Solar cell module and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10468546-B2
Application number	US-201314784578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2013
Priority date	Apr 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a solar cell module and a method for manufacturing the same. The solar cell module comprises: a substrate; and a plurality of solar cells located on the substrate, each solar cell comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoactive layer located between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein at least a portion of a second electrode is located on a photoactive layer of a neighboring solar cell, and a conductive channel is located between the second electrode and a first electrode of the neighboring solar cell. Therefore, a solar cell module having a structure in which every layer except for electrodes is entirely formed as a thin film may be provided. In addition, a solar cell module the module efficiency of which is improved by increasing the active area of each solar cell may be provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solar cell module comprising:
a substrate;
a first solar cell and a second solar cell over the substrate, each of the first solar cell and the second solar cell comprising:
a first electrode over the substrate, the first electrode of the first solar cell being separated from the first electrode of the second solar cell by a space between the first electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell;
a photoactive layer over the first electrode, wherein the photoactive layer is located in the space between the first electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell, and the photoactive layer is over an entirety of the substrate over which the first electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell are located; and
a second electrode over the photoactive layer, wherein at least a portion of the second electrode of the first solar cell is over the first electrode of the second solar cell; and

a conductive channel located between the second electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell,
wherein the photoactive layer comprises nanostructures to induce the formation of the conductive channel between the second electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell when an electric field is applied.

2. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive channel is in contact with a portion of the photoactive layer between the second electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell.

3. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive channel is formed by applying an electric field across the second electrode and the first electrode of the second solar cell.

4. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the photoactive layer comprises a bulk heterojunction structure of electron donor materials and electron acceptor materials.

5. The solar cell module cording to claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures comprise metal nanoparticles, metal nanowires, CNTs or graphene.

6. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first solar cell or the second solar cell further comprises a first charge transport layer between the first electrode and the photoactive layer.

7. The solar cell module according to claim 6 , wherein one or more of the first solar cell or the second solar cell further comprises a second charge transport layer between the photoactive layer and the second electrode.

8. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first solar cell or the second solar cell is a stacked solar cell in which a plurality of photoactive layers is stacked on one another.

9. A method for manufacturing a solar cell module, comprising:
forming a first solar cell and a second solar cell, wherein forming the first solar cell and the second solar cell, comprises:
forming a first electrode of the first solar cell over a substrate, forming a first electrode of the second solar cell over the substrate, the first electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell being formed such that the first electrode of the first solar cell is separated from the first electrode of the second solar cell by a space between the first electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell;
forming a photoactive layer over the first electrode of the first solar cell, over the substrate, and in the space between the first electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell, and the photoactive layer is over an entirety of the substrate over which the first electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell are located;
forming a second electrode of the first solar cell over the photoactive layer; and
forming a second electrode of the second solar cell over the photoactive layer, the second electrode of the first solar cell and the second electrode of the second solar cell being formed such that the second electrode of the first solar cell is separated from the second electrode of the second solar cell over the substrate, and at least a portion of the second electrode of the first solar cell is over the first electrode of the second solar cell; and
forming a conductive channel coupling the portion of the second electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell by applying an electric field across the second electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell,
wherein forming the photoactive layer further comprises adding nanostructures to the photoactive layer to induce the formation of the conductive channel between the second electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell when an electric field is applied.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the conductive channel is formed in contact with a portion of photoactive layer between the second electrode of the first solar cell and the first electrode of the second solar cell.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein adding the nanostructures comprises adding metal nanoparticles, metal nanowires, CNTs or graphene.

Assignees

• Gwangju Inst Science & Tech

Inventors

• Lee Kwang Hee
• Kang Hong Kyu

Classifications

• Y02E10/542

  Dye sensitized solar cells · CPC title

• H01G9/2031

  comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 (H01G9/2036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01G9/2059

  comprising an organic dye as the active light absorbing material, e.g. adsorbed on an electrode or dissolved in solution · CPC title

• Y02P70/521

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01L31/0508 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic