TOPCon Solar Cell Patent Landscape 2026
TOPCon Solar Cell Patent Landscape in 2026
The TOPCon solar cell patent space is heavily concentrated, with a small cluster of Chinese manufacturers — led by the JinkoSolar corporate group — commanding the majority of filings across 2,503 patent families. The field reached a multi-year growth rate of 160% and is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume eased from its 2023 peak and the most recent periods remain further understated by publication lag.
JinkoSolar entities dominate a highly concentrated field
Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd leads the Ltd at 574 — together the JinkoSolar corporate family accounts for a commanding share of all ranked activity. Trina Solar Co. Ltd ranks third at 245 patent records, and LONGi Green Energy Tech Co. Ltd sits sixth at 104.
The top five filers account for 58% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, signaling a highly concentrated competitive structure where a handful of vertically integrated Chinese manufacturers hold decisive portfolio depth. The gap between the top tier and the mid-tier — Tongwei Solar at 64 patent records and the French CEA at 60 — is substantial.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | 773 | |
| 2 | Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | 574 | |
| 3 | Trina Solar Co. Ltd | 245 | |
| 4 | Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | 157 | |
| 5 | Shanghai Jinko Green Energy Enterprise Management Co. Ltd | 116 | |
| 6 | LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 104 | |
| 7 | Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co. Ltd | 64 | |
| 8 | Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA) | 60 | |
| 9 | Chint New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 52 | |
| 10 | Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd | 40 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Jinko Solar (Shangrao) Co. Ltd | 33 | |
| 12 | Changzhou Shichuang Energy Co. Ltd | 30 | |
| 13 | 3Sun SRL | 29 | |
| 14 | LONGi Solar Technology (Xi’an) Co. Ltd | 28 | |
| 15 | JA Solar Technology Yangzhou | 26 | |
| 16 | Zhejiang Aiko Solar Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 23 | |
| 17 | Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 23 | |
| 18 | Yingli Energy Development Co. Ltd | 21 | |
| 19 | Hanwha Q Cells GmbH | 21 | |
| 20 | Huai’an Jietai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 21 |
This concentration implies that new entrants face a dense prior-art landscape in the core H01L semiconductor device class, and that meaningful differentiation will require focus on adjacent or underserved technical branches where incumbents hold fewer positions.
Filing counts for 2024–2026 are understated due to standard publication lag; the apparent slowdown in those years should not be read as a real decline in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Explosive multi-year growth with a dominant semiconductor device core
Filing activity grew from a minimal base in 2017 to a 2023 peak, reflecting rapid commercial and R&D investment in TOPCon technology. The technology composition is anchored in semiconductor device IP, with a long tail of adjacent classes that are relatively sparse.
Annual filing trend
Filings rose sharply from 10 records in 2017 to a peak of 677 in 2023, representing 160% growth over the recent three-year window versus the prior three-year window. The 2024 figure of 517 and 2025 figure of 70 are materially understated due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as a real decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (semiconductor devices) overwhelmingly dominates the technology mix, reflecting the silicon-wafer and junction-engineering foundations of TOPCon architecture. Adjacent classes — including H10K (organic semiconductors), H02S (photovoltaic system integration), H10F (photovoltaic and light-sensitive devices), H01B (conductors and insulators), and C23C (coating and surface deposition) — each hold smaller shares, pointing to areas where the corpus is less saturated.
↗ 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.
TOPCon SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE…
A Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) solar cell, and a method therefor are provided. The TOPCon solar cell includes: a silicon substrate; a tunneling layer formed on a surface of the silicon substrate; a polycrystalline silicon layer formed on a surface of the tunneling layer; a polycrystalline germanium layer formed on a surface of the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种选择性发射极钝化接触太阳电池及其制备方法 | 68 |
| 2 | 一种隧穿氧化层钝化接触太阳能电池及其制备方法 | 61 |
| 3 | 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 |
| 4 | Crystalline silicon solar cell and preparation met… | 51 |
| 5 | 太阳能电池及其制备方法、光伏组件 | 46 |
| 6 | 太阳能电池的制备方法及太阳能电池、光伏组件 | 45 |
| 7 | 太阳能电池、太阳能电池片和光伏组件 | 42 |
| 8 | 一种硼掺杂选择性发射极电池及其制备方法 | 38 |
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
The combination of a growth-stage lifecycle, a concentrated leader group, and an H01L-heavy technology mix creates specific signals for teams deciding where to focus next. Collaboration patterns and geography add further texture.
