TOPCon Cell/Module Manufacturing Patent Landscape 2026
The TOPCon cell and module manufacturing patent space is China-dominated and moderately concentrated, with the top five filers accounting for nearly a quarter of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual filing volume has eased from its 2023 peak and the most recent years remain understated by publication lag.
CHINT New Energy leads a moderately concentrated field with deep Chinese roots
CHINT New Energy Tech Co. Ltd holds the top position among all ranked applicants, followed closely by the Chuzhou Jietai and Huaian Jietai entities — two recently emerged filers that collectively rival the leader. The top five applicants together account for roughly a quarter of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent families, signaling meaningful but not extreme concentration.
A clear tier gap separates the top three applicants (ranging from 27 to 36 patent families each) from the broader mid-tier, where counts drop into the teens and single digits. This gap suggests the leading trio has built defensible positions while the mid-tier remains contestable.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHINT New Energy Tech Co. Ltd | 36 | |
| 2 | Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Tech Co. Ltd | 28 | |
| 3 | Huaian Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 27 | |
| 4 | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | 18 | |
| 5 | Changzhou Shichuang Energy Co. Ltd | 17 | |
| 6 | Dongfang Huansheng Photovoltaic (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd | 15 | |
| 7 | Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co. Ltd | 13 | |
| 8 | National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | 13 | |
| 9 | Trina Solar Co. Ltd | 12 | |
| 10 | Yingli Energy Development Co. Ltd | 12 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | NINGBO INST OF MATERIALS TECH & ENG CHINESE ACAD O… | 11 | |
| 12 | Wuxi Songyu Technology Co. Ltd | 11 | |
| 13 | Hanwha Q CELLS (Qidong) Co. Ltd | 11 | |
| 14 | Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co. Ltd | 10 | |
| 15 | Eging Photovoltaic Technology Co. Ltd | 9 | |
| 16 | Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co. Ltd | 9 | |
| 17 | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xi’an Solar Power Branch | 9 | |
| 18 | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xining Solar Power Branch | 9 | |
| 19 | Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 8 | |
| 20 | Wuhu GCL Integrated New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 8 |
The leaders’ positions are rooted almost entirely in H01L 31 semiconductor device claims, meaning their coverage spans core cell-architecture and fabrication process IP rather than peripheral equipment or materials — making design-around more difficult for new entrants targeting the same device layer.
Figures for 2024 and beyond are understated due to standard 18-month patent publication lag; the apparent slowdown in the most recent period should not be read as a market signal. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Rapid multi-year growth concentrated in semiconductor device and surface-engineering branches
The annual filing trend and the IPC technology composition together reveal a field that scaled quickly from near-zero in 2017 to a 2023 peak, with a technology mix overwhelmingly anchored to core semiconductor device claims and a secondary cluster in coating and crystal-growth processes.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible through 2017, then climbed steeply from 2018 onward, reaching a recorded peak in 2023. The three-year recent window sits roughly double the prior three-year window, confirming a genuine growth phase. The 2024 and 2025 figures are suppressed by publication lag and should not be interpreted as a trend reversal.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L semiconductor device claims dominate and cover virtually the entire corpus, reflecting the cell-architecture core of TOPCon IP. The next largest branches — H10P, C23C coating and surface deposition, and C30B crystal growth — each represent a small single-digit share, pointing to secondary process and materials coverage that remains comparatively sparse.
↗ 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.
N-Type TOPCon Cell with Double-Sided Aluminum Past…
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an N-type TOPCon cell with double-sided aluminum paste electrodes, and a preparation method therefor. The front side of the cell is provided with a front-side silver main grid and a front-side aluminum fine grid, and the back side is provided with a back-side silver main grid and a back-side aluminum fine… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOPCon电池及其制备方法和电器设备 | 55 |
| 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 | 一种基于PECVD技术的高效低成本N型TOPCon电池的制备方法 | 36 |
| 5 | 一种N型TOPCon太阳能电池的制作方法 | 35 |
| 6 | 用于Topcon电池制作的poly-Si绕镀的去除方法 | 34 |
| 7 | 管式PECVD制备多晶硅钝化接触结构的方法 | 33 |
| 8 | 一种隧穿氧钝化接触晶体硅太阳电池的制备方法 | 31 |
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 investment decisions
The landscape’s growth trajectory, concentration pattern, collaboration clusters, and geographic distribution each carry distinct implications for teams deciding where to file, partner, or differentiate.
Growth stage — multi-year expansion, peak year behind us
The field is classified as Growth: the most recent three-year filing window is approximately double the prior three-year window. Annual volume, however, has eased from its 2023 peak. Teams entering now face an established but still-evolving prior-art landscape, meaning freedom-to-operate analysis is essential but white-space pockets remain accessible, particularly in non-device branches.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a contestable mid-tier
The top five filers hold roughly a quarter of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent families. The leader, CHINT New Energy, holds 36 patent families — a meaningful but not overwhelming lead. The mid-tier (ranks 6–20) clusters between 8 and 15 patent families, leaving room for challengers to build scale quickly through focused process or module-integration filings.
Moderate HHIState-owned enterprise cluster dominates co-filing activity
The most active co-filing network centers on Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd and its parent, National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd, along with their Xi’an and Xining solar power subsidiaries — with co-filing counts reaching 18 joint families at the strongest link. CHINT New Energy and Zhejiang CHINT Solar also show a notable internal co-filing tie of 6 families. This tight SOE cluster suggests coordinated IP strategy rather than open-ecosystem collaboration, which limits licensing availability from this group.
