Section 337 Investigation of TOPCon Solar Cells Patent Infringement
Summary
The U.S. International Trade Commission instituted Investigation No. 337-TA-____ based on a complaint filed by First Solar, Inc. alleging patent infringement under Section 337. The investigation targets TOPCon solar cells, modules, panels, and related products importing into the United States. The complainant seeks general or limited exclusion orders and cease and desist orders based on U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074.
What changed
The ITC instituted a Section 337 investigation on March 25, 2026, following a complaint filed by First Solar, Inc. on February 24, 2026. The investigation concerns alleged infringement of claims 1, 2, 4, and 8 of U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074 related to TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) solar cells, modules, and panels. The accused products are defined as TOPCon solar cells and solar modules/panels containing them. First Solar seeks general exclusion orders, limited exclusion orders, and/or cease and desist orders.
Companies importing, manufacturing, or selling TOPCon solar cells or products containing them in the United States are potential respondents and should engage ITC-specialized counsel immediately. Respondents will need to respond to the complaint, participate in discovery, and present defenses regarding patent validity and non-infringement. The administrative law judge will hold a hearing and issue an initial determination, after which the Commission will decide whether to issue exclusion orders or cease and desist orders.
What to do next
- Identify whether your company imports, manufactures, or sells TOPCon solar cells, modules, or panels
- Engage ITC-specialized legal counsel if you are an actual or potential respondent
- Review U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074 claims 1, 2, 4, and 8 for infringement exposure
Penalties
If violation is found, potential remedies include general or limited exclusion orders barring entry of infringing products into the United States, and/or cease and desist orders prohibiting further sale or distribution
Source document (simplified)
Content
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on February 24, 2026, under
section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, on behalf of First Solar, Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona. The complaint was supplemented
on March 10, 2026. The complaint, as supplemented, alleges violations of section 337 based upon the importation into the United
States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain TOPCon solar cells, modules,
panels, components thereof, and products containing same by reason of the infringement of certain claims of U.S. Patent No.
9,130,074 (“the '074 patent”). The complaint, as supplemented, further alleges that an industry in the United States exists
or is in the process of being established as required by the applicable Federal Statute. The complainant requests that the
Commission institute an investigation and, after the investigation, issue a general exclusion order, or in the alternative
a limited exclusion order, and cease and desist orders.
ADDRESSES:
The complaint, except for any confidential information contained therein, may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket
(EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov. For help accessing EDIS, please email EDIS3Help@usitc.gov. Hearing impaired individuals are advised that information on this matter can be obtained by contacting the Commission's
TDD terminal on (202) 205-1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the
Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at (202) 205-2000. General information concerning the Commission may
also be obtained by accessing its internet server at https://www.usitc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pathenia M. Proctor, The Office of Unfair Import Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, telephone 205-2560.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The authority for institution of this investigation is contained in section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19
U.S.C. 1337, and in section 210.10 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10 (2025).
Scope of Investigation: Having considered the complaint, the U.S. International Trade Commission, on March 25, 2026, ordered that —
(1) Pursuant to subsection (b) of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, an investigation be instituted to determine
whether there is a violation of subsection (a)(1)(B) of section 337 in the importation into the United States, the sale for
importation, or the sale within the United States after importation of certain products identified in paragraph (2) by reason
of infringement of one or more of claims 1, 2, 4, and 8 of the '074 patent, and whether an industry in the United States exists
or is in the process of being
established as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337;
(2) Pursuant to section 210.10(b)(1) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10(b)(1), the plain language
description of the accused products or category of accused products, which defines the scope of the investigation, is “Tunnel
Oxide Passivated Contact (`TOPCon') solar cells, as well as solar modules and solar panels that include TOPCon solar cells”;
(3) Pursuant to Commission Rule 210.50(b)(l), 19 CFR 210.50(b)(1), the presiding administrative law judge shall take evidence
or other information and hear arguments from the parties or other interested persons with respect to the public interest in
this investigation, as appropriate, and provide the Commission with findings of fact and a recommended determination on this
issue, which shall be limited to the statutory public interest factors set forth in 19 U.S.C. l337(d)(l), (f)(1), (g)(1);
(3) For the purpose of the investigation so instituted, the following are hereby named as parties upon which this notice of
investigation shall be served:
(a) The complainant is:
First Solar, Inc., 4300 E. Camelback Road, Suite 220, Phoenix, Arizona 85018
(b) The respondents are the following entities alleged to be in violation of section 337, and are the parties upon which the
complaint is to be served:
AXITEC, LLC, 150 N. Radnor Chester Road, Suite F-200, Radnor, PA 19087.
