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.
Yamazakis 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.