As someone who files patents, not all patents are actually...

As someone who files patents, not all patents are actually useful. Apple had 1,996 patents granted between July 2019 and July 2020.

You could file a patent for a 15 legged chair but it wouldn't necessarily be useful. The DPMG patent was ground breaking, but throw Si in anywhere at the moment and investors get excited. Just like mentioning the words 'big data' 10 years ago, and 'machine learning' today, people wet their pants - but it doesn't actually mean that the tech will translate into the best method of fabricating a battery.

In addition, we regularly patent findings that we think competitors might find useful, but we don't - just to stifle their progress. Much like football teams buying players to prevent their rivals from getting them even though they may not use them.

Not trying to be a downer - I just wanted people to be aware that the number of patents is not necessarily useful, its the number of useful patents that counts.

To know if the patent is useful, you'll need to have a strong background in chemistry/physics, Si is literally the most abundant element on the Earth's crust - don't get too excited to see the element thrown around.