PERC Absorber (p-Si) Patent Landscape 2026
The PERC absorber (p-Si) space is heavily concentrated, with the Aiko Solar group collectively commanding the top three ranked positions and the field showing clear signs of post-peak decline from its 2019 high. Activity is dominated by Chinese manufacturers, with semiconductor device claims (H01L) accounting for the majority of filings.
Aiko Solar entities lead a China-centric, highly concentrated field
Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd ranks first with 119 patent records, followed closely by Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd at 99 patent records — together accounting for the majority of the top-tier activity in this space.
The top five filers collectively hold 50% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, indicating a pronounced concentration at the top with a steep drop-off below the leading Aiko entities. A clear two-tier structure exists: the Aiko group far ahead, followed by Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co Ltd, Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd, and Tianjin Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd in a mid-tier.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 119 | |
| 2 | Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 99 | |
| 3 | Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co Ltd | 32 | |
| 4 | Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | 22 | |
| 5 | Tianjin Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 20 | |
| 6 | CSI Cells Co Ltd | 12 | |
| 7 | Chint New Energy Technology Co Ltd | 10 | |
| 8 | Shanxi Luan Photovoltaics Technology Co Ltd | 10 | |
| 9 | Zhuhai Fushan Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 8 | |
| 10 | Resonac Corporation | 8 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS & CO | 7 | |
| 12 | Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co Ltd | 7 | |
| 13 | Hanwha SolarOne Qidong Co Ltd | 7 | |
| 14 | Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | 6 | |
| 15 | Nantong Sumin New Energy Technology Co Ltd | 6 | |
| 16 | Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research | 6 | |
| 17 | Suzhou Talesun Solar Technology Co Ltd | 6 | |
| 18 | Changzhou Shichuang Energy Co Ltd | 6 | |
| 19 | Jineng Clean Energy Technology Ltd | 5 | |
| 20 | Jiangsu Shunfeng New Energy Technology Co Ltd | 5 |
The dominance of multiple Aiko-branded entities suggests a deliberate intra-group co-filing and IP segmentation strategy. Any new entrant or challenger must contend with a dense prior-art landscape controlled by a single corporate family before establishing meaningful differentiation.
Filing data for the most recent 18–24 months is subject to publication lag and should be treated as incomplete; apparent low volumes in 2024–2026 do not reflect actual recent activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity peaked in 2019 and has contracted sharply; H01L dominates the technology mix
Two perspectives define this space: a filing curve that clearly peaked in 2019 and has since declined, and a technology composition anchored overwhelmingly in semiconductor device classifications with a thin scatter of adjacent branches.
Annual filing trend
Filings rose from 70 in 2017 to a peak of 87 in 2019, then fell consistently through 2022 (29) and 2023 (22). Figures for 2024–2026 are minimal and should be read as incomplete due to publication lag. The multi-year window shows a net decline consistent with a mature-to-declining technology cycle.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (Semiconductor devices) is overwhelmingly dominant. C23C (Coating and surface deposition) is the second branch at a much lower level, reflecting the importance of passivation and deposition processes in PERC cell manufacturing. H10P, C30B (Crystal growth), H01B, H02S, and H10W are each represented at low levels, pointing to adjacent but under-exploited technical directions.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
PERC solar cell selective emitter, PERC solar cell…
A PERC solar cell selective emitter includes a silicon wafer, first and second doped regions and a laser doped region with doped layers. First doped regions are located between the doped regions of each doped layer, and each second doped region is located between two adjacent doped layers. The PERC solar cell includes the selective emitter, a front… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种双面PERC晶体硅太阳能电池的制备方法 | 68 |
| 2 | 一种三层介电钝化膜PERC太阳电池及制作工艺 | 56 |
| 3 | Aluminum pastes and use thereof in the production … | 44 |
| 4 | Process for the formation of a silver back electro… | 35 |
| 5 | 一种PERC电池背面钝化工艺 | 33 |
| 6 | 基于单晶PERC正面发射结隧穿氧化钝化电池制备方法 | 31 |
| 7 | 一种高转换效率SE-PERC太阳能电池的制备方法 | 29 |
| 8 | 管式PERC太阳能电池的镀膜设备及镀膜方法 | 27 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D allocation
The combination of post-peak filing activity, heavy concentration, intra-group collaboration, and. China-centric jurisdiction coverage creates a specific set of strategic implications for new entrants and existing players alike.
Decline stage: peak passed in 2019
The lifecycle assessment categorizes this field as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2019 peak of 87 records. The –76% recent growth figure confirms the contraction is substantial. R&D investment in core PERC (p-Si) process improvements faces an increasingly crowded and shrinking prior-art environment, making incremental differentiation harder to achieve and protect.
Post-peakTop five filers hold half of the top-100 combined total
The top five filers account for 50% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, with the three Aiko entities — Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Tianjin — holding the top positions. This concentration means the dominant IP positions are largely set; challengers must either design around the Aiko and DMEGC portfolios or focus on adjacent technical areas not yet densely covered.
High concentrationCo-filing is internal to corporate groups, not cross-industry
The most active co-filing pair is Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd and Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd, sharing 94 joint records — a purely intra-group arrangement. Tianjin Aiko and Zhuhai Fushan Aiko are further nodes in the same network. The Canadian Solar-related entities (Suzhou Canadian Solar and Fuyning Canadian Solar) show a secondary intra-group cluster. No significant cross-industry or university-industry co-filing partnerships appear at the top of the collaboration list.
