasks, such as graphics rendering, neural network operations, or matrix transformations, often involving custom circuits, memory arrays, or data flow mechanisms.

Computer Hardware Architecture
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53since 2023
-7.1%YoY
AI/ML Hardware Acceleration

Specialized hardware, architectural designs, and computational methods to improve the speed, efficiency, and security of artificial intelligence and machine learning model execution, particularly for inference and data processing.

Machine Learning & AIComputer Hardware ArchitectureHardware Platform (Cooling, Power, Packaging)
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49since 2023
+10.0%YoY
Data Resiliency & Recovery

Encompasses strategies and technologies to ensure the availability, integrity, and recoverability of data and systems, including robust backup, replication, error correction, and efficient data restoration.

System Reliability & Diagnostics
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45since 2023
-62.5%YoY
Power Delivery & Battery Management

Techniques for efficiently supplying power to electronic devices, managing battery charge/discharge cycles, optimizing power consumption, and converting power between different voltage levels or AC/DC for improved energy efficiency and longevity.

Hardware Platform (Cooling, Power, Packaging)
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34since 2023
0.0%YoY
In-Memory Sensing & Data Path

Design and operation of analog and mixed-signal circuits within the memory array, such as page buffers, sense amplifiers, and data latches, responsible for reading and writing data from/to memory cells.

Memory & Storage (Static)
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31since 2023
+62.5%YoY
Advanced Metallization & Contacts

Novel materials and processes for forming low-resistance electrical contacts and interconnects within semiconductor devices, including selective deposition, silicidation, and barrier layers for improved performance and scaling.

Chip-to-Chip Interconnect (Bonding, Bumps)
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27since 2023
+66.7%YoY
Package Thermal Management

Integrated solutions for dissipating heat generated by high-density semiconductor devices within the package, including embedded cooling structures, cold plates, and optimized fluidic channels.

Semiconductor Packaging & EncapsulationMulti-Chip & 3D AssembliesChip-to-Chip Interconnect (Bonding, Bumps)
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27since 2023
-85.7%YoY
Device Enclosure & Material Engineering

Methods and materials used to construct robust and protective enclosures for electronic devices, focusing on structural integrity, impact resistance, thermal dissipation, and specialized material properties for enhanced durability.

Printed Circuits & Electronic AssembliesHardware Platform (Cooling, Power, Packaging)
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26since 2023
-44.4%YoY
Fan-Out & Embedded Die Packaging

Packaging technologies where bare dies are embedded within a mold compound or substrate cavity, and then interconnected using redistribution layers (RDLs) for fan-out or compact integration, often avoiding through-silicon vias in the chips themselves.

Multi-Chip & 3D AssembliesSemiconductor Packaging & EncapsulationChip-to-Chip Interconnect (Bonding, Bumps)
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26since 2023
-77.8%YoY
Temporary Wafer Bonding & Debonding

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.

Chip-to-Chip Interconnect (Bonding, Bumps)
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23since 2023
+16.7%YoY
Flexible and Printed Circuitry

Manufacturing processes and material compositions for creating electronic circuits on flexible or conformable substrates, enabling novel form factors, enhanced durability, and new applications beyond rigid PCBs.

Printed Circuits & Electronic Assemblies
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23since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Interconnect Materials & Reliability

Development of novel materials and designs for bonding, sealing, and underfill applications, focusing on improving mechanical integrity, electrical performance, and preventing defects like cracks or delamination in chip-to-chip connections.

Chip-to-Chip Interconnect (Bonding, Bumps)
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9since 2023
n/a
Encapsulation Materials & Processes

Development and application of resin compositions, molding compounds, and underfill materials to protect semiconductor devices from environmental factors, moisture, mechanical stress, and for structural integrity.

Semiconductor Packaging & Encapsulation
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7since 2023
n/a
Flexible/Foldable Device Structures

Engineering solutions for creating electronic devices with bendable, foldable, or stretchable form factors, often involving hinges, flexible displays, and sliding mechanisms to enable dynamic physical configurations.

Hardware Platform (Cooling, Power, Packaging)
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4since 2023
0.0%YoY
Federated & Distributed ML

Methods for training machine learning models across multiple decentralized devices or servers while keeping data localized, often involving aggregation of model parameters and secure communication.

Machine Learning & AI
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4since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Predictive System Health

Techniques for monitoring system components and behaviors to anticipate failures, performance degradation, or anomalies, often leveraging machine learning for pattern recognition and forecasting.

System Reliability & Diagnostics
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4since 2023
new
Quantum Machine Learning

Developing and applying machine learning algorithms that leverage quantum computing principles, such as quantum circuits or autoencoders, for tasks like simulation or data processing.

Machine Learning & AI
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4since 2023
0.0%YoY
Automated Fault Response

Involves systems designed to automatically detect errors or failures and initiate predefined or intelligent corrective actions, recovery procedures, or notifications to minimize downtime and manual intervention.

System Reliability & Diagnostics
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4since 2023
n/a
Large Model Text Generation

Techniques for generating human-like text or other content using large pre-trained models, often involving prompt engineering, speculative decoding, or multi-modal inputs for content creation.

Machine Learning & AI
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2since 2023
new
MLOps & Model Deployment

Systems and methods for automating the lifecycle of machine learning models, including pipeline deployment, model management, versioning, and configuring for different inference environments.

Machine Learning & AI
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2since 2023
new
Wearable & Mobile Interaction

Designing user interfaces and interaction methods specifically for mobile or wearable devices, enabling control of external systems, monitoring user states, or facilitating real-world transactions.

Input/Output & User Interfaces
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2since 2023
n/a
Power Electronics Integration

Design and assembly of power conversion, distribution, and protection modules, focusing on compact form factors, efficient electrical connections, and robust protective measures for electronic systems, often in high-power applications.

Printed Circuits & Electronic Assemblies
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1since 2023
new

Patents

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