SOE clusterChina-centric filing with limited international protection
China accounts for the overwhelming share of filing activity. WIPO PCT and EPO filings are present but small, and US filings are minimal. This geographic skew means most IP is currently enforceable only in China, creating potential freedom-to-operate space for non-Chinese manufacturers — though PCT applications signal early-stage international protection-seeking that could broaden over time.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | 18 |
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xi’an Solar Power Branch | 12 |
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xining Solar Power Branch | 12 |
| National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xi’an Solar Power Branch | 12 |
| National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xining Solar Power Branch | 12 |
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xi’an Solar Power Branch | Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd Xining Solar Power Branch | 12 |
| CHINT New Energy Tech Co. Ltd | Zhejiang CHINT Solar Technology Co. Ltd | 6 |
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | State Power Investment Group Xi’an Solar Power Co. Ltd | 6 |
| National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | State Power Investment Group Xi’an Solar Power Co. Ltd | 6 |
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | Huanghe Hydropower Xining Solar Power Co. Ltd | 4 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
CHINT New Energy leads; Jietai entities emerge as rapid-scale challengers
The top two ranked positions are occupied by established and newly scaled filers with near-identical technology focus but divergent momentum trajectories — a pattern that rewards close monitoring of both groups.
CHINT New Energy Tech Co. Ltd
The top-ranked applicant with 36 patent families, CHINT New Energy’s portfolio is concentrated almost entirely in H01L 31 semiconductor device claims, with minor secondary coverage in H01L 21 process steps and materials. Its recent-period momentum shows a decline of 29% versus the prior window, suggesting the portfolio may be consolidating rather than aggressively expanding — a potential opening for challengers to close the gap in specific sub-segments.
families: 36Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Tech Co. Ltd
With 28 patent families and a new-entrant trajectory, Chuzhou Jietai has entered the field at scale, making it one of the fastest-rising applicants in the corpus. Its technology emphasis mirrors the leader — H01L 31 dominates, with secondary H01L 21 and solar heat collector (F24S) claims — but its all-recent filing base means its portfolio reflects current process generations rather than legacy architecture claims.
families: 28| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| CHINT New Energy Tech Co. Ltd | 15 | ▼ -29% |
| Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Tech Co. Ltd | 28 | ▲ new entrant |
| Huaian Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 23 | ▲ new entrant |
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | 10 | ▲ new entrant |
| National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | 10 | ▲ new entrant |
| Changzhou Shichuang Energy Co. Ltd | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd | 10 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in coating, crystal growth, and advanced joining warrant monitoring
Relative to the dominant H01L semiconductor device core, several adjacent IPC branches show sparse filing density. These are observations of relative sparsity; whether each represents a viable entry point depends on technical fit and freedom-to-operate assessment.
C23C · Coating & surface deposition
With 32 patent families, this branch sits at roughly 6% of the corpus despite its direct relevance to TOPCon passivation layer deposition — a process step central to tunnel-oxide and poly-silicon formation. The sparse coverage relative to device-level claims suggests that process-specific deposition IP is underprotected. Teams with PECVD or ALD expertise could build differentiated positions here with relatively low prior-art density to navigate.
Search this in Eureka →B23K · Welding, soldering & brazing
Only 6 patent families fall under B23K, covering joining processes relevant to module interconnection and busbar attachment — a manufacturing step that directly affects yield and reliability in TOPCon module production. The near-absence of filing activity in this branch, combined with growing module-level integration demand, makes it an adjacent area worth evaluating for teams focused on downstream manufacturing rather than cell architecture.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
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 | C30B 29 · Crystal growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHINT New Energy Tech Co. Ltd | Strong · 36 | Emerging · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Tech Co. Ltd | Strong · 28 | Emerging · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Huaian Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | Strong · 23 | Emerging · 3 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 1 |
| TCL Zhonghuan Energy Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd | Strong · 15 | Moderate · 5 | Absent | Emerging · 2 | Emerging · 1 |
| Yingli Energy Development Co. Ltd | Strong · 12 | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 4 | Absent | Absent |
| National Electric Power Investment Group Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | Strong · 18 | Emerging · 3 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 1 |
| Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd | Strong · 18 | Emerging · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 444 patent families in scope across the TOPCon cell and module manufacturing landscape.
CHINT New Energy Tech Co. Ltd is the top-ranked applicant with 36 patent families, followed by Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Tech Co. Ltd with 28 and Huaian Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd with 27.
H01L semiconductor device claims dominate the corpus. Secondary branches — H10P, C23C coating and surface deposition, and C30B crystal growth — are each present but at a fraction of the H01L volume.
China is by far the leading jurisdiction. WIPO PCT and EPO filings are present but comparatively small, and US filings are minimal, indicating that most current IP protection is concentrated in China.
The field is in a Growth stage: the most recent three-year filing window is approximately double the prior three-year window. Annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, and the most recent one to two years are further understated by publication lag, so the apparent slowdown should not be interpreted as a real decline.
Yes. The most active co-filing cluster centers on Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. Ltd and related entities within the National Electric Power Investment Group, which co-filed up to 18 joint patent families at the strongest link. CHINT New Energy and Zhejiang CHINT Solar also show an internal co-filing relationship.
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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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