Intra-group onlyChina accounts for the vast majority of filings; non-CN coverage is thin
China is the lead jurisdiction by a wide margin. The United States and EPO follow at a fraction of the Chinese volume, and India and WIPO (PCT) appear at similar low levels. South Korea, Germany, and Australia have minimal presence. This thin non-CN coverage means IP positions outside China are relatively weak, creating potential freedom-to-operate in key solar manufacturing and deployment markets for non-Chinese players.
China-dominantGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 94 |
| Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Tianjin Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 17 |
| Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Tianjin Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 17 |
| Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Zhuhai Fushan Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 7 |
| Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Zhuhai Fushan Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 7 |
| Tianjin Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Zhuhai Fushan Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 7 |
| Suzhou Canadian Solar Electric Power Technology Co Ltd | Canadian Solar Inc (CSI Solar Power Group) | 5 |
| Suzhou Canadian Solar Electric Power Technology Co Ltd | Fuyning Canadian Solar Electric Power Technology Co Ltd | 4 |
| Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar (Hefei) Co Ltd | 2 |
| Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar (Jintang) Co Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Zhejiang Aiko and Guangdong Aiko lead; momentum across all top filers is sharply negative
The leading positions are held by two entities within the same Aiko Solar corporate family, both concentrated in semiconductor device and coating/deposition classifications. All top filers show significant declining momentum, consistent with the field’s post-peak lifecycle stage.
Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd
The single largest filer with 119 patent records, focused primarily on H01L 31 (semiconductor photovoltaic devices), with secondary emphasis on C23C 16 (coating and surface deposition) and H01L 21 (semiconductor manufacturing processes). Recent momentum is sharply negative at –88%, consistent with industry-wide pullback from PERC (p-Si) core technology investment.
families: 119Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd
Second-ranked with 99 patent records and an almost identical technology focus — H01L 31, C23C 16, and H01L 21 — reflecting a parallel intra-group IP filing strategy. Recent momentum is –81%, slightly less severe than the Zhejiang entity but still indicating a clear wind-down of new PERC (p-Si) filings. The 94 joint records shared with Zhejiang Aiko confirm tightly coordinated portfolio management.
families: 99| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 6 | ▼ -88% |
| Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 6 | ▼ -81% |
| Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co Ltd | 2 | ▼ -89% |
| Tianjin Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | 6 | ▼ -50% |
| Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Shanxi Luan Photovoltaics Technology Co Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hanwha SolarOne Qidong Co Ltd | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the PERC (p-Si) core
Several IPC branches appear at low share relative to the dominant H01L class, representing areas where prior-art density is lower. These are observations of relative sparsity; plausible technical value and a realistic entry path determine whether they represent actionable opportunities.
C30B · Crystal growth
Crystal growth (C30B) accounts for only 2% of the branch composition. For PERC (p-Si) cells, upstream silicon crystal quality directly affects carrier lifetime and passivation effectiveness, yet IP coverage here is sparse. A player with capability in advanced Czochralski or float-zone crystal engineering could build differentiated positions addressing substrate quality constraints that limit efficiency gains in standard PERC architectures.
Search this in Eureka →H02S · Photovoltaic / solar power generation (system level)
H02S — covering photovoltaic and solar power generation at the system and integration level — appears at just 1% of the branch composition despite being directly adjacent to cell-level technology. The gap between cell-level H01L filings and system-level H02S filings suggests limited IP integration across the cell-to-module-to-system stack. Entrants with expertise in bifacial PERC module integration, inverter interfacing, or field performance optimization may find relatively open ground here.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across IPC branches
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01L 31 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | C23C 16 · Coating & surface deposition | H10P 72 | H10P 32 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Strong · 119 | Emerging · 11 | Moderate · 29 | Emerging · 10 | Absent |
| Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Strong · 98 | Emerging · 10 | Moderate · 27 | Emerging · 10 | Absent |
| Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co Ltd | Strong · 33 | Moderate · 12 | Emerging · 6 | Emerging · 6 | Emerging · 2 |
| Tianjin Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd | Strong · 18 | Moderate · 4 | Emerging · 2 | Emerging · 2 | Absent |
| Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | Strong · 14 | Moderate · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | Strong · 14 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Suzhou Canadian Solar Electric Power Technology Co Ltd | Strong · 12 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 408 patent families in scope. Applicant rankings are based on patent record counts, which can differ from family counts because a single family may be filed in multiple jurisdictions.
Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd ranks first with 119 patent records, followed by Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd with 99. Both entities are part of the Aiko Solar corporate group.
Annual filings peaked in 2019 at 87 records and have declined consistently since, reaching 29 in 2022 and 22 in 2023. Figures for 2024–2026 are subject to publication lag and are not indicative of actual recent activity.
China is the dominant jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed distantly by the United States and EPO (Europe). India and WIPO (PCT) are at similar low levels. Coverage outside China is limited, which may affect freedom-to-operate assessments in non-Chinese markets.
The field is assessed as being in Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2019 peak. The recent-window growth figure is -76%, confirming a sustained contraction in new patent activity consistent with technology maturity and the industry shift toward next-generation cell architectures.
The most active co-filing relationships are intra-group: Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd and Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Tech Co Ltd share 94 joint patent records. Tianjin Aiko and Zhuhai Fushan Aiko form additional nodes in the same network. No significant cross-industry or academic co-filing appears at the top of the collaboration ranking.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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