First Solar, Inc.

First Solar Inc. is an American publicly traded manufacturer of solar panels and a global provider of solar energy solutions. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, with its predecessor, Solar Cells, Inc., established in 1990. Trading on NASDAQ under the ticker FSLR since its IPO in 2006, First Solar reported annual revenue of approximately $5.2 billion in 2025 and employs around 7,900-8,100 people as of 2024-2025. Its market capitalization was $24.9 billion as of May 15, 2026. Institutional investors hold a significant portion of its stock.

First Solar specializes in designing and manufacturing advanced thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules, primarily using cadmium telluride (CdTe) as a semiconductor, for use in utility-scale development projects. They are the world's largest thin-film solar module manufacturer and the only U.S.-headquartered company among the top ten global solar manufacturers that does not produce in China. In addition to manufacturing solar panels, First Solar offers operations and maintenance (O&M) services for system owners and has a global PV recycling program. The company operates manufacturing facilities in the United States (Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana), Malaysia, Vietnam, and India.

In terms of patent litigation, First Solar Inc. primarily operates as an operating company that both defends its intellectual property and asserts its portfolio. While the provided case data shows one appearance as a defendant in a PTAB case, "Unified Patents v. First Solar Inc." in 2025, external context reveals First Solar is also an active plaintiff. First Solar has initiated lawsuits against competitors, including Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar, and Mundra Solar, alleging infringement of its TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) technology patents. These lawsuits are pending in the District Court for the District of Delaware.

The PTAB case "Unified Patents v. First Solar Inc." (2025) likely relates to challenges to First Solar's patents. Separately, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has rejected multiple inter partes review (IPR) petitions filed by companies like JinkoSolar, Canadian Solar, and Mundra Solar against First Solar's TOPCon patents, such as U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074 and 9,666,732. These rejections, often on discretionary grounds, have left First Solar's patents intact as it pursues infringement litigation. First Solar acquired these TOPCon patents in 2013 through the acquisition of TetraSun.