The Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) in Germany has introduced the IP Protection project to safeguard intellectual property for German and European solar PV companies as competition in the solar PV technology sector intensifies. The initiative aims to detect and legally prove patent infringements in solar PV technology, which has become increasingly challenging with rapid advancements in the field.
Fraunhofer CSP is collaborating with partners to develop preparative and analytical processes that provide legally secure evidence of patent violations. The project will focus on high-resolution material and thin-film characterization, particularly in areas such as encapsulated layers, microscopic current paths, and local passivation properties. This includes the use of etching and polishing processes to gain low-damage analytical access to buried interfaces in solar cells.
Dr. Stefan Lange, Project Manager of IP Protection and Acting Team Leader of Solar Cell Diagnostics at Fraunhofer CSP, highlighted that the project will leverage advanced profiling measurement methods, such as TEM, ToD-SIMS, and XPS, to investigate organic and inorganic layers down to the atomic level, thereby detecting potential patent infringements.
Supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), the project will run until March 2027. The initiative is particularly timely given the rise in patent infringement lawsuits, notably in the TOPCon cell technology, involving both Chinese and non-Chinese companies.