First Solar TOPCon Patent Infringement Litigation Against JA Solar and AMPS

First Solar, Inc. filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd., four of its affiliates and U.S.-based distributor American Panel Solutions, LLC (AMPS), alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074, which covers manufacturing methods for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) crystalline silicon solar cells. First Solar seeks monetary damages and permanent injunctive relief to halt the import, assembly and sale of the disputed TOPCon modules in the U.S. The filing follows First Solar's withdrawal of its Section 337 complaint at the USITC; neither JA Solar nor representatives for Corning and AMPS immediately responded.

First Solar filed a lawsuit in U.S. district court against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074, which covers methods of manufacturing TOPCon silicon solar cells. First Solar said it is also pursuing TOPCon patent lawsuits against Canadian Solar, Jinko Solar, T1 Energy and Trina Solar, and it voluntarily terminated a Section 337 investigation at the International Trade Commission last month in favor of patent infringement lawsuits.