AXITEC Energy GmbH & Co. KG, Otto-Lilienthal-Strasse 5, D—71034 Böblingen, Germany
AXITEC SOLAR, LLC, 262 Chapman Road, Suite 240, Newark, DE 19702
Canadian Solar Inc., 4273 King Street East, Suite 102, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2P 2E9
CSI Solar Co., Ltd., 199 Lushan Road, Suzhou National & Hi-Tech Industrial, Development Zone, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China,
215129
Canadian Solar (USA) Inc., 1350 Treat Blvd., Suite 500, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Canadian Solar Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd., 168, Bo Win, Si Racha District, Chon Buri 20230, Thailand
Canadian Solar US Module Manufacturing Corporation, 3000 Skyline Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149
Canadian Solar International Ltd., Unit 1520, 15/F, Tower 2, Grand, Century Place, 193 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon, Hong
Kong
JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd., Bldg. 8, Automobile Museum East Rd., Courtyard No. 1 Nord Center, Beijing 100160, China
JA Solar USA, Inc., 2570 North First Street, Suite 360, San Jose, CA 95131
JA Solar AZ, LLC, 1975 South 99th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85353
JA Solar International, Ltd., Room D 10/F, Billion Ctr Tower A, 1 Wang Kwong Road, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077
JA Solar Vietnam Co., Ltd., Lot G, Quang Chau Industrial Zone, Quang Chau Ward, Viet Yen, Township, Bac Giang, Vietnam
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., 1 Yingbin Road, Shangrao Economic Development Zone, Jiangxi Province, China 334100
Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., 1 Yingbin Road, Shangrao Economic Development Zone, Jiangxi Province, China 334100
Jinko Solar (Vietnam) Industries Co. Ltd., CN XL 06 11, Song Khoai Industrial Zone, Song Khoai Ward, Quang Yen Town, Quang
Ninh, Vietnam
Jinko Solar Technology Sdn. Bhd., 2522 Lorong Perusahaan 4, 31721, Kawasan Perusahaan Bebas Perai, 13600 Perai, Pulau Pinang,
Malaysia
Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., 58 Yuan Xi Road, Yuan Hua Town, Haining, Zhejiang Province, China
JinkoSolar (U.S.) Inc., 1901 S. Bascom Avenue, Suite 350, Campbell, CA 95008
JinkoSolar (U.S.) Manufacturing Inc., 8 The Green, Suite A, Dover, DE 19901
JinkoSolar (U.S.) Industries Inc., 4660 POW-MIA Memorial Parkway, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Mundra Solar PV Limited, Survey No. 180/P & Others, Village Tunda Vandh, Taluka Mundra, Kutch 370 435, Gujarat, India
Mundra Solar Energy Ltd., Adani Corporate House, Shantigram, SG Highway, Ahmedabad 382421, Gujarat, India
Adani Green Energy Ltd., Adani Corporate House, Shantigram, SG Highway, Ahmedabad 382421, Gujarat, India
Philadelphia Solar LLC, Al Qastal Industrial Area, Amman, Jordan 11814
Philadelphia Solar USA Inc., 1820 Gateway Drive, Suite 170, San Mateo, California 94404
Hanwha Q CELLS USA Inc., 300-310 Nexus Drive, Dalton, GA 30721
Hanwha Q CELLS America Inc., 300 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 500, Irvine, CA 92618
Hanwha Q CELLS USA Corp., 300 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 500, Irvine, CA 92618
Hanwha Solutions Corporation, 24F, 86, Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea 04541
Jiangsu Runergy New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., No. 58 Xiangjiang Road, Economic & Technological, Development Zone, Yancheng
City,, Jiangsu Province, China 22400
Runergy USA Inc., 6200 Stoneridge Mall Road, Suite 300, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Runergy Alabama Inc., 4905 Moores Mill Road, Huntsville, AL 35811
Runergy USA Trading LLC, 8 The Green, Dover, DE 19901
Runergy PV Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd., 7/559 M.6, Mapyangpho, Pluak Daeng, Rayong, 21140, Thailand
Trina Solar Co., Ltd., No. 2 Tianhe Road, Trina PV Industrial Park, Xinbei District, Jiangsu Province,, China, 213031
Trina Solar (U.S.), Inc., 7100 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538
Trina Solar Energy Development Co., Ltd., Lot Cn 14, Yen Binh Industrial Zone Hong Tien Commune,, Pho Yen Town, Thai Nguyen
Province, Vietnam
Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., 801 Longqi Road, Suxi Town, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China 322009
Trina Solar Yiwu Technology Co., Ltd., 801 Longqi Road, Suxi Town, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China 322009
T1 Energy, Inc., 1211 E 4th Street, Austin, TX 78702
T1 G1 Dallas Solar Module LLC, Tradepoint 45 West, 1200 Sunrise Road, Wilmer, TX 75172
Vietnam Sunergy Joint Stock Company, Lot III—Dong Vang, Dinh Tram Industrial Park, Nenh Ward, Viet Yen Town, Bac Giang Province,
Vietnam
VSUN Solar USA Inc., 909 Corporate Way, Fremont, CA 94539
Toyo Co., Ltd., Tennoz First Tower 16F, 2-2-4,, Higashi-shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan 140-0002
Toyo Solar Texas, LLC, 6115 Greens Rd, Humble, TX 77396
(c) The Office of Unfair Import Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Suite 401, Washington,
DC 20436; and
(4) For the investigation so instituted, the Chief Administrative Law Judge, U.S. International Trade Commission, shall designate
the presiding Administrative Law Judge.
Responses to the complaint and the notice of investigation must be submitted by the named respondents in accordance with section
210.13 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.13. Pursuant to
19 CFR 201.16(e) and 210.13(a), such responses will be considered by the Commission if received not later than 20 days after
the date of service by the Commission of the complaint and the notice of investigation. Extensions of time for submitting
responses to the complaint and the notice of investigation will not be granted unless good cause therefor is shown.
Failure of a respondent to file a timely response to each allegation in the complaint and in this notice may be deemed to
constitute a waiver of the right to appear and contest the allegations of the complaint and this notice, and to authorize
the administrative law judge and the Commission, without further notice to the respondent, to find the facts to be as alleged
in the complaint and this notice and to enter an initial determination and a final determination containing such findings,
and may result in the issuance of an exclusion order or a cease and desist order or both directed against the respondent.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: March 26, 2026. Lisa Barton, Secretary to the Commission. [FR Doc. 2026-06121 Filed 3-27-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
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