Photovoltaic structures with interlocking busbars

• US 10,115,838 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Peter P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Slawski, Magali P
• Application Number:
  US15/133,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20170301801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0201 comprising specially adapted module bus-bar structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022433 Particular geometry of the grid contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0504 specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0747 comprising a heterojunction of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

One embodiment can provide a current-collecting mechanism of a photovoltaic structure. The current-collecting mechanism can include a top metallic grid positioned on a top surface of the photovoltaic structure and a bottom metallic grid positioned on the bottom surface of the photovoltaic structure. The top metallic grid can include a top busbar positioned near an edge of the photovoltaic structure, and the bottom metallic grid can include a bottom busbar positioned near an opposite edge. The top busbar and the bottom busbar can have complementary topology profiles such that, when the edge of the photovoltaic structure overlaps with an opposite edge of an adjacent photovoltaic structure, the top busbar of the photovoltaic structure and the bottom busbar of the adjacent photovoltaic structure interlock with each other.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic structure, comprising:

a first metallic grid positioned on a first surface of the photovoltaic structure, wherein the first metallic grid includes a first set of discontinuous segments positioned near an edge of the photovoltaic structure; and

a second metallic grid positioned on a second surface of the photovoltaic structure, wherein the second metallic grid includes a second set of discontinuous segments positioned near an opposite edge of the photovoltaic structure;

wherein the first and the second sets of discontinuous segments have substantially complementary topology profiles such that, when the edge of the photovoltaic structure overlaps with an opposite edge of an adjacent photovoltaic structure with a same metallic-grid configuration, a respective segment on the first surface of the photovoltaic structure fits in a corresponding gap between two neighboring segments on the second surface of the adjacent photovoltaic structure, thereby facilitating interlocking of the segments between the two photovoltaic structures wherein, within each of the first and second metallic grids, the discontinuous segments are not directly coupled to one another by a metallic material except by segments of another grid when two photovoltaic structures are overlapped.

2. The photovoltaic structure of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous segments within a respective set have substantially the same length.

3. The photovoltaic structure of claim 1, wherein the first metallic grid and the second metallic grid each include a plurality of finger lines.

4. The photovoltaic structure of claim 1, wherein the first metallic grid and the second metallic grid each include an electroplated Cu layer.

5. The photovoltaic structure of claim 1, further comprising a layer of conductive paste, wherein the conductive paste is configured to bond the respective segment on the first surface of the photovoltaic structure to a portion of the second surface of the adjacent photovoltaic structure.

6. A photovoltaic structure, comprising:

a multilayer photovoltaic body;

a first metallic grid positioned on a first surface of the photovoltaic body, wherein the first metallic grid includes a first set of discontinuous segments positioned near an edge of the photovoltaic structure; and

a second metallic grid positioned on a second surface of the photovoltaic body, wherein the second metallic grid includes a second set of discontinuous segments positioned near an opposite edge of the photovoltaic structure;

wherein the first and the second sets of discontinuous segments have substantially complementary topology profiles such that, when the edge of the photovoltaic structure overlaps with an opposite edge of an adjacent photovoltaic structure with a same metallic-grid configuration, a respective segment on the first surface of the photovoltaic structure fits in a corresponding gap between two neighboring segments on the second surface of the adjacent photovoltaic structure, thereby facilitating interlocking of the segments between the two photovoltaic structures wherein, within each of the first and second metallic grids, the discontinuous segments are not directly coupled to one another by a metallic material except by segments of another grid when two photovoltaic structures are overlapped.

7. The photovoltaic structure of claim 6, wherein the discontinuous segments within a respective set have substantially the same length.

8. The photovoltaic structure of claim 6, wherein the first metallic grid and the second metallic grid each include a plurality of finger lines.

9. The photovoltaic structure of claim 6, wherein the first metallic grid and the second metallic grid each include an electroplated Cu layer.

10. The photovoltaic structure of claim 6, further comprising a layer of conductive paste, wherein the conductive paste is configured to bond the respective segment on the first surface of the photovoltaic structure to a portion of the second surface of the adjacent photovoltaic structure.

11. The photovoltaic structure of claim 6, wherein the multilayer photovoltaic body comprises:

a base layer;

a first quantum tunneling barrier layer positioned on a first surface of the base layer;

a second quantum tunneling barrier layer positioned on a second surface of the base layer;

an emitter layer positioned on the first quantum tunneling barrier layer;

a surface field layer positioned on the second quantum tunneling barrier layer;

a first transparent conductive oxide layer positioned on the emitter layer; and

a second transparent conductive oxide layer positioned on surface field layer.

12. A method for fabricating a photovoltaic structure, comprising:

obtaining a multilayer photovoltaic body;

forming a first metallic grid on a first surface of the photovoltaic body, wherein the first metallic grid includes a first set of discontinuous segments positioned near an edge of the photovoltaic structure; and

forming a second metallic grid on a second surface of the photovoltaic body, wherein the second metallic grid includes a second set of discontinuous segments positioned near an opposite edge of the photovoltaic structure;

wherein the first and the second sets of discontinuous segments have substantially complementary topology profiles such that, when the edge of the photovoltaic structure overlaps with an opposite edge of an adjacent photovoltaic structure with a same metallic-grid configuration, a respective segment on the first surface of the photovoltaic structure fits in a corresponding gap between two neighboring segments on the second surface of the adjacent photovoltaic structure, thereby facilitating interlocking of the segments between the two photovoltaic structures wherein, within each of the first and second metallic grids, the discontinuous segments are not directly coupled to one another by a metallic material except by segments of another grid when two photovoltaic structures are overlapped.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the first and second metallic grids involves electroplating a Cu layer on the first and second surfaces of the photovoltaic structure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein electroplating the Cu layer involves forming a plating mask by direct laser writing on a wax layer.