Overview
- The USPTO Director denied three inter partes review petitions in 2025 from JinkoSolar, Canadian Solar and Mundra Solar, with decisions issued on November 20, December 11 and December 18.
- JinkoSolar and Canadian Solar targeted U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074, while Mundra Solar challenged U.S. Patent No. 9,666,732, both covering methods for manufacturing TOPCon crystalline silicon cells.
- First Solar points to the agency’s “settled expectations” reasoning, noting the patents were issued in 2015 and 2017.
- Infringement lawsuits against the three companies are pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
- First Solar continues to pursue licenses, including a 2025 agreement with Talon PV, and holds international counterparts with terms extending into the 2030s following its 2013 acquisition of TetraSun.