ATSUGI, Japan, Sept. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Dr. Shunpei Yamazaki of Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (SEL) has renewed his own GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (TM) title of “Most patents credited as inventor” with a total of 20,120 patents on semiconductor devices, displays, and analog AI as of March 31, 2025. This achievement surpasses his previous records of 3,245 patents in 2004, 6,314 in 2011, and 11,353 in 2016.
This record was verified by six IP experts on July 9, 2025. Dr. Yamazaki received a record certificate from a Guinness World Records adjudicator on September 17, 2025. It includes patents granted in countries such as Japan, the United States, South Korea, China, and Germany from 1969 to March 31, 2025. Notably, Thomas Edison (U.S., 1847-1931), known as the “king of invention,” held 2,332 patents during his lifetime; Dr. Yamazaki has significantly exceeded this number.
Yamazaki’s comment: “More than 20,000 patents are the result of nearly 60 years of research. Encouraged by this record, we will continue to promote the development of technologies such as ultra-low power consumption LSIs and analog AI that can help prevent global warming.”
Dr. Shunpei Yamazaki’s Profile
Doctor of Engineering, Chairman & CEO of Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (SEL)
He was born in 1942. In 1970, he invented a basic device of a non-volatile memory known as “flash memory” (basic inventions of 41 patents including Japanese Patent No. 886343; Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 50-36955, and U.S. Patent No. 3,878,549). In 1980, he founded SEL and assumed the position of Representative Director. In 1997, he was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Cabinet Office of the Japanese Government for the innovation of MOS LSI element technology. He presented an oxide semiconductor FET with an extremely low off-state current on the order of yA/micrometer (10 to the power of -24 A/micrometer) *1 & *2.
He is a Life Fellow of IEEE, a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), a WAC (World Academy of Ceramics) academician, and an ECS (Electrochemical Society) fellow. He received an Honorary Doctor Degree of Culture from Doshisha University. He is also a member of Doshisha Shayu, a title given to distinguished contributors to Doshisha.