Photovoltaic Backsheet Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
- 80.9% concentration. The top five assignees account for 38 of the 47 records in scope — this is a field defined by a small set of incumbents, not a crowded open race.
- Filing peaked in 2018 and has not recovered. From a high of 12 records that year, the trend runs flat to declining through the dataset, with 2022 at zero.
- Claims cluster in semiconductor and polymer classes. H01L appears on 55.3% of records and H02S on 27.7%, but coatings (C09D) and circuit-level classes (H05K) each sit under 9% — a narrower band than the filing concentration suggests.
What the photovoltaic backsheet patent record actually covers
Photovoltaic backsheets sit at the intersection of polymer chemistry and module reliability: the claims in this dataset span hydrolysis resistance, water vapor transmission, partial-discharge insulation, and the shift from fluoropolymer to non-fluoro constructions. The search captures 47 published records filed between 2015 and mid-2026, drawn from documents that explicitly claim backsheet film or coextruded backsheet structures alongside a named failure mode or material class.
Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the most recent year in any trend line understates real filing activity — treat 2025 and 2026 figures as a floor, not a ceiling.
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 47 records: how filing activity has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses the claims actually sit in.
A peak in 2018, then a flat-to-declining trend
Filings ran from 4 records in 2017 to a peak of 12 in 2018, then eased off; the midpoint year of 2022 recorded zero filings, and the trend has not rebuilt since. Combined with the 18-month publication lag, this points to a field where the core claim space was staked out early rather than one still being actively contested.
Semiconductor and polymer classes dominate, coatings and circuits do not
H01L (semiconductor devices) appears on 55.3% of the 47 records and H02S (photovoltaic power generation) on 27.7%, reflecting how backsheet claims are typically drafted as part of the module stack rather than standalone film patents. Polymer-composition classes C08K and C08L each sit at 21.3%, while coatings (C09D) and printed-circuit-adjacent claims (H05K) are each under 9% of records — thinner coverage given how central adhesion and coating chemistry are to backsheet performance.
Shares are the percentage of the 47 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Photovoltaic Backsheets with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about photovoltaic backsheets and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe documents shaping freedom to operate
Patterned Transparent Photovoltaic Backsheet (US20140150854A1)
A multilayer photovoltaic backsheet comprising a transparent substrate with the same polymeric coatings on both sides, or a different coating on either side. The coating-based approach replaces laminated layers to give a faster, lower-step manufacturing process while avoiding the delamination problems seen in laminated backsheets. The outer coating can be tailored to soften during module lamination, allowing a patterned blanket or textured surface to be pressed into it.Filed by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation, published 2014-06-05.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20180254738A1 | System and method for packaging photovoltaic roof tiles | 91 |
| 2 | US20210115223A1 | Polyolefin Photovoltaic Backsheet Comprising a Stabilized Polypropylene Layer | 83 |
| 3 | WO2013115851A1 | Laser patterning of photovoltaic backsheet | 45 |
| 4 | US20150027516A1 | Backsheet and photovoltaic modules comprising it | 37 |
| 5 | WO2013135349A1 | Backsheet and photovoltaic modules comprising it | 35 |
| 6 | WO2011084438A1 | Photovoltaic backsheet | 34 |
| 7 | US20170226321A1 | Polyolefin Photovoltaic Backsheet Comprising a Stabilized Polypropylene Layer | 23 |
| 8 | US20120024353A1 | Thermoformable photovoltaic backsheet | 20 |
| 9 | CN107353859A | 一种复合型光伏背板用绝缘胶粘剂材料及应用 | 13 |
| 10 | US20120240973A1 | Photovoltaic Backsheet | 13 |
Citation counts favor older documents in any searched corpus; read them as a signal of influence on later filings, not as a measure of current commercial relevance.
Patent titles are shown in the language they were filed in, not translated, so that each record stays verifiable against the original filing — a translated title will not match in Eureka or in any national register. Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Browse MCP servers →What the concentration and class data mean for filing strategy
Three patterns stand out once the ranking, trend and IPC data are read together.
This is an incumbent field, not an open one
With the top five assignees combined holding 38 of the 47 records in scope, a new entrant is filing against a small number of established claim holders rather than into open white space. The top ten extend that to 97.9% of all records, leaving almost nothing outside the ranked leaders.