Growth stage, easing from 2023 peak
The TOPCon solar cell field is in the Growth lifecycle stage: the recent three-year filing window sits well above the prior three-year window, with 160% growth, confirming that the space is still expanding on a multi-year basis. Annual volume peaked in 2023 at 677 records and has eased since, though publication lag accounts for much of the apparent drop in 2024–2026. Teams entering now face an established but not yet mature prior-art landscape, meaning differentiated claims remain achievable in adjacent technical areas.
Growth · Post-2023 peakTop five filers hold 58% of ranked activity
The top five filers — Zhejiang Jinko Solar, Jinko Solar Co. Ltd, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar (Haining), and Shanghai Jinko Green Energy — account for 58% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers. This tier-gap is steep: the sixth-ranked applicant, LONGi Green Energy, holds 104 patent records versus the leader’s 773. Challengers and new entrants should expect dense prior art in core cell-architecture claims and should prioritize white-space branches or process-specific differentiation.
High concentrationIntra-group co-filing dominates; one cross-border academic link stands out
The most active co-filing pair is Zhejiang Jinko Solar with Jinko Solar Co. Ltd at 480 joint records, followed by Zhejiang Jinko Solar with Shanghai Jinko Green Energy at 120 — both intra-group relationships. The most notable cross-boundary collaboration is between France’s CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives) and 3Sun SRL at 21 joint records, and CEA with Engie (IEN Green Energy) at 10, indicating that European research-industry partnerships are forming around TOPCon. Trina Solar also co-files with Trina Solar (Suqian) Photoelectric at 17 records.
Intra-group + EU academicChina leads filing volume; EPO, US, and Australia are key validation markets
China accounts for the largest filing count at 1,086 patent records, reflecting both the home base of dominant applicants and the primary manufacturing market. Europe via the EPO (364 records) and the United States (345 records) are the most important international validation offices, followed by Australia (193 records) and Japan (176 records). WIPO PCT filings at 139 records indicate active international prosecution strategies. The relative weakness in South Korea (1 record) is notable given that market’s photovoltaic manufacturing base.
China-led, global reachGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | 480 |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | Shanghai Jinko Green Energy Enterprise Management Co. Ltd | 120 |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | Jinko Green Energy (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd | 57 |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | 50 |
| Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | 41 |
| Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA) | 3Sun SRL | 21 |
| Trina Solar Co. Ltd | Trina Solar (Suqian) Photoelectric Co. Ltd | 17 |
| Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | Jinko Solar (Shangrao) Co. Ltd | 14 |
| Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA) | Engie (IEN Green Energy Co. Ltd) | 10 |
| Chint New Energy Technology Co. Ltd | Zhejiang Chint Solar Technology Co. Ltd | 10 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
JinkoSolar group leads; Trina Solar and Tongwei Solar are fast-rising challengers
The applicant ranking is led by entities within the JinkoSolar corporate family, which collectively dominate H01L semiconductor device filings. Trina Solar and Tongwei Solar (Meishan) entered the recent period as new entrants with rapidly growing portfolios.
Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd
The top-ranked applicant with 773 patent records, focused almost entirely on H01L 31 (semiconductor devices for photovoltaic applications) with 780 records in that class, complemented by H01L 21 (semiconductor fabrication processes) and H10F 19 (photovoltaic devices). Recent momentum is strong at +191% versus the prior three-year window, confirming sustained and accelerating investment. As the anchor entity in the JinkoSolar group, its filing activity is amplified by deep co-filing relationships with affiliated entities.
patent records: 773Trina Solar Co. Ltd
Ranked third overall with 245 patent records, Trina Solar entered the recent three-year period as a new entrant — meaning it had negligible prior-period filings — and rapidly built a portfolio concentrated in H01L 31 (236 records), H01L 21, and H10F 77. This trajectory signals a deliberate and fast-moving TOPCon IP build-out. Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan), also a new entrant in the recent period with 64 patent records, represents a similarly aggressive challenger from the cell manufacturing side.
