SHJ Bifacial Solar Cell Patent Snapshot 2026
The SHJ bifacial patent space is highly concentrated, with a small cluster of industrial and academic actors — led by IBM — accounting for the vast majority of filings. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2017 peak and recent years remain understated by publication lag.
IBM leads a tightly held, research-driven field
IBM holds the top position in SHJ bifacial patenting, followed by KU Leuven and IMEC — both Belgian research institutions — then TU Delft. The top five filers account for 89% of the combined total among the ranked applicants visible in this query, signaling an extremely concentrated visible assignee structure.
The tier gap between the leader and the rest is pronounced: IBM’s count alone is double that of the next-ranked institutions. The second and third ranks (KU Leuven and IMEC) are tied and known collaborators, effectively forming a single research bloc that narrows the apparent diversity of independent actors.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Business Machines Corporation | 10 | |
| 2 | KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) | 5 | |
| 3 | IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) | 5 | |
| 4 | Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) | 4 | |
| 5 | Crystal Solar Inc. | 1 | |
| 6 | Svagos Technik Inc. | 1 | |
| 7 | Nanchang University | 1 | |
| 8 | Oxford Photovoltaics Ltd. | 1 |
The dominance of academic and research institutions alongside IBM — rather than major solar manufacturers — suggests this remains a pre-commercial, IP-staking phase rather than a mature product-driven evidence snapshot. Entries from Crystal Solar, Oxford Photovoltaics, and Nanchang University indicate early-stage industrial interest but not yet a challenger tier.
Filing counts for the most recent 18–24 months are understated due to standard patent publication lag and should not be interpreted as a decline in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2017 filing peak followed by a multi-year recovery still expanding overall
The annual trend and technology composition together reveal a field that peaked early, paused, then resumed growth — concentrated almost entirely in semiconductor device classifications with an adjacent nanotechnology thread.
Annual filing trend
Filings peaked in 2017, dropped sharply through 2019–2020, then recovered modestly from 2021 onward. The three-year recent window reflects 300% growth over the prior three-year window, confirming multi-year expansion despite the 2017 peak. Zero values in 2024–2026 reflect publication lag, not a cessation of activity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (semiconductor devices) is overwhelmingly visible, reflecting the core photovoltaic device architecture of SHJ bifacial cells. B82Y (nanotechnology applications) appears as a secondary branch, linked to IBM’s nanotechnology-oriented filings and indicating a distinct but narrow research thread within the corpus.
↗ 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.
Electron transport layer- and/or hole transport la…
The present invention is in the field of a semiconductor device sensitive to light, and specially adapted for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy, in particular a silicon hetero-junction solar cell, or photovoltaic (PV) cell, a processor for the manufacture thereof, and details thereof. Said solar cells comprise at least… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method of patterning an amorphous semiconductor la… | 15 |
| 2 | Deposition method of perovskite material | 11 |
| 3 | Method for patterning an amorphous semiconductor l… | 5 |
| 4 | 一种局域非晶硅/晶体硅异质结双面太阳电池结构 | 3 |
| 5 | Contact for silicon heterojunction solar cells | 2 |
| 6 | Silicon heterojunction solar cells | 2 |
| 7 | Contact for silicon heterojunction solar cells | 1 |
| 8 | Contact for silicon heterojunction solar cells | 1 |
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.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
International Business Machines Corporation
IBM holds 10 patent records, the largest single-applicant block in the corpus. Its technical emphasis spans H01L 31 (photovoltaic semiconductor devices) and B82Y 20 (nanotechnology applications), the latter being a distinguishing thread absent from most competitors. IBM’s trajectory and independent filing approach suggest a defensive IP position around heterojunction cell architecture integrated with nanoscale fabrication methods. No momentum data flags a recent acceleration, consistent with the post-2017 annual easing observed across the field.
patent records: 10IMEC & KU Leuven
IMEC and KU Leuven each hold 5 patent records and share all five through a documented co-filing relationship, making them effectively a single 5-record research bloc. Both concentrate on H01L 31 with secondary coverage in H01L 21 (semiconductor fabrication processes) and H01L 33 (LED/emitter devices), suggesting process integration and device architecture breadth beyond pure PV. TU Delft, with 4 patent records and flagged as a new entrant, represents the most dynamic recent signal — all 4 records are concentrated in H01L 31 — and warrants close monitoring as activity matures through publication lag.
patent records: 5 each (10 alliance)Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 15 patent families in scope. This is a small and specialized body of IP, consistent with the field’s research-stage character and narrow applicant pool.
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) holds the largest block with 10 patent records, roughly double the next-ranked applicants (KU Leuven and IMEC, 5 patent records each). IBM’s position is built independently, without a documented co-filing relationship in this corpus.
The field is classified as Growth stage. The recent three-year filing window shows 300% growth over the prior three-year window on a multi-year basis. However, annual volume peaked in 2017 and has not returned to that level, so growth is cumulative-window-driven rather than year-on-year acceleration.
The United States leads with 13 patent records, followed by EPO (Europe) with 4 and WIPO PCT filings with 3. China, Japan, and Austria each have a single record, indicating limited coverage in major solar manufacturing geographies outside the US and Europe.
Yes. IMEC (Interuniversitair Micro-Electronics Centrum) and KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) are the only documented co-filing pair, sharing 5 joint patent records. No other collaboration pairs appear in the evidence. IBM’s filings are independent.
TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) is flagged as a new entrant with 4 patent records, all concentrated in H01L 31 (photovoltaic semiconductor devices). Its recent momentum makes it the most dynamic signal in the current corpus, though its full filing picture may still be understated by publication lag.
Ready to map your own SHJ bifacial IP Snapshot?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
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.