SHJ Module Manufacturing Patent Landscape 2026
The SHJ module manufacturing patent space is China-dominated and moderately concentrated, with Chinese manufacturers and research institutes holding the leading positions. Annual filing volume has eased from its 2018 peak, though new entrants including LONGi Green Energy and the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems continue to enter the field.
Jiangsu Wanji leads a China-centric field with moderate top-tier concentration
Jiangsu Wanji Drive Sci & Tech Co Ltd holds the leading position in this space, followed by a cluster of Tongwei Solar subsidiaries, Suzhou Aikang Low Carbon Tech Institute, LONGi Green Energy Technology, and International Business Machines Corporation, each tied at second. Chinese industrial players and state-affiliated research institutes dominate the top twenty ranked applicants.
The top five filers account for 23% of the combined patent records of the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate concentration — no single entity has achieved decisive lock-in, and the gap between leader and mid-tier challengers remains bridgeable.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JIANGSU WANJI DRIVE SCI & TECH CO LTD | 22 | |
| 2 | Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | 12 | |
| 3 | International Business Machines Corporation | 12 | |
| 4 | Suzhou Aikang Low Carbon Tech Institute | 12 | |
| 5 | LONGi Green Energy Technology Co Ltd | 12 | |
| 6 | SHANGHAI INST OF MICROSYSTEM & INFORMATION TECH CH… | 10 | |
| 7 | Tongwei Solar (Jintang) Co Ltd | 9 | |
| 8 | Jiangxi Electric Power Investment New Energy Sci & Tech Co Ltd | 9 | |
| 9 | Zhejiang Aikang Photoelectric Sci & Tech Co Ltd | 8 | |
| 10 | Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) | 7 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives) | 7 | |
| 12 | Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | 6 | |
| 13 | 48th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation | 6 | |
| 14 | Tongwei Solar (Hefei) Co Ltd | 5 | |
| 15 | Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co Ltd | 5 | |
| 16 | Xifeng 2D Fujian Material Tech Co Ltd | 5 | |
| 17 | Nankai University | 5 | |
| 18 | State Power Investment Corporation Research Institute Co Ltd | 4 | |
| 19 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 4 | |
| 20 | Nanchang University | 4 |
The fragmented mid-tier, which includes European research institutions such as EPFL and the French Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), alongside Chinese universities, signals that the technology remains contested at the process and device-architecture level rather than consolidated around a dominant platform owner.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 are subject to publication lag and should be read as preliminary minimums rather than trend endpoints. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity has plateaued since 2018; semiconductor device IP dominates the technology mix
The filing trend reveals a field that surged to a peak in 2018 and has since settled at a lower annual plateau, while the technology composition is overwhelmingly concentrated in semiconductor device classification with only thin coverage in adjacent process branches.
Annual filing trend
Filings peaked sharply in 2018 and have since trended downward toward a plateau in the low-to-mid twenties per year. The 2024 bar and the zero values for 2025–2026 reflect publication lag and should not be read as real declines; the true recent-period volume will be higher once pending applications publish.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (semiconductor devices) dominates the branch mix with by far the largest share of records, reflecting the device-architecture focus of most filers. C23C (coating and surface deposition) is a meaningful secondary branch, capturing thin-film deposition process innovation. Branches such as H10P, H10K (organic semiconductors), B82Y (nanotechnology), C30B (crystal growth), and H10F (photovoltaic devices) each hold only a small slice, pointing to under-served adjacencies.
↗ 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.