patent records: 245| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | 593 | ▲ +191% |
| Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | 434 | ▲ 5.6× vs prior 3-yr |
| Trina Solar Co. Ltd | 242 | ▲ new entrant |
| Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | 133 | ▲ new entrant |
| Shanghai Jinko Green Energy Enterprise Management Co. Ltd | 43 | ▼ -44% |
| LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd | 55 | ▲ +20% |
| Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co. Ltd | 61 | ▲ new entrant |
| Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA) | 17 | ▼ -60% |
Under-served technical branches adjacent to the TOPCon core
While H01L dominates the corpus, several adjacent IPC classes hold relatively sparse coverage. These branches are observations of relative sparsity; those with plausible technical relevance and a clear entry path are noted as warranting closer evaluation.
C23C · Coating and surface deposition
With 56 patent records and a 2% share of the corpus, C23C covers thin-film deposition techniques including atomic layer deposition (ALD) and PECVD — processes central to forming the tunneling oxide and doped polysilicon layers in TOPCon cells. Relative sparsity here suggests that process-level IP around deposition equipment parameters, precursor chemistries, and layer uniformity is less contested than cell-architecture claims. Equipment suppliers and materials companies have a plausible entry path via process-specific claims that do not overlap with cell-level H01L assertions.
Search this in Eureka →H01B · Cables, conductors and insulators
H01B accounts for 74 patent records at a 2% share, covering conductor and electrode materials — directly relevant to the silver paste metallization and emerging copper plating approaches used in TOPCon front contacts. As the industry moves toward lower-silver or silver-free metallization to reduce cost, this branch may become strategically important. The current low filing density relative to H01L suggests that paste formulators, plating equipment makers, and materials innovators face a less crowded prior-art environment in this class.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01L 31 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H10K 30 · Organic semiconductors (OLED etc.) | H10K 39 · Organic semiconductors (OLED etc.) | H01B 1 · Cables, conductors & insulators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | Strong · 780 | Emerging · 31 | Emerging · 20 | Emerging · 12 | Absent |
| Jinko Solar Co. Ltd | Strong · 488 | Emerging · 24 | Emerging · 17 | Emerging · 11 | Absent |
| Trina Solar Co. Ltd | Strong · 236 | Emerging · 15 | Emerging · 11 | Emerging · 8 | Absent |
| Jinko Solar (Haining) Co. Ltd | Strong · 118 | Absent | Emerging · 19 | Emerging · 15 | Absent |
| LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd | Strong · 94 | Absent | Moderate · 21 | Emerging · 6 | Absent |
| Shanghai Jinko Green Energy Enterprise Management Co. Ltd | Strong · 120 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Tongwei Solar Energy (Meishan) Co. Ltd | Strong · 63 | Emerging · 8 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covered in this analysis contains 2,503 patent families, with filing activity tracked from 2017 through 2026.
Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co. Ltd leads with 773 patent records. The broader JinkoSolar corporate group — including Jinko Solar Co. Ltd (574 records) and affiliated entities — collectively dominates the ranking.
The field is in the Growth stage. Recent three-year filings are 160% above the prior three-year window on a multi-year basis, though annual volume peaked in 2023 and has eased since. The apparent drop in 2024–2026 is substantially attributable to publication lag rather than a real decline in activity.
China leads with 1,086 patent records. The EPO (364 records) and the United States (345 records) are the most significant international filing destinations, followed by Australia (193 records) and Japan (176 records).
C23C (coating and surface deposition) at 56 records and H01B (cables, conductors, and insulators) at 74 records are among the sparser adjacent branches. H02S (photovoltaic system integration) at 136 records and H10F (photovoltaic and light-sensitive devices) at 116 records also have lower coverage relative to H01L’s 2,298 records.
The most prominent cross-border collaboration is between France’s CEA (Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives) and 3Sun SRL, with 21 jointly filed records, and CEA with Engie (IEN Green Energy) at 10 records. Most other high-count co-filing pairs are intra-group relationships within the JinkoSolar family.
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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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