Solar cell module on flexible supporting film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728452-B2
Application number	US-202217742891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	Jan 8, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A solar cell module comprising a plurality of solar cells mounted on a flexible 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. Each one of the plurality of solar cells is placed on the first conductive portion with the first contact electrically connected to the first conductive portion so that the solar cells are connected through the first conductive portion. A second contact of each solar cell is then connected to the second conductive portion by a respective interconnect.

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 a front surface, a rear surface, a first metal contact in correspondence with the rear surface and forming a contact of a first polarity type to the solar cell, and a metallic bonding pad on the front surface of the solar cell forming a contact of a second plurality type to the solar cell;
a planar support;
a conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the planar support, the conductive layer comprising a first conductive section and a second conductive section, each section being electrically isolated from each other by at least one groove traversing the conductive layer, wherein the second conductive section comprises a plurality of substantially elongated sub-portions at least some of which extend between sub-portions of the first conductive section, wherein each of the solar cells is disposed over the first conductive section but not over the second conductive section;
each first metal contact of each solar cell of the plurality of the solar cells being conductively bonded to the first conductive section such that the first metal contact of each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is electrically connected to the first conductive section; and
a plurality of discrete electrical interconnects, each discrete electrical interconnect coupling the metallic bonding pad on a respective solar cell to a respective portion of the second conductive section of the conductive layer.

2. A module as defined in claim, 1 , wherein the second conductive section comprises a plurality of substantially elongated sub-portions at least some of which extend between sub-portions of the first conductive section.

3. A module as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a bypass diode coupled between the first conductive section and the second conductive section.

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

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

7. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove follows a path consisting of a plurality of segments arranged one after the other, starting with a first segment and ending with a final segment, each segment after the first segment extending at a right angle with respect to an immediately preceding segment, wherein each of the segments of the at least one groove has sidewalls that are straight in a direction of the path.

8. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said segments extends in parallel with another one of said segments.

9. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the at least one 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 planar support is larger than a total surface area of the second conductive section that faces away from the planar support.

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 sub-portion of the second conductive section extending between two rows of solar cells.

12. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein each first metal contact is conductively bonded by an indium alloy.

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

14. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the planar support is a polyimide film and the conductive layer comprises copper.

15. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first metal 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 module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a first terminal of the first polarity type on the top surface thereof coupled to the first conductive section, and a second terminal of the second plurality type on the top surface thereof coupled to the second conductive section.

17. A module as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second conductive section comprises a strip extending on a 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 an adjacently disposed portion of the second conductive section.

18. A module 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 along a second edge of the support.

19. A module as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a ceria doped borosilicate glass supporting member disposed on a surface of each of the semiconductor solar cells; and
wherein each of the plurality of interconnects is composed of a silver-plated nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy material welded to the respective metallic bonding pads on the solar cells, wherein the interconnects are electrically connected to the second conductive section of the conductive layer.

Assignees

• Solaero Tech Corp
• Solaero Techologies Corp

Inventors

• Aiken Daniel
• Derkacs Daniel

Classifications

• H10F77/95

  Circuit arrangements · CPC title

• H10F77/93

  Interconnections · CPC title

• H10F71/127

  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