TOPCon Bifacial Solar Cell Patent Landscape 2026
CHINT New Energy Technology dominates a China-concentrated patent corpus that has grown substantially on a multi-year basis, though annual volume eased from its 2023 peak. The field remains active with multiple new entrants emerging in the most recent filing window, signalling continued competitive pressure in tunnel-oxide passivated contact bifacial cell technology.
CHINT New Energy leads a concentrated but broadening field
CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd holds the top position among the hundred largest filers, with 21 patent families — more than double the count of the next-ranked applicant, Dongfang Huansheng Photovoltaic (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd at 8 patent families.
The top five filers collectively account for 36% of the combined total of the hundred largest filers, indicating a moderately concentrated field with a clear leader but meaningful activity from a broader set of challengers clustered at 3–4 patent families each.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 21 | |
| 2 | Dongfang Huansheng Photovoltaic (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd | 8 | |
| 3 | Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co. Ltd | 4 | |
| 4 | Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | 4 | |
| 5 | Hanwha Solar One (Qidong) Co. Ltd | 4 | |
| 6 | Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 3 | |
| 7 | Eging Photovoltaic Technology Co. Ltd | 3 | |
| 8 | SolarCA LLC | 3 | |
| 9 | Wuhu GCL Integrated New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 3 | |
| 10 | Huaian Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 3 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | SHANGHAI SILVER PASTE SCI & TECH CO LTD | 3 | |
| 12 | Trina Solar Co. Ltd | 2 | |
| 13 | Solarspace New Energy (Chuzhou) Co. Ltd | 2 | |
| 14 | Teranergy Technology Co. Ltd | 2 | |
| 15 | Shanxi Jolywood Solar Cell Technology Co. Ltd | 2 | |
| 16 | Yingli Energy Development Co. Ltd | 2 | |
| 17 | Sinocreat (Ningbo) Technology Co. Ltd | 2 | |
| 18 | DK Electronics Materials Inc. | 1 | |
| 19 | Shangrao Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 1 | |
| 20 | Inno Photovoltaic Equipment (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd | 1 |
CHINT’s lead reflects early and sustained investment in TOPCon bifacial cell architecture; however, the wave of new entrants recorded in the most recent three-year window suggests the competitive gap may narrow as manufacturing-scale players build their own defensive positions.
Patent publication typically lags filing by 18–24 months, so data for 2024–2025 understates actual activity; trend reads for those years should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth intact; semiconductor device claims dominate the technology mix
Filing activity over the most recent three-year window is 123% above the prior equivalent window, confirming a Growth-stage field on a multi-year basis. Virtually all patents anchor to the semiconductor device class, with a small set of adjacent branches signalling emerging technical diversification.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible before 2018, accelerated sharply through 2021, and reached a corpus peak in 2023 at 29 patent families. The 2024 figure of 21 and the near-zero 2025 count reflect publication lag rather than a real decline; the multi-year growth rate of 123% confirms the field is still expanding on a structural basis.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (Semiconductor devices) accounts for all 101 patent families in the corpus, confirming that virtually all innovation is filed under the core photovoltaic device class. Secondary branches — H01B (Cables, conductors & insulators), H10F (Photovoltaic & light-sensitive devices), B23K (Welding, soldering & brazing), and others — each carry only 1–3 records, pointing to limited but emerging diversification into interconnection materials, process equipment, and coating chemistries.
↗ 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.
Rear junction bifacial poly-si/siox passivated con…
Disclosed is a highly efficient rear junction Tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell photovoltaic cell with TOPCon on both sides. Further disclosed are laser etching and screen printing methods for patterning the TOPCon.- Further disclosed is a tandem cell having a TOPCon cell as a bottom cell. Low-cost, manufacturable screen printed TOPCon on… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
Open this patent in Eureka →| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种激光硼掺杂选择性发射极TOPCon结构电池及其制备方法 | 57 |
| 2 | 一种TOPCon结构电池的制备方法 | 42 |
| 3 | 一种具有双面铝浆电极的N型Topcon电池及其制备方法 | 36 |
| 4 | 一种N型TOPCon太阳能电池的制作方法 | 35 |
| 5 | 管式PECVD制备多晶硅钝化接触结构的方法 | 33 |
| 6 | 电池背面结构及双面TOPCon太阳能电池 | 21 |
| 7 | N型双面太阳电池及其制备方法 | 17 |
| 8 | 一种双面掺杂多晶硅钝化接触电池及其制备方法 | 16 |
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 and competitive positioning
The combination of a concentrated leader, an influx of new entrants, and a near-uniform IPC footprint in the semiconductor device class defines both the investment case and the risk landscape for TOPCon bifacial development teams.
Growth stage, past 2023 peak in annual volume
Evidence classifies the field as Growth: the three-year filing window ending recently is 123% above the prior equivalent window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 at 29 patent families and has eased since, though publication lag inflates that apparent decline. Teams entering now face an established but still-evolving prior-art landscape rather than a saturated one.
Lifecycle: GrowthClear leader, narrowing tier gap
CHINT New Energy Technology holds 21 patent families versus 8 for second-ranked Dongfang Huansheng — a 2.6× gap. However, at least six applicants arrived as new entrants in the most recent filing window, compressing the mid-tier. R&D teams should map freedom-to-operate carefully around CHINT’s H01L 31 portfolio before advancing to manufacturing scale.
