July 19 (Reuters) -

First Solar ( FSLR ), the largest U.S. solar company, on

Friday said it holds patents on a leading solar technology that

it does not produce and was looking into possible infringement

by several rival manufacturers.

WHY IT MATTERS

Solar cell technology known as Tunnel Oxide Passivated

Contact (TOPCon ( TOPCF )) is rapidly overtaking rival crystalline silicon

technologies because it is more efficient at turning sunlight

into electricity. It is also more efficient than so-called thin

film, which is First Solar's ( FSLR ) primary offering.

TOPCon's ( TOPCF ) emergence has sparked a flurry of lawsuits in the

last year between some of the world's biggest solar

manufacturers over patent infringement.

First Solar's ( FSLR ) cadmium telluride solar panels do not use

crystalline silicon, so it does not have TOPCon ( TOPCF ) products in the

market. It holds patents, however, dating back to its 2013

acquisition of a small company named TetraSun.

KEY QUOTE

"These patents are First Solar's ( FSLR ) intellectual property,

which we continue to leverage as part of ongoing efforts to

develop the next generation of (photovoltaic) technologies,"

First Solar ( FSLR ) General Counsel Jason Dymbort said in a statement.

CONTEXT

First Solar ( FSLR ) did not specify which companies it would

investigate.

Many of the largest global solar manufacturers produce

TOPCon ( TOPCF ) products, including Trina Solar, Canadian Solar,

JinkoSolar and Longi.