HOCHEFFIZIENTE SILIZIUM-SOLARZELLE MIT HETEROÜBERG…
The present application discloses a high-efficiency silicon heterojunction (HJT) solar cell and a manufacturing method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of solar cells. In the solar cell of the present application, an N-type crystal silicon wafer is successively provided with a thin SiO2 layer, a hydrogenated amorphous carbon silicon oxide film… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contact for silicon heterojunction solar cells | 61 |
| 2 | 双面受光的晶体硅/薄膜硅异质结太阳电池及制作方法 | 43 |
| 3 | 一种钙钛矿/硅异质结太阳能叠层电池结构及其制作方法 | 40 |
| 4 | Silicon heterojunction solar cells and methods of … | 35 |
| 5 | Silicon heterojunction photovoltaic device with wi… | 33 |
| 6 | 一种具有电镀电极的硅异质结太阳能电池及其制作方法 | 32 |
| 7 | Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells | 29 |
| 8 | 非晶硅/晶硅异质结太阳能电池制备方法 | 29 |
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 patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
Three structural signals — lifecycle stage, competitive concentration, co-filing patterns, and geographic footprint — together define the risk-reward profile for new entrants and incumbents in SHJ module manufacturing.
Field is at maturity with annual volume eased from its 2018 peak
The lifecycle evidence indicates annual filings have plateaued near their peak rather than continuing to grow. On a multi-year basis the corpus still reflects substantial cumulative activity (203 patent families in scope), but the period of rapid new-IP creation appears to have passed. R&D teams should expect incremental process improvements rather than foundational architecture shifts to dominate near-term filings.
Mature fieldModerate concentration leaves room for targeted challengers
With the top five filers holding 23% of the hundred largest filers’ combined records, no player has achieved decisive IP control. The mid-tier is populated by a mix of Chinese manufacturers, state research institutes, and European academic bodies, suggesting that a focused patent-building strategy in an adjacent process branch could establish a defensible position without confronting an entrenched block.
Moderate concentrationCo-filing is primarily intra-group, with one cross-sector academic-industry pair
The most active co-filing relationships are among Tongwei Solar subsidiaries — Tongwei Solar (Jintang), (Chengdu), (Meishan), (Anhui), and (Hefei) — each pairing with five co-filed records, forming a tight intra-group cluster. The State Power Investment Corporation Research Institute co-files with Jiangxi Electric Power Investment New Energy Sci & Tech. CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique) and Ion Beam Services represent the most visible cross-sector, academic-to-industry collaboration pair.
Intra-group clustersChina is the primary filing jurisdiction; international coverage is thin
China accounts for the majority of patent records, with the United States, WIPO (PCT), and the European Patent Office representing much smaller secondary jurisdictions. India, Canada, France, and Taiwan each hold only a handful of records. The thin PCT and EPO coverage relative to Chinese filings suggests that international freedom-to-operate for non-Chinese players may be relatively less encumbered, but also that most innovations are not being protected globally.
China-centricGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tongwei Solar (Jintang) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co Ltd | 5 |
| Tongwei Solar (Jintang) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | 5 |
| Tongwei Solar (Jintang) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | 5 |
| Tongwei Solar (Jintang) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar (Hefei) Co Ltd | 5 |
| Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co Ltd | 5 |
| Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar (Anhui) Co Ltd | 5 |
| Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | Tongwei Solar (Hefei) Co Ltd | 5 |
| State Power Investment Corporation Research Institute Co Ltd | Jiangxi Electric Power Investment New Energy Sci & Tech Co Ltd | 3 |
| Suzhou Aikang Low Carbon Tech Institute | Zhejiang Aikang Photoelectric Sci & Tech Co Ltd | 2 |
| CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives) | Ion Beam Services | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Jiangsu Wanji leads on volume; LONGi and Shanghai Microsystems are the sharpest new entrants
The leader holds a meaningful margin over second-tier filers, but several new entrants with strong institutional backing are rapidly building positions. Technology emphasis across the top players is almost uniformly H01L (semiconductor devices), with differentiation visible only in coating-process and organic-semiconductor adjacencies.
Jiangsu Wanji Drive Sci & Tech Co Ltd
Jiangsu Wanji holds the largest position with 22 patent records, focused on H01L semiconductor device architecture alongside a notable breadth in C23C coating and surface deposition — the only top-tier filer with substantial coverage across both branches. Momentum data does not flag a recent surge, indicating an established and stable portfolio rather than an accelerating one.
patent records: 22LONGi Green Energy Technology Co Ltd
LONGi Green Energy is flagged as a new entrant in the most recent period, with 12 patent records and a trajectory marked as a new entrant — meaning recent filings represent an entry into this specific corpus rather than continuation of a prior position. Its technology emphasis centres on H01L semiconductor devices with secondary coverage of H10K (organic semiconductors), suggesting early-stage exploration of tandem or next-generation junction architectures alongside its core SHJ work.
patent records: 12| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Institute of Microsystems and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| LONGi Green Energy Technology Co Ltd | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| State Power Investment Corporation Research Institute Co Ltd | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives) | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu) Co Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant H01L core
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant semiconductor-device core are sparsely covered in this corpus. These observations reflect relative sparsity and should be evaluated against technical feasibility and commercial relevance before being treated as investment targets.
B82Y · Nanotechnology applications
B82Y holds only 5 patent records in this corpus — a 1% share of records among classified branches. Nanotechnology approaches (nanostructured contacts, quantum-dot interlayers, nano-textured surfaces) are technically plausible in SHJ architectures to improve light trapping and interface passivation. The sparse coverage and presence of CEA as one of the few filers in adjacent space suggest this branch is being explored at research-institute level but has not yet attracted industrial-scale filing. An entrant with nano-fabrication process expertise could establish early positions here.
Search this in Eureka →C30B · Crystal growth
C30B covers crystal growth processes and holds only 2 patent records — the lowest share among the observed adjacent branches. Crystal quality and wafer substrate engineering are upstream determinants of SHJ cell efficiency, yet this branch is nearly absent from the corpus. The gap may reflect that substrate IP is filed under broader silicon-wafer classifications outside this search scope, or it may represent a genuine filing vacuum for SHJ-specific crystal engineering. Either way, the sparsity makes it an observation worth monitoring, particularly for equipment and material suppliers.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01L 31 · Semiconductor devices | C23C 16 · Coating & surface deposition | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | C23C 14 · Coating & surface deposition | H10P 72 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Institute of Microsystems and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Strong · 13 | Emerging · 1 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| LONGi Green Energy Technology Co Ltd | Strong · 12 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 1 | Absent |
| International Business Machines Corporation | Strong · 10 | Absent | Moderate · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| Suzhou Aikang Low Carbon Tech Institute | Strong · 12 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Tongwei Solar (Jintang) Co Ltd | Strong · 9 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives) | Strong · 7 | Absent | Emerging · 1 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus analysed contains 203 patent families in scope. Chinese filings represent the largest share of records, reflecting China’s dominant position as both a manufacturing and innovation hub for SHJ technology.
Jiangsu Wanji Drive Sci & Tech Co Ltd leads with 22 patent records. It is followed by Tongwei Solar Energy (Chengdu), International Business Machines Corporation, Suzhou Aikang Low Carbon Tech Institute, and LONGi Green Energy Technology Co Ltd, each with 12 patent records.
The field reached its peak annual filing volume in 2018 and has since plateaued at lower annual levels, consistent with a mature lifecycle stage. The most recent years (2024 onward) are subject to publication lag and undercount actual activity; no definitive decline should be inferred from those years alone.
China is the primary filing jurisdiction by a wide margin. The United States, WIPO (PCT), and the European Patent Office each hold a much smaller number of records, with India, Canada, France, and Taiwan each representing only a handful of filings.
The most active co-filing relationships are among Tongwei Solar subsidiaries — including Tongwei Solar (Jintang), (Chengdu), (Meishan), (Anhui), and (Hefei) — each pairing at five co-filed records. The State Power Investment Corporation Research Institute co-files with Jiangxi Electric Power Investment New Energy, and CEA co-files with Ion Beam Services.
B82Y (nanotechnology applications) holds only 5 patent records and C30B (crystal growth) holds only 2, making them the sparsest identified branches adjacent to the dominant H01L semiconductor-device core. H10F (photovoltaic and light-sensitive devices) and H10K (organic semiconductors) are also relatively sparse. These are observations of low filing density; technical feasibility and competitive context should be assessed before treating them as investment priorities.
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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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