Concentration: ModerateLimited co-filing; intra-group pairing identified
The only recorded co-applicant relationship is between CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd and Zhejiang Chint Solar Technology Co. Ltd, with 2 jointly filed patent families — consistent with intra-group coordination within the Chint corporate ecosystem. No cross-company or academic–industry co-filing has been detected in this corpus, suggesting the field has not yet developed broad open-innovation partnerships.
Collaboration: Intra-group onlyChina-dominant filing; selective international extension
China is the primary filing jurisdiction with 58 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 12, the United States at 8, and WIPO (PCT) at 7. India (6), Australia (5), and the United Kingdom (4) receive selective extensions, suggesting applicants are targeting key manufacturing and import markets. Brazil at 1 record is an outlier, indicating limited coverage in Latin America.
Lead jurisdiction: ChinaGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | Zhejiang Chint Solar Technology Co. Ltd | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
CHINT New Energy leads; TCL Zhonghuan is the most active new entrant
The two most strategically distinct positions in the corpus belong to CHINT New Energy Technology, which holds the largest established portfolio, and TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu), which entered the most recent filing window with the highest recent-period count among new entrants.
CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd
CHINT New Energy Technology holds 21 patent families — the largest position in the corpus — concentrated entirely in H01L 31 (Semiconductor devices), with secondary coverage in H10F 10 and H10F 77. Its momentum trend shows a 76% decline in the most recent three-year period versus prior, suggesting the portfolio-building phase is maturing rather than accelerating. Freedom-to-operate analysis around its H01L 31 claims is a prerequisite for any new market entrant.
families: 21TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd
TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu) is classified as a new entrant, recording 7 patent families in the most recent filing window — the highest recent-period count among all new entrants in the corpus. Its technology focus spans H01L 31 (Semiconductor devices) and B23K 26 (Laser processing / welding), the latter suggesting a differentiated approach to cell interconnection or laser doping processes that is not prominent in the leader’s portfolio.
families: 7| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 4 | ▼ -76% |
| TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd | 7 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hanwha Solar One (Qidong) Co. Ltd | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co. Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Wuhu GCL Integrated New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Huaian Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant H01L 31 core
Beyond the H01L semiconductor device class that saturates the corpus, several IPC branches carry only 1–3 records each. These represent observations of relative sparsity; some carry plausible technical value for TOPCon bifacial applications.
B23K · Welding, soldering & brazing (laser processing)
Only 2 patent records in the corpus address B23K 26 laser processing — relevant to laser-doped selective emitter formation and laser ablation steps that are integral to advanced TOPCon cell manufacturing. TCL Zhonghuan’s presence in this branch as a new entrant signals early-stage competitive attention. Teams with laser-processing expertise may find limited prior-art density here, though the small count also means the branch may simply reflect an incomplete filing strategy rather than a validated commercial gap.
Search this in Eureka →H01B · Cables, conductors & insulators (electrode materials)
Three patent records touch H01B (conductor and insulator materials), an adjacent branch relevant to the silver paste and metallization front-contact engineering that directly affects bifacial cell efficiency and cost. Shanghai Silver Paste Sci & Tech Co. Ltd holds 3 patent families in the ranking, suggesting specialist material suppliers are beginning to stake claims. Entry through novel low-silver or copper-based conductor formulations for TOPCon contacts represents a plausible, technically grounded angle where the patent density remains low.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by IPC technology route
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01L 31 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H01B 1 · Cables, conductors & insulators | H10F 10 · Photovoltaic & light-sensitive devices | H10F 77 · Photovoltaic & light-sensitive devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | Strong · 21 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 3 | Emerging · 3 |
| TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd | Strong · 8 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Shanghai Silver Paste Sci & Tech Co. Ltd | Strong · 3 | Absent | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co. Ltd | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Hanwha Solar One (Qidong) Co. Ltd | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| SolarCA LLC | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 101 patent families in scope globally. China is the primary filing jurisdiction, accounting for 58 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 12 and the United States at 8.
CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd leads with 21 patent families, more than double the 8 patent families held by second-ranked Dongfang Huansheng Photovoltaic (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd.
The field is classified as Growth. The most recent three-year filing window is 123% above the prior equivalent window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 at 29 patent families and has eased since, but the multi-year growth trajectory remains positive. Recent-year figures are further understated by publication lag.
H01L (Semiconductor devices) covers all 101 patent families in the corpus, confirming it as the overwhelmingly dominant classification. Secondary branches such as H01B, H10F, and B23K each carry only 1–3 patent records.
Yes. At least seven applicants are classified as new entrants in the most recent three-year window, including TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu) with 7 recent-period patent families — the highest count among new entrants — and Hanwha Solar One (Qidong) and Jinko Solar (Haining), each with 4.
The only identified co-applicant relationship is between CHINT New Energy Technology Co. Ltd and Zhejiang Chint Solar Technology Co. Ltd, with 2 jointly filed patent families — an intra-group arrangement within the Chint corporate ecosystem. No broad cross-company or academic–industry co-filing is evident in this corpus.
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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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