BACK CONTACT SOLAR CELL MODULES
First Claim
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1. A flexible interconnect structure used to electrically connect portions of a first solar cell device to a second solar cell device, comprising:
- a first conductive layer;
a second conductive layer; and
a dielectric material separating the first conductive layer from the second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer comprises one or more first interconnection regions that are configured to contact one or more first conductive features formed on a substrate surface of a solar cell substrate and the second conductive layer comprises one or more second interconnection regions that are configured to contact one or more second conductive features formed on the substrate surface, andwherein the solar cell substrate has an n-type region that is in communication with the one or more first conductive features and a p-type region that is in communication with the one or more second conductive features.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a high efficiency solar cell using a novel processing sequence to form a solar cell device. Methods of forming the high efficiency solar cell may include the use of a prefabricated back plane that is bonded to the metalized solar cell device to form an interconnected solar cell module. Solar cells most likely to benefit from the invention including those having active regions comprising single or multicrystalline silicon with both positive and negative contacts on the rear side of the cell.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A flexible interconnect structure used to electrically connect portions of a first solar cell device to a second solar cell device, comprising:
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a first conductive layer; a second conductive layer; and a dielectric material separating the first conductive layer from the second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer comprises one or more first interconnection regions that are configured to contact one or more first conductive features formed on a substrate surface of a solar cell substrate and the second conductive layer comprises one or more second interconnection regions that are configured to contact one or more second conductive features formed on the substrate surface, and wherein the solar cell substrate has an n-type region that is in communication with the one or more first conductive features and a p-type region that is in communication with the one or more second conductive features. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of forming a solar cell device, comprising:
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positioning a flexible interconnect structure over a solar cell substrate so that a portion of a first conductive layer of the flexible interconnect structure is in electrical communication with an n-type region disposed on a solar cell substrate and a portion of a second conductive layer is in electrical communication with a p-type region disposed on the solar cell substrate, wherein a dielectric material disposed in the flexible interconnect structure separates the first conductive layer from the second conductive layer, and wherein the portion of the first conductive layer and the portion of the second conductive layer are in contact with a first surface of the flexible interconnect structure. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of forming a solar cell device, comprising:
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receiving a solar cell substrate having an n-type region and a p-type region that form part of a junction that is adapted to convert light into electrical energy, wherein the n-type region is in electrical communication with a first conductive feature disposed on a surface of the solar cell substrate and the p-type region is in electrical communication with a second conductive feature disposed on the surface; positioning an interconnect structure having a first layer, a first hole formed through the first layer, a second layer, a second hole formed through the second layer and a dielectric material separating the first layer from the second layer against the surface of the solar cell substrate so that the first layer is in electrical communication with the first conductive feature and the second layer is in electrical communication with the second conductive feature; and depositing a conductive material in the first hole and the second hole so that the conductive material creates a first conductive path between the first layer and the first conductive feature, and a second conductive path between the second layer and the second conductive feature. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method of forming a solar cell device, comprising:
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forming an enclosed region between one or more walls of an enclosure and an interconnect structure, where in the interconnect structure comprises; a first layer; a second layer; a dielectric material disposed between the first layer and the second layer; and a first hole and a second hole that are each in communication with the enclosed region and are formed through a portion of the interconnect structure; positioning a first conductive feature formed on a solar cell substrate adjacent to the first layer, and a second conductive feature formed on the solar cell substrate adjacent to the second layer, wherein the first conductive feature is in electrical communication with an n-type region formed on the solar cell substrate and the second conductive feature is in electrical communication with a p-type region formed on the solar cell substrate; heating the first conductive feature, the first layer, the second conductive feature and the second layer so that a bond is formed between the first conductive feature and the first layer and the second conductive feature and the second layer; and urging the first conductive feature against the first layer and the second conductive feature against the second layer during the heating process. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of forming a solar cell device, comprising:
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forming a solar cell substrate having an n-type region and a p-type region that form part of a junction that is adapted to convert light into electrical energy, wherein the n-type region is in electrical communication with a first conductive feature disposed on a surface of the solar cell substrate and the p-type region is in electrical communication with a second conductive feature disposed on the surface; depositing a first compliant layer over the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature, wherein the first complaint layer has a first hole and a second hole formed therein; depositing a conductive material in the first hole and the second hole, wherein the conductive material disposed in the first hole is in electrical communication with the first conductive feature and the conductive material disposed in the second hole is in electrical communication with the second conductive feature; and positioning an interconnect structure having a first layer, a second layer, and a dielectric material separating the first layer from the second layer over a surface of the first compliant layer so that the first layer is in electrical communication with the first conductive feature through the first conductive material disposed in the first hole, and the second layer is in electrical communication with the second conductive feature through the first conductive material disposed in the second hole. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A plurality of interconnected solar cells, comprising:
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a first solar cell assembly comprising; a first solar cell substrate having an n-type region and a p-type region that are part of a junction that is adapted to convert light into electrical energy, wherein the n-type region is in electrical communication with a first conductive feature disposed on a surface of the first solar cell substrate and the p-type region is in electrical communication with a second conductive feature disposed on the surface; and a first flexible interconnect structure having a first layer, a second layer and a dielectric material separating the first layer from the second layer, wherein the first layer is in electrical communication with the first conductive feature formed on the first solar cell substrate and the second layer is in electrical communication with a second conductive feature formed on the first solar cell substrate; and a second solar cell assembly comprising; a second solar cell substrate having an n-type region and a p-type region that are part of a junction that is adapted to convert light into electrical energy, wherein the n-type region is in electrical communication with a first conductive feature disposed on a surface of the second solar cell substrate and the p-type region is in electrical communication with a second conductive feature disposed on the surface; and a second flexible interconnect structure having a first layer, a second layer and a dielectric material separating the first layer from the second layer, wherein the first layer is in electrical communication with the first conductive feature formed on the second solar cell substrate and the second layer is in electrical communication with a second conductive feature formed on the second solar cell substrate, wherein the first layer in the first flexible interconnect structure is electrically connected to the first layer or the second layer of the second flexible interconnect structure. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification