Method for interconnecting solar cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017200846-A1
Application number	US-201614994889-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A photovoltaic module comprises a back substrate having a plurality of conductive interconnects on top thereof. A conductive interconnect includes a first contact region and a second contact region. The photovoltaic module further comprises a plurality of photovoltaic cells comprising front electrodes disposed on a front surface of a photovoltaic layer on top of back electrodes on top of a support substrate. A plurality of back vias extending through the support substrate of a first cell form an electrical contact between the back electrodes and the second contact region, and a plurality of front vias extending through the support substrate, the back electrodes and the photovoltaic layer of a second cell form an electrical contact between the front electrodes and the first contact region, and is insulated from an electrical contact with the back electrodes and a P side of the photovoltaic layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photovoltaic cell comprising:
a photovoltaic layer configured to convert light energy to electrical energy; a front conductive layer disposed on a first side of the photovoltaic layer; a back conductive layer disposed on a second side of the photovoltaic layer, the second side opposite to the first side, wherein the front conductive layer and the back conductive layer are configured to conduct electrical current originated from the photovoltaic layer to an external circuitry; and a support substrate layer disposed under the photovoltaic layer, wherein: a back via extends through the support substrate, dispensed with a conductive material forming an electrical contact with the back conductive layer, and a front via extends through the support substrate layer, the back conductive layer and the photovoltaic layer, dispensed with a conductive material and a insulation material, the insulation material insulating the conductive material from an electrical contact with the back conductive layer and a P side of the photovoltaic layer, the conductive material forming an electrical contact with the front conductive layer.

2 . The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the insulation material is dispensed on a side wall of the photovoltaic layer, the back conductive layer and the support substrate layer of the front via to form an insulation wall, the conductive material dispensed inside the insulation wall.

3 . The photovoltaic cell of claim 2 , wherein the insulation wall covers the side wall of the front via in regions of the photovoltaic layer and the back conductive layer.

4 . The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the front via is formed by laser ablation through the support substrate layer to the back conductive layer and wet etching through the photovoltaic layer.

5 . A photovoltaic module comprising:
a back substrate; a plurality of conductive interconnects disposed on top of a surface of the back substrate, a respective conductive interconnect comprising a first contact region and a second contact region; and a plurality of photovoltaic cells electrically coupled to each other, wherein a respective photovoltaic cell comprises front electrodes disposed on a front surface of a photovoltaic layer on top of back electrodes on top of a support substrate, wherein a plurality of back vias extend through the support substrate forming an electrical contact with the back electrodes, and a plurality of front vias extend through the support substrate, the back electrodes and the photovoltaic layer forming an electrical contact with the front electrodes and insulated from an electrical contact with the back electrodes and a P side of the photovoltaic layer; wherein the first contact region of a conductive interconnect of plurality of conductive interconnects is electrically coupled to the plurality of front vias of a first photovoltaic cell of the plurality of photovoltaic cells, and the second contact region of the conductive interconnect is electrically coupled to the plurality of back vias of a second photovoltaic cell of the plurality of photovoltaic cells.

6 . The photovoltaic module of claim 5 , wherein the first contact region of the conductive interconnect is electrically coupled to the plurality of front vias by a conductive material dispensed in the plurality of front vias.

7 . The photovoltaic module of claim 5 , wherein the second contact region of the conductive interconnect is electrically coupled to the plurality of back vias by a conductive material dispensed in the plurality of back vias.

8 . The photovoltaic module of claim 5 , wherein a front via of the plurality of front vias is formed by laser ablation through the support substrate to the back electrodes and wet etching through the photovoltaic layer.

9 . The photovoltaic module of claim 5 , wherein an insulation material is dispensed on a side wall of the photovoltaic layer, the back electrodes and the support substrate of a front via of a photovoltaic cell of the plurality of the photovoltaic cells to form an insulation wall, a conductive material dispensed inside the insulation wall.

10 . The photovoltaic module of claim 9 , wherein the insulation wall covers the side wall of the front via in regions of the photovoltaic layer and the back electrodes.

11 . The photovoltaic module of claim 5 , wherein a conductive interconnect of the plurality of conductive interconnects comprises an extension electrically coupled to a diode.

12 . The photovoltaic module of claim 5 , wherein the back substrate is a thermal plastic which bonds the plurality of photovoltaic cells to the surface of the back substrate.

13 . A method for interconnecting photovoltaic cells, the photovoltaic cells comprising front electrodes disposed on a photovoltaic layer disposed on back electrodes on a support substrate, wherein a plurality of back vias extend through the support substrate forming an electrical contact with the back electrodes, and a plurality of front vias extend through the support substrate, the back electrodes and the photovoltaic layer forming an electrical contact with the front electrodes and insulated from an electrical contact with the back electrodes and a P side of the photovoltaic layer, the method comprising the steps of:
attaching a conductive interconnect on a surface of a back substrate, the conductive interconnect comprising a first contact region and a second contact region; attaching a first photovoltaic cell to overlay with the first contact region of the conductive interconnect, wherein a plurality of front vias of the first photovoltaic cell are electrically coupled between the first contact region of the conductive interconnect and the front electrodes of the first photovoltaic cell; attaching a second photovoltaic cell to overlay with the second contact region of the conductive interconnect, wherein a plurality of back vias of the second photovoltaic cell are electrically coupled between the second contact region of the conductive interconnect and the back electrodes of the second photovoltaic cell.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first contact region of the conductive interconnect is electrically coupled to the plurality of front vias by a conductive material dispensed in the plurality of front vias.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second contact region of the conductive interconnect is electrically coupled to the plurality of back vias by a conductive material dispensed in the plurality of back vias.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a front via is formed by laser ablation through the support substrate to the back electrodes and wet etching through the photovoltaic layer.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein an insulation material is dispensed on a side wall of the photovoltaic layer, the back conductive layer and the support substrate layer of a front via to form an insulation wall, a conductive material dispensed inside the insulation wall.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the insulation wall covers the side wall of the front via in regions of the photovoltaic layer and the back electrodes.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming an extension of a conductive interconnect and electrically coupling a diode to the extension.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the back substrate is a thermal plastic which bonds the plurality of photovoltaic cells to the surface of the back substrate.

Assignees

• Alta Devices Inc

Inventors

• Li Liguang
• Yang Linlin
• Ding Jian

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H01L27/1421

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/022441

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0516 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title