Patent Wars: Intellectual Property Pattern and Risks of Global Hardware Heat Sink Technology
Hardware heat sinks may seem simple in structure, but the core process behind them is becoming a new battlefield for international intellectual property competition. In 2026, patent attacks and defenses between Japanese, American, Korean companies and Chinese manufacturers are increasingly intense around key technologies such as high-density shovel teeth, soaking plate sintering, lead-free solder and heat dissipation coatings. Patent layout has evolved from a simple means of technical protection to market entry barriers and bargaining chips.
The tooth shovel process is the most controversial area. Japanese companies applied for basic patents for thin tooth pitch shovels as early as the early 2000s, covering processing methods with tooth thickness less than 0.3mm and tooth spacing less than 1.0mm. These patents have expired in major markets, but Japanese companies have continued to maintain their rights network through subsequent improved patents - such as "stepped shovel teeth", "curved shovel teeth" and "shovel teeth with diversion lines". Chinese manufacturers have taken a different approach in tool materials and path algorithms. They have applied for a large number of utility model patents represented by "automatic tool alignment method of shovel tooth machine" and "batch deburring equipment for shovel tooth heat sink", building a patent portfolio at the end of the process equipment. In late 2025, a patent infringement lawsuit involving a Chinese head gear shovel machine exported to South East Asia was settled in the Tokyo District Court, and the two sides finally reached a mutual license, reflecting the fact that "cross-licensing" in this field is becoming the norm.
The patent landscape for soaking plates is more complex. The process patents for traditional copper powder sintered soaking plates are mainly held by two US companies and one Korean company, which cover most commercial products by claiming to control the sintering temperature curve and copper powder particle size distribution. In order to avoid this, Chinese manufacturers have invested heavily in the research and development of etched capillary structures and woven mesh composite wicks, and have formed a dense patent package in this subdivision direction. As of Quarter 1, 2026, the number of patent applications related to soaking plates worldwide has exceeded 12,000, of which 58% are from China, but the highly cited core patents are still in the hands of Japanese and American companies. Patent quality rather than quantity has become a shortcoming that Chinese manufacturers need to make up for when entering the high-end heat sink market.
The formula patent of lead-free solder is also the sword of Damocles in the welding process of heat sink. The deadline for the European Union RoHS directive to exempt the lead limit of heat sink solder has come, and lead-free solder is irreversible. The current mainstream tin-silver-copper solder has a melting point between 217 and 227 ° C, which is not suitable for high-temperature processes that require multiple reflows. A high-temperature lead-free solder based on zinc and aluminum (solid line temperature 380 ° C) developed by a German materials company holds the core patent, and the licensing fee has pushed up the cost of copper-aluminum heat sinks using this solder. This is stimulating Chinese solder companies to accelerate their own research and development. In 2026, domestic zinc-aluminum-titanium solder has passed the automotive-grade reliability verification, and it is expected to break this single patent monopoly in the next two years.
In addition, functional heat dissipation coatings have also become a patent minefield. A British company holds a patent for "selective radiative heat dissipation coating for atmospheric windows", and its claims cover almost all heat dissipation coating formulations with high emissivity in the 8-13 μm band. A Chinese heat sink factory once filed an infringement investigation for its coated heat sinks exported to Europe, which was eventually settled by modifying the formula and paying a license fee. This incident promoted the original research and development of coating chemistry in the domestic heat sink industry. At present, independent coating formulations based on the synergy effect of graphene oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes have obtained Chinese invention patents, and are entering overseas through the PCT route.
For heat sink manufacturers, intellectual property is no longer the marginal work of the legal department, but the life and death line of whether the product can enter overseas customers. Establishing a sound patent early warning, invalid analysis and evasion design capabilities is as important as continuing to invest in original research and development.
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