Photovoltaic Cell Module And Method Of Forming Same

• US 20110061724A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, David, Houle, Kevin, Juen, Donnie, Shephard, Nick Evan, Ketola, Barry, Howell, Malinda
• Application Number:
  US12/922,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/252
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/62 Inert
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/68 Vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/12 Photovoltaic modules
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/003 to avoid air inclusion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/10 characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1009 using vacuum and fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1858 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67092 Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting, see the relevant groups in subclasses B24B or B28D
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1876 Particular processes or apparatus for batch treatment of the devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/582 Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A photovoltaic cell module, a photovoltaic array including at least two modules, and a method of forming the module are provided. The photovoltaic cell module includes a substrate and a tie layer disposed on the substrate. The tie layer has a depth of penetration of from 1.1 to 100 mm and a tack value of less than −0.6 g·sec. The photovoltaic cell module also includes a photovoltaic cell disposed on the tie layer. The method of forming the photovoltaic cell module includes the steps of disposing the tie layer on the substrate and disposing the photovoltaic cell on the tie layer to form the photovoltaic cell module.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic cell module comprising:

A. a substrate;

B. a tie layer disposed on said substrate having a depth of penetration of from 1.1 to 100 mm and a tack value of less than −

0.6 g·

sec; and

C. a photovoltaic cell disposed on said tie layer.

2. A photovoltaic cell as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tie layer has a thickness that varies across said substrate from 1 to 25 mils or from 5 to 25 mils.

5. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 1 further comprising first and second electrical leads each spaced apart from one another, disposed on a first side of said photovoltaic cell, and sandwiched between said photovoltaic cell and said tie layer and wherein said tie layer has a thickness of from 10 to 30 mils between said first electrical lead and said substrate, a thickness of from 10 to 30 mils between said second electrical lead and said substrate, and a thickness of from 5 to 25 mils across a remainder of said substrate.

6. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 5 wherein said thickness across the remainder of said substrate is further defined as from 5 to 7 mils and/or said thicknesses between said first and second electrical leads and said substrate are each independently further defined as from 12 to 15 mils.

8. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a second tie layer that is the same or different than said tie layer and that is disposed on said photovoltaic cell.

10. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cell module further comprises third and fourth electrical leads each spaced apart from one another and disposed on a second side of said photovoltaic cell opposite said first side, wherein said third and fourth electrical leads are sandwiched between said photovoltaic cell and said second tie layer and wherein said second tie layer has a thickness of from 5 to 25 mils.

13. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cell module further comprises a second substrate that is the same or different than said substrate, and the photovoltaic cell is further disposed on the second substrate via chemical vapor deposition or physical sputtering.

20. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tie layer is formed from a curable composition and said curable composition comprises a cross-linking agent having silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms and a diorganopolysiloxane having alkenyl groups and a mole ratio of silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in said cross-linking agent to alkenyl groups in said diorganopolysiloxane is less than 0.9.

22. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tie layer is formed from a curable composition and said curable composition comprises at least one of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyurethane, an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, a polyvinylfluoride, a polyethylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof.

23. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tie layer is further defined as a film.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

21. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 15 wherein said tie layer is formed from a curable composition and said curable composition comprises a diorganopolysiloxane having the average unit formula:

(R′

₃SiO_1/2)_x(R′

₂SiO_2/2)_y(R′

SiO_3/2)_z

wherein x and y are positive numbers, z is greater than or equal to zero, and each R′

is independently a monovalent radical.

16. (canceled)

17. A photovoltaic cell module as set forth in claim 16 wherein said curable composition comprises carbon atoms and is substantially free of compounds including silicon atoms.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. A method of forming a photovoltaic cell module comprising a substrate, a tie layer formed from a curable composition, and a photovoltaic cell, said method comprising the steps of:

A. disposing, on the substrate, the tie layer having a depth of penetration of from 1.1 to 100 mm and a tack value of less than −

0.6 g·

sec; and

B. disposing the photovoltaic cell on the tie layer to form the photovoltaic cell module.

28. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the photovoltaic cell module further comprises first and second electrical leads each spaced apart from one another, disposed on a first side of the photovoltaic cell, and sandwiched between the photovoltaic cell and the tie layer and wherein the step of disposing the tie layer is further defined as:

A. applying a base amount of the curable composition on the substrate resulting in a first thickness of from 5 to 25 mils on the substrate;

B. applying a first supplemental amount of the curable composition between the first electrical lead and the substrate resulting in a second thickness of from 10 to 30 mils about the first electrical lead;

C. applying a second supplemental amount of the curable composition between the second electrical lead and the substrate resulting in a third thickness of from 10 to 30 mils about the second electrical lead; and

D. curing the curable composition after the amounts have been applied to form the tie layer.

29. A method as set forth in claim 28 wherein the first thickness is further defined as across an entirety of the substrate, the step of applying the first supplemental amount is further defined as applying the first supplemental amount on the first thickness, and the step of applying the second supplemental amount is further defined as applying the second supplemental amount on the first thickness.

30. A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein the first thickness is further defined as from 5 to 7 mils.

31. A method as set forth in claim 30 wherein the second and third thicknesses are each independently further defined as from 12 to 15 mils.

32. A method as set forth in claim 28 wherein said steps of applying the first and second supplemental amounts of the curable composition occur sequentially.

33. A method as set forth in claim 28 wherein said steps of applying the first and second supplemental amounts of the curable composition occur simultaneously.

34. A method as set forth in claim 28 wherein said steps of applying the first and second supplemental amounts of the curable composition occur after the step of applying the base amount of the curable composition.

35. A method as set forth in claim 28 wherein said steps of applying the first and second supplemental amounts of the curable composition occur before the step of applying the base amount of the curable composition.

36. A method as set forth in claim 28 wherein the cell module further comprises a second tie layer that is the same or different than the tie layer and that is disposed on the photovoltaic cell, a second substrate disposed on the second tie layer, and third and fourth electrical leads each spaced apart from one another and disposed on a second side of the photovoltaic cell opposite the first side, wherein the third and fourth electrical leads are sandwiched between the photovoltaic cell and the second tie layer, and wherein the method further comprises the step of applying a second base amount of the curable composition across the second substrate wherein the second base amount of the curable composition has a thickness of from 5 to 25 mils.

38. A method as set forth in claim 36 wherein the second base amount of the curable composition has a thickness of from 5 to 25 mils.

41. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the step of disposing the tie layer on the substrate is further defined as disposing the curable composition on the substrate and curing the curable composition on the substrate to form the tie layer.

43. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the method further comprises the step of curing the curable composition to form the tie layer prior to the step of disposing the tie layer on the substrate.

44. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the method further comprises the steps of applying the curable composition to the photovoltaic cell and curing the curable composition on the photovoltaic cell to form the tie layer prior to the step of disposing the tie layer on the substrate.

45. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the tie layer is further defined as a film and the step of disposing the tie layer is further defined as melting the film on the substrate.

47. A method as set forth in claim 41 further comprising the step of applying the photovoltaic cell to the substrate by chemical vapor deposition or physical sputtering.

52. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the curable composition comprises a cross-linking agent having silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms and a diorganopolysiloxane having alkenyl groups and a mole ratio of silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in the cross-linking agent to alkenyl groups in the diorganopolysiloxane is less than 0.9.

54. A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the curable composition comprises carbon atoms and is substantially free of compounds including silicon atoms.

27. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

46. (canceled)

48. (canceled)

49. (canceled)

50. (canceled)

51. (canceled)

53. (canceled)

55. (canceled)

56. (canceled)