Filing activity has not recovered since 2018
The trend runs flat to declining after its 2018 peak, with the 2022 midpoint recording zero filings. Recent-year momentum checks across the leading assignees show zero filings in the latest year for each of the companies tracked, consistent with a maturing rather than expanding claim landscape.
Coating chemistry is underrepresented relative to its role in failure modes
Hydrolysis and delamination are coating and adhesion problems, yet C09D (coatings, paints and inks) appears on only 8.5% of the 47 records. Most claims are drafted at the module or polymer-composition level instead, which leaves the coating-formulation layer comparatively thin.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to photovoltaic backsheets, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the claim space, and where it thins out
A short list of assignees accounts for nearly all the record volume; below the tenth-ranked company, filing activity drops to isolated single filings.
One company sets the pace by a wide margin
The leading assignee holds 13 of the 47 records in scope, more than double the fifth-place company's 3. That gap is the clearest signal in the ranking: this is not a field with several roughly equal competitors.
The mid-field drops off sharply after the leader
By fifth place, assignee counts have fallen to 3 records, and by tenth place to a single record. The long tail below that consists largely of one-off filings rather than sustained programs.
No leading assignee filed in the most recent tracked year
Recent-year momentum checks show zero filings in the latest year for each of the leading assignees tracked, which is consistent with the broader flat-to-declining trend since 2018 rather than a sign any one company has exited.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Dow Global Technologies LLC | 0 | — |
| Avery Dennison Corporation | 0 | — |
| Renolit Belgium N.V. | 0 | — |
| Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Chaineux SA | 0 | — |
| LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 0 | — |
| Arkema France SA | 0 | — |
| Hangzhou First Applied Material Co., Ltd. | 0 | — |
Where to take this from here
The dataset points to a concentrated, slowing field with specific gaps in coating-level claims. The next steps depend on whether you are clearing freedom to operate or looking for filing room.
Run a freedom-to-operate check against the top holders
With 80.9% of records held by five assignees, an FTO review should start with their claim scope rather than a broad prior-art sweep.
Check claim scope in EurekaProbe the coating-chemistry gap
C09D coverage sits under 9% of records despite coatings being central to hydrolysis and delamination failure modes — a candidate area for a first-mover claim.
Explore white space in EurekaTrack whether filing restarts post-2026
The flat trend since 2018 could reverse once publication catches up on 2025-2026 filings; re-run this search periodically rather than treating the current trend as final.
Set a monitoring alert in EurekaCommon questions about photovoltaic backsheet patents
The ranking in this dataset covers 25 companies, with the leading assignee holding 13 of the 47 records in scope. The top five assignees combined account for 80.9% of all records, and the top ten account for 97.9%, so the field is concentrated among a small group rather than spread evenly. Below tenth place, filing activity drops to single, isolated records rather than sustained portfolios.
Filing peaked in 2018 at 12 records and has run flat to declining since, with the 2022 midpoint recording zero filings. Because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the most recent one to two years in the trend will always look artificially low, so a firm conclusion about a rebound needs another filing cycle to confirm. As it stands, the evidence points to a maturing rather than expanding claim landscape.
The search targets records that combine backsheet or coextruded film claims with a named failure mode or material shift: hydrolysis resistance, water vapor transmission, partial-discharge insulation, and the move from fluoropolymer to non-fluoro constructions. IPC data shows most of these claims are filed at the module or polymer-composition level (H01L, H02S, C08K, C08L) rather than as standalone coating patents. Coating-specific claims (C09D) make up only 8.5% of records despite coating chemistry being central to several of these failure modes.
The clearest gaps sit where IPC coverage is thin relative to the underlying technical problem: coating-layer adhesion promoters, non-fluoro coating formulations, and partial-discharge insulation testing methods all show low class representation in this dataset. Coextrusion process claims are another candidate, since most current claims describe layer composition rather than the manufacturing process itself. These are leads for further prior-art review, not guarantees of open claim space.
US20140150854A1, assigned to Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation and published in 2014, claims a multilayer transparent photovoltaic backsheet that uses polymeric coatings on both sides of the substrate instead of laminated layers. The coating-based approach is claimed specifically to avoid delamination problems seen in laminated backsheets and to allow a patterned or textured outer coating that softens during module lamination. Anyone designing a coated, patterned transparent backsheet should review this filing's claim scope directly rather than relying on the abstract.
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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.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.