Tandem solar cell module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11764235-B2
Application number	US-202117191092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2021
Priority date	Nov 27, 2020
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to a colored tandem solar cell module, and more particularly, a high-efficiency thin-film colored tandem solar cell module which does not require separate photocurrent matching, implements a color without a separate color filter, and generates power with high efficiency. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a colored tandem solar cell module including solar cells, which each include a bottom electrode having an inverse diode structure formed by sequentially stacking a first electrode, a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, and a second electrode on a substrate, a light absorption layer formed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode formed on the light absorption layer, thereby eliminating the need for photocurrent matching, implementing a color without a separate color filter, and improving efficiency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tandem solar cell module comprising:
a substrate;
a first inverse diode and a second inverse diode which are formed to be separated from each other on the substrate and each have a structure in which a first electrode, a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, and a second electrode are sequentially stacked;
a bottom cell array having a series cell array structure in which solar cells, which each include a first bottom electrode formed of the first inverse diode, a first light absorption layer formed on the first bottom electrode, and a first top electrode formed on the first light absorption layer, are connected in series;
an insulating layer formed on the bottom cell array; and
a top cell array connected in parallel with the bottom cell array and having a series cell array structure in which solar cells, which each include a second bottom electrode formed on the insulating layer and having at least one side portion connected to the second inverse diode, a second light absorption layer formed on the second bottom electrode, and a second top electrode formed on the second light absorption layer, are connected in series.

2. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the first and second semiconductor layers are made of a material transparent to visible light, and
the second electrode is made of an opaque material.

3. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second semiconductor layers are semiconductor thin-film layers having opposite polarities and are formed as one of an n-type semiconductor thin-film layer and a p-type semiconductor thin-film layer.

4. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein a band gap of the solar cell constituting the top cell array is greater than a band gap of the solar cell constituting the bottom cell array.

5. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein number of the solar cells constituting the bottom cell array is the same as or different number of the solar cells constituting the top cell array.

6. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein the first top electrode, the second bottom electrode, and the second top electrode are made of a material having a transmittance of 50% or more at visible and near-infrared wavelengths.

7. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein a metal thin-film layer is formed on the insulating layer to connect the bottom cell array and the top cell array in parallel.

8. The tandem solar cell module of claim 7 , wherein the metal thin-film layer is made of a material opaque to visible light and is made of aluminum (Al) or molybdenum (Mo) having high adhesion with the first top electrode.

9. The tandem solar cell module of claim 7 , wherein the insulating layer is formed as an organic or inorganic thin-film layer that is transparent to visible light and near-infrared light and is formed through an atomic layer deposition method or a chemical vapor deposition method.

10. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein a processing portion (“P 1 - 1 ”) and a processing portion (“P 1 - 2 ”), which separate the first inverse diode from the second inverse diode, are formed through a laser scribing method or a mechanical scribing method, and
in the forming using the laser scribing method, a pulse laser having an ultraviolet wavelength absorbed by the first electrode is used.

11. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein a processing portion (“P 2 - 1 ”) and a processing portion (“P 2 - 2 ”), which separate the first light absorption layer of the solar cell constituting the bottom cell array, are formed using a laser scribing method or a mechanical scribing method, and
in the forming using the laser scribing method, a laser is incident in a direction of the substrate or a direction opposite to the substrate to process and form the processing portion (“P 2 - 1 ”) and the processing portion (“P 2 - 2 ”).

12. The tandem solar cell module of claim 1 , wherein a processing portion (“Pcon 1 ”) formed to connect the second bottom electrode to the second inverse diode is formed using a laser scribing method, and
in the laser scribing method, by using a laser having a wavelength, which passes through the first electrode and the first and second semiconductor layers and is absorbed by the second electrode, the first light absorption layer, the first top electrode, and the insulating layer stacked on the second electrode are removed together with a thermal elastic force caused by the laser absorbed by the second electrode.

13. The tandem solar cell module of claim 7 , wherein a processing portion (“Pcon 2 ”) formed in the insulating layer and the metal thin-film layer to connect one side of the bottom cell array and the top cell array is formed by irradiating a laser in a direction of the substrate or a direction opposite to the substrate using a laser scribing method, and
in the laser scribing method, the insulating layer is removed using a laser having a wavelength absorbed by the metal thin-film layer.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Yu Hyeong Geun
• Jeong Jeung Hyun
• Kim Gee Yeong
• Jang Yoon Hee

Classifications

• H10F77/45

  Wavelength conversion means, e.g. by using luminescent material, fluorescent concentrators or up-conversion arrangements · CPC title

• H10F10/142 Primary

  comprising multiple PN homojunctions, e.g. tandem cells · CPC title

• H10F77/488

  Reflecting light-concentrating means, e.g. parabolic mirrors or concentrators using total internal reflection · CPC title

• H10F77/244

  made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. transparent conductive oxide [TCO] layers · CPC title

• H10F19/902

  for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells · CPC title