The innovations and developments in the semiconductor industry that have taken place in the last decades have had a major impact on today's information society. Semiconductor technology is one of the key technologies of the 20th century. Everyday life today would be inconceivable without computer chips, lasers and semiconductor transistors. Without them, television, videocassette recorders, video cameras, PCs, mobile phones and the Internet would not be a part of our daily lives.

Development continues unabated in many fields of research, such as in microelectronics. Components are getting smaller and smaller and, in a few years from now, functionality will be controlled by the principles of quantum mechanics. At that point nanotechnology will become fundamental.

Semiconductors are also used in optoelectronics. The information society calls for more and more information to be processed faster and faster in a more reliable and inexpensive way.

Nowadays, more than half of Germany's industrial production and over 80% of its exports depend on the use of modern information and communication technology and electronic systems. Moreover, Germany has an estimated 50% share of the global production of solar cells and photovoltaic modules., which makes it one of the leading nations in that respect, too.

Among the key areas for the development and use of semiconductor technology are microelectronics, micromechanics and microsensors, measurement technology, optoelectronics, laser technology and solar technology. The methods to produce relevant components are related to chemical, physical and electrical issues.

Gulde & Partner has a dedicated team of experts with an interdisciplinary scientific and practical background. We would be pleased to assist you throughout the registration process of your invention and the enforcement of your rights.