Solar cell module interconnection of solar cells on conductive layers of a polymide support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10978602-B2
Application number	US-202016998636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2020
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A solar cell module comprising a plurality of solar cells and a polyimide support, the support comprising a conductive layer on the top surface thereof divided into two electrically isolated portions—a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion. Each solar cell comprises a front surface, a rear surface, and a first contact on the rear surface and a second contact on the front surface. A the plurality of solar cells are placed on the first conductive portion with the first contact electronically connected to the first conductive portion. A second contact of each solar cell can be connected through the first conductive portion. A second contact of each solar cell can be connected to the second conductive portion. The two conductive portions serve as bus bars of two different polarities of the solar cell module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solar cell module comprising:
a plurality of III-V compound semiconductor multijunction solar cells, each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells comprising said front surface, a rear surface, a first metallic contact of first polarity disposed on the rear surface, and a second metallic contact of a second polarity on the front surface;
a non-conductive polyimide film having a thickness of 1 mil to 4 mils;
a conductive layer having a thickness of 1 micrometer to 50 micrometers disposed on the surface of the polyimide film, the conductive layer comprising a first conductive section and a second conductive section, each section being isolated from each other by at least one groove traversing the entire thickness of the conductive layer, wherein the second conductive section comprises a plurality of substantially elongated subportions at least some of which extend between subportions of the first conductive section;
a conductive bonding material disposed on the surface of the first conductive section;
wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells are disposed directly on the conductive bonding material on the first conductive section such that the first contact of each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is electrically coupled to the first conductive section by way of the conductive bonding material, wherein each solar cell is disposed over the first conductive section but not over the second conductive section, and so that the solar cells are connected through the first conductive section.

2. A module as defined in claim 1 , further comprising interconnects composed of a silver-plated nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy material coupled to the respective metallic bonding pads on the solar cells, and also are electrically connected to the second conductive section of the conductive layer.

3. A module as defined in claim, 1 , wherein the first conductive section and the second conductive section are interconnected by at least one bypass diode.

4. A module as defined in claim 3 , wherein the at least one bypass diode comprises a top side terminal and a rear side terminal, the at least one diode being placed on the second conductive section with said rear side terminal of the at least one diode electrically coupled to the second conductive section, the top side terminal of the at least one diode being electrically coupled to the first conductive section.

5. A module as defined in claim 3 , wherein the at least one bypass diode comprises a top side terminal and a rear side terminal, the at least one bypass diode being placed on the first conductive section with the rear side terminal of the at least one bypass diode electrically coupled to the first conductive section, the top side terminal of the at least one bypass diode being electrically coupled to the second conductive section.

6. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solar cells are electrically connected in parallel, and each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is rectangular or substantially square and having at least one III-V compound semiconductor layer.

7. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the groove follows a path comprising a plurality of segments arranged one after the other, each segment extending at an angle with respect to a proceeding segment and/or with respect to a following segment.

8. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the groove comprises a plurality of segments, at least one of said segments extending in parallel with another one of said segments.

9. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the groove follows a substantially meandering path.

10. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein a total surface area of the first conductive section that faces away from the polyimide film is larger than a total surface area of the second conductive section that faces away from the polyimide film.

11. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solar cells placed on the first conductive section form a plurality of rows of solar cells, each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells being connected to a subportion of the second conductive section extending between two rows of solar cells.

12. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the conductive bonding material is an indium alloy.

13. A module as defined in claim 12 , wherein the bonding material is indium lead.

14. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer comprises copper.

15. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first contact of each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells comprises a conductive layer extending over a substantial portion of the rear surface of each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells.

16. A solar cell assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a first terminal of a first polarity type on the top surface thereof coupled to the first conductive section, and a second terminal of a second polarity type on the top surface thereof coupled to the second conductive section.

17. A solar cell assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second conductive section comprises a strip extending on the top surface of the support having a portion disposed substantially parallel to an edge of each of the solar cells to allow an electrical connection to be made between the bonding pad on the front surface of the solar cell and the adjacently disposed portion of the second conductive section.

18. A solar assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first conductive section and the second conductive section are interdigitated, with the first conductive section being connected to a bus bar extending along a first edge of the support, and the second conductive section being connected to a bus bar disposed adjacent to a second edge of the support.

19. A solar cell assembly comprising:
a support comprising a polyimide film having a thickness of 1 mil to 4 mils;
a conductive layer having a thickness of between 1 micrometer to 50 micrometers attached to the polyimide film, the conductive layer comprising a first conductive section and a second conductive section spaced apart and isolated from the first conductive section;
a plurality of III-V compound semiconductor multijunction solar cells, each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first contact in correspondence with the rear surface, and a second contact including a metallic bonding pad on the front surface;
at least one groove traversing the entire conductive layer, the groove comprising a plurality of segments, at least one of said segments extending in parallel with another one of said segments so that the groove electrically isolates the first conductive section of the conductive layer and the second conductive section of the conductive layer from each other, and wherein the second conductive section has a plurality of substantially elongated subportions that extend between respective elongated subportions of the first edge of the polyimide film, and the elongated subportions of the second conductive section are connected electrically to a common portion of the second conductive section disposed adjacent a second edge of the polyimide film, wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge, and wherein the first conductive section has a larger surface section than the surface section of the second conductive section wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is disposed over the first conductive section but not over the second conductive section.

Assignees

• Solaero Tech Corp

Inventors

• Aiken Daniel
• Derkacs Daniel

Classifications

• H10F77/95

  Circuit arrangements · CPC title

• H10F77/93

  Interconnections · CPC title

• H10F71/127 Primary

  The active layers comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs or InP · CPC title

• H10F77/935

  for photovoltaic devices or modules · CPC title

• H10F19/906

  characterised by the materials of the structures · CPC title