Photovoltaic Thin Film Cells Patent Landscape 2009

Table of Contents

METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

1. BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET

2. GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PATENTS

• 2.1. Technological segmentation
• 2.2. Segmentation by application
• 2.3. Zoom on companies involved in the market
• 2.4. Zoom on CANON
  • 2.4.1. History of patent application filings and ambitions
  • 2.4.2. Segmentation of the patent portfolio
  • 2.4.3. Filing policy
  • 2.4.4. Analysis of the patent portfolio

3. THIN FILM CELL PATENTS - WORLD ANALYSIS

• 3.1. Protection strategies
  • 3.1.1. Evolution of patent filings
  • 3.1.2. Priority filings
• 3.2. Technological maturity factors
  • 3.2.1. Analysis of the evolution of filings
  • 3.2.2. Analysis of industrial filings over time
  • 3.2.3. Topologies of portfolio sizes
  • 3.2.4. Analysis of the granting of patents
  • 3.2.5. Evolution in the number of applicants
• 3.3. Applicants
  • 3.3.1. Major applicants
  • 3.3.2. Emerging applicants
  • 3.3.3. Major collaborations
• 3.4. Topology of patents in the sector
  • 3.4.1. Segmentation of patents by technologies
  • 3.4.2. Types of cells protected by the major players
  • 3.4.3. Segmentation of patents by IPC code
  • 3.4.4. Breakdown of the major IPC codes of the major players

4. THIN FILM CELL PATENTS - JAPAN FOCUS

• 4.1. Overall data
• 4.2. Applicants
• 4.3. Inventors

5. THIN FILM CELL PATENTS - EUROPEAN FOCUS

• 5.1. Overall data
• 5.2. Applicants
• 5.3. Inventors

6. THIN FILM CELL PATENTS - UNITED STATES FOCUS

• 6.1. Overall data
• 6.2. Applicants
• 6.3. Inventors

CONCLUSIONS

• APPENDIX 1: LIST OF 124 COMPANIES PRESENT IN THE PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET AND THEIR ASSOCIATED PATENT PORTFOLIOS
• APPENDIX 2: EVOLUTION OVER TIME OF THE FILINGS OF THE 124 COMPANIES PRESENT IN THE PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET
• APPENDIX 3: POTENTIAL INVENTOR MOVEMENTS
• APPENDIX 4: TOPICS OF THE MAJOR JAPANESE PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 5: DEPOSITION PROCESS PROTECTION FOR THE MAJOR JAPANESE PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 6: TYPE OF SUBSTRATE FOR THE MAJOR JAPANESE PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 7: TOPICS OF THE MAJOR EUROPEAN PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 8: DEPOSITION PROCESS PROTECTION FOR THE MAJOR EUROPEAN PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 9: TYPE OF SUBSTRATE FOR THE MAJOR EUROPEAN PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 10: TOPICS OF THE MAJOR US PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 11: DEPOSITION PROCESS PROTECTION FOR THE MAJOR US PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 12: TYPE OF SUBSTRATE FOR THE MAJOR US PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 13: TOPICS OF THE MAJOR ACADEMIC PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 14: DEPOSITION PROCESS PROTECTION FOR THE MAJOR ACADEMIC PLAYERS
• APPENDIX 15: TYPE OF SUBSTRATE FOR THE MAJOR ACADEMIC PLAYERS127

List of Figures

• FIGURE 1 - PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL PRODUCTION (MW). ANNUAL PHOTOVOLTAIC PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY, 1995-2007
• FIGURE 2 - WORLD PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET (CUMULATIVE INSTALLATIONS)
• FIGURE 3 - MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TECHNOLOGY (PHOTON INTERNATIONAL, MARCH 2006)
• FIGURE 4 - TOP CELL MANUFACTURERS (PRODUCTION MW, PHOTON INTERNATIONAL, 2007)
• FIGURE 5 - EVOLUTION IN GLOBAL PATENT FILINGS
• FIGURE 6 - TECHNOLOGICAL SEGMENTATION
• FIGURE 7 - NICHE MARKET BY APPLICANT - 1/2
• FIGURE 8 - NICHE MARKET BY APPLICANT - 2/2
• FIGURE 9 - TOPOLOGY OF THE PATENT PORTFOLIOS OF THE IDENTIFIED COMPANIES
• FIGURE 10 - EVOLUTION IN CANON' S PATENT FILINGS
• FIGURE 11 - CANON' S PORTFOLIO SEGMENTATION
• FIGURE 12 - CANON' S PATENT EXTENSIONS MAP
• FIGURE 13 - EVOLUTION IN CANON' S EXTENSIONS
• FIGURE 14 - CANON' S EXTENSION MODE OVER TIME
• FIGURE 15 - OVERVIEW OF CANON' S GRANTED PATENTS
• FIGURE 16 - CANON' S MAJOR TEAMS
• FIGURE 17 - EVOLUTION OF THIN FILM CELL PATENT FILINGS
• FIGURE 18 - MAP OF PRIORITY FILINGS CONCERNING THIN FILM CELLS
• FIGURE 19 - FORECAST OF THE NUMBER OF FILINGS
• FIGURE 20 - EVOLUTION OF THE BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS CONCERNING THIN FILM CELLS
• FIGURE 21 - EVOLUTION OVER TIME OF FILINGS MADE BY ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
• FIGURE 22 - PORTFOLIO SIZE VS. NUMBER OF PLAYERS
• FIGURE 23 - OVERVIEW OF "THIN FILM CELL" GRANTED PATENTS
• FIGURE 24 - EVOLUTION OF THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS
• FIGURE 25 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD
• FIGURE 26 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT
• FIGURE 27 - GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS MAP CONCERNING THIN FILM CELLS
• FIGURE 28 - SEGMENTATION OF THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS PATENTS PORTFOLIO
• FIGURE 29 - SEGMENTATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC THIN FILM CELL PATENT PORTFOLIOS OVER TIME
• FIGURE 30 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS
• FIGURE 31 - BREAKDOWN OF THE MAIN IPC CODES APPEARING IN PATENT APPLICATIONS
• FIGURE 32 - BREAKDOWN OF THE MAJOR IPC CODES OF THE MAJORS PLAYERS
• FIGURE 33 - EVOLUTION IN THE NUMBER OF JAPANESE PRIORITY FILINGS
• FIGURE 34 - EVOLUTION IN JAPANESE FILINGS BY TECHNOLOGY
• FIGURE 35 - EVOLUTION IN JAPANESE FILINGS AND BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS
• FIGURE 36 - MAP OF EXTENSIONS (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 37 - EVOLUTION IN EXTENSIONS (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 38 - EVOLUTION OF THE GRANT TIME OF JAPANESE PATENTS
• FIGURE 39 - EVOLUTION OF THE GRANTING OF JAPANESE PATENTS
• FIGURE 40 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 41 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 42 - MAJOR JAPANESE COLLABORATIONS MAP
• FIGURE 43 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR JAPANESE INVENTORS
• FIGURE 44 - JAPANESE EMERGING INVENTOR TEAMS (SINCE 2003)
• FIGURE 45 - EVOLUTION IN THE NUMBER OF FILINGS (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 46 - EVOLUTION IN EUROPEAN FILINGS AND BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS
• FIGURE 47 - MAP OF PRIORITY FILINGS / ZOOM ON EUROPE
• FIGURE 48 - EVOLUTION IN EUROPEAN FILING BY COUNTRY
• FIGURE 49 - PATENT EXTENSIONS MAP (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 50 - EVOLUTION OF THE GRANT TIME OF EUROPEAN PATENTS
• FIGURE 51 - EVOLUTION OF THE GRANTING OF EUROPEAN PATENTS
• FIGURE 52 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 53 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 54 - MAJOR EUROPEAN COLLABORATIONS MAP
• FIGURE 55 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR EUROPEAN INVENTORS
• FIGURE 56 - EMERGING EUROPEAN INVENTOR TEAMS (SINCE 2003)
• FIGURE 57 - EVOLUTION IN THE NUMBER OF FILINGS (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 58 - EVOLUTION IN US FILINGS AND BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS
• FIGURE 59 - PATENT EXTENSIONS MAP (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 60 - EVOLUTION OF THE GRANT TIME OF US PATENTS
• FIGURE 61 - EVOLUTION IN THE GRANTING OF US PATENTS
• FIGURE 62 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 63 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 64 - MAJOR US COLLABORATIONS MAP
• FIGURE 65 - EMERGING US INVENTOR TEAMS (SINCE 2003)
• FIGURE 66 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR US INVENTORS

List of Tables

• TABLE 1 - EVOLUTION OF PRIORITY FILINGS CONCERNING THIN FILM CELLS
• TABLE 2 - FILINGS OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS OVER TIME CONCERNING THIN FILM CELLS
• TABLE 3 - EMERGING APPLICANTS
• TABLE 4 - IPC APPEARANCE
• TABLE 5 - EVOLUTION IN THE PATENT FILINGS OF MAJOR PLAYERS (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• TABLE 6 - EVOLUTION IN PATENT APPLICATION FILINGS BY INVENTOR (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• TABLE 7 - EVOLUTION IN THE PATENT FILINGS OF MAJORS PLAYERS (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• TABLE 8 - EVOLUTION IN PATENT APPLICATION FILINGS BY INVENTOR (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• TABLE 9 - EVOLUTION IN PATENT FILINGS OF MAJOR PLAYERS (US PRIORITY)
• TABLE 10 - EVOLUTION IN PATENT APPLICATION FILINGS BY INVENTOR (US PRIORITY)