Shingled solar cell module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9356184-B2
Application number	US-201414577593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a silicon solar cell wafer;
scribing one or more scribe lines on the silicon solar cell wafer to define a plurality of rectangular solar cell regions;
applying an electrically conductive adhesive bonding material to portions of a top surface of the solar cell wafer;
supporting a bottom surface of the solar cell wafer on a moving perforated belt and transporting the solar cell wafer with the perforated belt over a curved portion of a vacuum manifold;
applying a vacuum from the vacuum manifold through the perforated belt to the bottom surface of the solar cell wafer to flex the solar cell wafer against the curved portion of the vacuum manifold and thereby cleave the solar cell wafer along the scribe lines to provide a plurality of rectangular solar cell strips each corresponding to one of the rectangular solar cell regions and each comprising a portion of the electrically conductive adhesive bonding material disposed on its top surface adjacent a long side;
arranging the plurality of rectangular silicon solar cell strips in line with long sides of adjacent rectangular silicon solar cell strips overlapping in a shingled manner with a portion of the electrically conductive adhesive bonding material disposed in between; and
curing the electrically conductive bonding material, thereby bonding adjacent overlapping rectangular silicon solar cell strips to each other and electrically connecting them in series.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the scribing comprises laser scribing.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein applying an electrically conductive adhesive bonding material comprises screen printing.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein applying an electrically conductive adhesive bonding material comprises ink jet printing.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein applying an electrically conductive adhesive bonding material comprises depositing the electrically conductive adhesive bonding material using a mask.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the scribe lines are oriented at an angle other than perpendicular to the direction of travel of the perforated belt and for each scribe line one end reaches the curved portion of the vacuum manifold before the other end.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein the scribe lines are oriented perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the perforated belt, the curved portion of the vacuum manifold is oriented at an angle other than perpendicular to the direction of travel of the perforated belt, and for each scribe line one end reaches the curved portion of the vacuum manifold before the other end.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein the arranging comprises forming a layered structure including an encapsulant, the method further comprising laminating the layered structure.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein the curing occurs at least partially during the laminating.

10. A method as in claim 8 wherein the curing occurs distinct from the laminating.

11. A method as in claim 8 wherein the laminating comprises applying a vacuum.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein the laminating vacuum is applied to a bladder.

13. A method as in claim 11 wherein the laminating vacuum is applied to a belt.

14. A method as in claim 8 wherein the encapsulant comprises a thermoplastic olefin polymer.

15. A method as in claim 8 wherein the layered structure comprises:
a white backing sheet; and
darkened stripes on the white backing sheet.

16. A method as in claim 1 comprising confining a spreading of the electrically conductive adhesive bonding material using a feature of a metallization pattern on each solar cell strip.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein the feature is on a front side of the solar cell strip.

18. A method as in claim 16 wherein the feature is on a back side of the solar cell strip.

19. A method as in claim 1 wherein a length of the long side of each solar cell strip reproduces a length of a side of the solar cell wafer.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein the length is 156 mm or 125 mm.

21. A method as in claim 19 wherein an aspect ratio between a width of each solar cell strip and the length is about 1:2 to about 1:20.

22. A method as in claim 1 , comprising electrically connecting the series connected solar cell strips with a bypass diode located in a first junction box of a first solar module that is in mating arrangement with a second junction box of a second solar module.

23. A method as in claim 1 wherein a first one of the solar cell strips has a chamfered corner.

24. A method as in claim 23 wherein a second one of the solar cell strips does not have a chamfered corner, and the longest side of the first solar cell strip overlaps and is conductively bonded to a long side of the second solar cell strip.

25. A method as in claim 24 wherein a width of the first solar cell strip is greater than a width of the second solar cell strip, such that the first solar cell strip and the second solar cell strip have approximately a same front surface area exposed to light.

26. A method as in claim 23 wherein a the first solar cell strip overlaps and is conductively bonded to a second one of the solar cell strips having a chamfered corner.

27. A method as in claim 26 wherein the longest side of the first solar cell strip overlaps and is conductively bonded to the longest side of the second solar cell strip and the chamfered corners of the two solar cell strips face away from each other.

28. A method as in claim 26 wherein a long side of the first solar cell strip including a chamfered corner overlaps and is conductively bonded to a long side of the second solar cell strip including a chamfered corner, and the chamfered corners on the two solar cell strips face toward each other.

29. A method as in claim 1 , comprising applying the electrically conductive adhesive bonding material before scribing the one or more scribe lines.

30. A method as in claim 1 , comprising scribing the one or more scribe lines before applying the electrically conductive adhesive bonding material.

Assignees

• Cogenra Solar Inc
• Sunpower Corp

Inventors

• Morad Ratson
• Almogy Gilad
• Suez Itai
• Hummel Jean
• Beckett Nathan
• Lin Yafu
• Maydan Dan
• Gannon John

Classifications

• H10F77/937

  Busbar structures for modules · CPC title

• H10F77/935 Primary

  for photovoltaic devices or modules · CPC title

• H10F77/215

  Geometries of grid contacts · CPC title

• H10F77/211

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/50

  Encapsulations or containers (for photovoltaic modules H10F19/80) · CPC title