BACK-CONTACT PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL COMPRISING A THIN LAMINA HAVING A SUPERSTRATE RECEIVER ELEMENT
First Claim
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1. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
- a semiconductor lamina having a thickness of 50 microns or less, having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface opposite the first;
a receiver element, wherein the semiconductor lamina is bonded to the receiver element at the first surface, with zero, one, or more layers intervening; and
a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic cell comprises the lamina, and wherein,during normal operation of the photovoltaic cell, current flows into and out of the second surface without current flowing through the first surface.
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Abstract
A photovoltaic assembly comprises a thin semiconductor lamina and a receiver element, where the receiver element serves as a superstrate in the completed device. The photovoltaic assembly includes a photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell is a back-contact cell; photocurrent passes into and out of the back surface of the cell, but does not pass through the light-facing surface. The lamina is typically substantially crystalline and has a thickness less than about 100 microns, in some embodiments 10 microns or less.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
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a semiconductor lamina having a thickness of 50 microns or less, having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface opposite the first; a receiver element, wherein the semiconductor lamina is bonded to the receiver element at the first surface, with zero, one, or more layers intervening; and a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic cell comprises the lamina, and wherein, during normal operation of the photovoltaic cell, current flows into and out of the second surface without current flowing through the first surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for fabricating a photovoltaic assembly, the method comprising:
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providing a crystalline semiconductor lamina having a first surface, the first surface bonded to a receiver element with zero, one, or more layers intervening, the lamina further having a second surface opposite the first, wherein a thickness between the first surface and the second surface is about 50 microns or less; forming first heavily doped regions of a first conductivity type at the second surface; forming second heavily doped regions of a second conductivity type, electrically opposite the first conductivity type, at the second surface; and fabricating a photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell comprising the lamina. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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13. The method of claim 13 wherein the thickness of the semiconductor lamina between the first and second surfaces is between about 0.5 and about 20 microns.
Specification