PlainPatent

CPC technology class · G01

G01Q - Scanning-probe Techniques OR Apparatus

Scanning-probe techniques or apparatus; applications of scanning-probe techniques, e.g. scanning probe microscopy [spm]. 1,097 US utility patents granted 2015–2025, with the leading assignees and year-by-year filing trajectory.

1,097
US patents granted
G01
Parent CPC class
20
Active assignees
+2%
5-yr velocity

The verdict

Scanning-probe Techniques OR Apparatus ranks #442 of 670 CPC technology areas - 1,097 US patents granted since 2015, with filing up 2% over five years.

#442
of 670 CPC technology areas
1,097
US patents granted, 2015–2025
Bruker Nano
leading assignee (74)
+2%
filing velocity, last 5 yrs
Top assignee: Bruker Nano, Inc. (74 patents)

CPC subclass G01Q - SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM] - covers 1,097 US utility patents granted between 2015 and 2025 according to USPTO PatentsView records, within the broader CPC class G01 (MEASURING; TESTING). See our CPC classification guide for how the system works.

The competitive landscape in G01Q is shaped by 20 distinct companies actively filing in this space. Bruker Nano, Inc. leads with 74 patents, followed by Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO at 50 grants and Shimadzu Corporation at 31.

Filing activity in G01Q is up 2% over the past five years versus 2015-2019, a relatively steady filing pace. All counts come directly from USPTO PatentsView and reflect US granted utility patents only.

Is G01Q innovation accelerating?

US utility-patent grants per year in G01Q, 2015–2025 - recent five years are up 2% versus 2015–2019.

406080100120140 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 51

Who leads G01Q?

The 12 most active assignees in SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM] - wider bars mean more grants

patents

What this shows Bruker Nano is the most active filer in G01Q, holding 74 of the 1,097 patents in this class. Concentration at the top signals how contestable this technology area is for new entrants.

Source USPTO PatentsView, granted utility patents As of 2015–2025 grant years
View data table
Top patent holders in CPC subclass G01Q
Rank Company Patents in G01Q
#1 Bruker Nano, Inc. 74
#2 Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO 50
#3 Shimadzu Corporation 31
#4 Carl Zeiss SMT Gmbh 26
#5 Infinitesima Limited 22
#6 Oxford Instruments Asylum Research, Inc. 21
#7 Hitachi High-tech Science Corporation 16
#8 Fractilia, Llc 11
#9 CBN Nano Technologies Inc. 9
#10 Hysitron, Inc. 9
#11 PARK Systems Corp. 9
#12 University Of Basel 8
#13 Oxford Instruments AFM Inc 8
#14 NOVA Measuring Instruments Inc. 7
#15 Xallent Inc. 7
#16 Oxford Instruments Plc 6
#17 Anton Paar Gmbh 5
#18 Inscopix, Inc. 5
#19 Applied Materials Israel Ltd. 4
#20 Baylor University 4

About This Class

CPC subclass G01Q belongs to class G01.

1,097 patents were granted in this class between 2015 and 2025.

20 companies actively patent in this space.

Classification System

Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is a hierarchical patent classification system used by the USPTO and EPO.

← All Technology Classes Technology Rankings →

Footprint here vs. claim strategy

Each dot is a leading G01Q assignee, placed by how many patents it holds in this class (horizontal) against its company-wide average claims per patent (vertical) - a read on whether the class is led by broad-but-shallow filers or focused deep-claim players.

Top 14 G01Q assignees by class footprint. Bubble size = patents in G01Q. Source: USPTO PatentsView (claim depth is company-wide across all classes).

Top 14 G01Q assignees by class footprint. Bubble size = patents in G01Q. Source: USPTO PatentsView (claim depth is company-wide across all classes). Scatter plot of 14 data points (bubble-sized by third dimension). 51015202530 020406080 Patents in G01Q Avg claims / patent (company-wide) Bruker NanoNederlandse Organisat…ShimadzuCarl Zeiss SmtInfinitesimaOxford Instruments As…Hitachi High-tech Sci…FractiliaCbn NanoHysitronPark SystemsUniversity Of BaselOxford Instruments AfmNova Measuring Instru…
Top 14 G01Q assignees by class footprint. Bubble size = patents in G01Q. Source: USPTO PatentsView (claim depth is company-wide across all classes).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CPC class G01Q?
CPC subclass G01Q covers SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]. It belongs to CPC class G01 (MEASURING; TESTING), with 1,097 US utility patents granted since 2015.
How many patents have been filed in G01Q?
1,097 US utility patents were granted in CPC subclass G01Q between 2015 and 2025, based on USPTO PatentsView data.
Which company holds the most patents in G01Q?
Bruker Nano, Inc. leads G01Q with 74 patents, making it the most active assignee in this technology area.
How is patent data for G01Q collected?
Patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It covers all US granted utility patents and assigns CPC codes based on the technology described in each patent.
What is the difference between CPC class and subclass?
A CPC class (e.g., G01) is a broad technology category. Subclasses like G01Q provide finer granularity within that category. PlainPatent organizes data at the subclass level (4-character codes) for the most useful view of technology domains.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView - official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial

Every figure on PlainPatent is rendered directly from USPTO source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USPTO source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.