Maxeon sues Hanwha QCells over alleged US TOPCon cell patent infringement

April 22, 2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Following an investigation last November in the US, Maxeon has sued Canadian Solar, REC Solar and Hanwha Qcells for patent infringement. Image: Maxeon.

Solar manufacturer Maxeon Solar Technologies has initiated a patent infringement lawsuit in the US against Korean-owned PV manufacturer Hanwha Qcells.

Filed in the Eastern District of Texas, US, Maxeon alleges an infringement on patents related to tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The lawsuit follows an investigation launched by Maxeon last November against several companies regarding US TOPCon patent infringement, although the company had not disclosed any specifics regarding the patents or the names of the companies it was investigating.

“In November 2023, Maxeon initiated a TOPCon patent infringement investigation in the United States, and this lawsuit against Hanwha Q CELLS, along with recent similar actions against Canadian Solar, Inc. and REC Solar Holdings AS, are results of that investigation,” said Marc Robinson, associate general counsel at Maxeon. “Maxeon has the responsibility to protect the leadership position it has earned from its substantial R&D investments and will continue to enforce its patent rights against those who are attempting to sell infringing products in the U.S. and its other markets.”

“Qcells is fully confident that our products do not infringe any of the patents in question related to TOPCon technology. Therefore, Qcells intends to defend vigorously all allegations of patent infringement in court and ensure that there will be no disruption on the operations of the business as a result of such allegations,” a Qcells spokesperson told PV Tech regarding the lawsuit.

“Qcells takes seriously its responsibility to establish a healthy industry landscape in which time- and capital-intensive R&D efforts are properly protected. As with our proprietary PERC-based Q.ANTUM technology, Qcells’ TOPCon technology is a proof of our pioneering technological leadership.”

This is the latest patent infringement filed by Maxeon, after last week’s against REC Solar and Canadian Solar in March.

Outside the US, the company has filed two lawsuits against Chinese solar manufacturers Aiko and Tongwei in 2023, both in Germany.

Last November, the lawsuit against Aiko alleged infringement of Maxeon’s European patent for solar cell architectures. Maxeon said its patent relates to proprietary and fundamental solar cell architectures for rear or back contact solar cells, also known as all-back contact (ABC) solar cells or IBC solar cells.

Whereas the patent infringement lawsuit against Tongwei concerns Maxeon’s shingled solar cell panel technology – European patent no. EP3522045 B1 – which it claims Tongwei has infringed on in the German market.

“Last year, we filed lawsuits against Tongwei with respect to our Shingled Hypercell technology and against Aiko with respect to our IBC technology, further examples of Maxeon rigorously defending our IP in all our markets,” a Maxeon spokesperson told PV Tech.

This article was updated on 23 April 2024 to include Qcells’ comment regarding the alleged patent infringement.

16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

October 29, 2025
NextEra Energy Resources added 3GW of new renewable energy generation and storage capacity to its portfolio in the third quarter of 2025.
October 29, 2025
US solar manufacturer Corning has brought online its wafer production at its Michigan plant, during the third quarter of 2025.
October 27, 2025
Engie has signed additional PPAs with Meta, expanding their partnership to more than 1.3GW across four solar projects in Texas.
October 27, 2025
Waaree Energies has secured four solar module supply contracts totalling 692MW – three for projects in India and one in the US through its subsidiary.
October 27, 2025
US solar technology company Swift Solar has deployed perovskite solar technology as part of a Department of Defence cyber warfare exercise in the state of Virginia.
October 23, 2025
US solar manufacturer T1 Energy sold approximately 725MW of solar modules in Q3 2025, as it continues to expand US manufacturing capabilities.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
November 12, 2025
10am PST / 1pm EST
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany