PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING A BUILT-IN BYPASS DIODE AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING A BUILT-IN BYPASS DIODE
First Claim
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1. A photovoltaic device comprising:
- a substrate;
lower and upper electrode layers disposed above the substrate; and
a semiconductor layer disposed between the lower and upper electrode layers, the semiconductor layer absorbing incident light to excite electrons from the semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a built-in bypass diode extending between and coupled with the lower and upper electrode layers, the bypass diode permitting electric current to flow through the bypass diode when a reverse bias is applied across the lower and upper electrode layers.
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Abstract
A photovoltaic device includes: a substrate; lower and upper electrode layers disposed above the substrate; and a semiconductor layer disposed between the lower and upper electrode layers, the semiconductor layer absorbing incident light to excite electrons from the semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a built-in bypass diode extending between and coupled with the lower and upper electrode layers, the bypass diode permitting electric current to flow through the bypass diode when a reverse bias is applied across the lower and upper electrode layers.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic device comprising:
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a substrate; lower and upper electrode layers disposed above the substrate; and a semiconductor layer disposed between the lower and upper electrode layers, the semiconductor layer absorbing incident light to excite electrons from the semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a built-in bypass diode extending between and coupled with the lower and upper electrode layers, the bypass diode permitting electric current to flow through the bypass diode when a reverse bias is applied across the lower and upper electrode layers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic device, the method including:
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depositing a lower electrode layer above a substrate, a semiconductor layer above the lower electrode layer, and an upper electrode layer above the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer configured to absorb incident light to excite electrons from the semiconductor layer; and increasing at least one of a crystallinity or a diffusion of dopants in the semiconductor layer between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer to form a built-in bypass diode, the bypass diode configured to permit electric current to flow through the bypass diode when a reverse bias is applied across the lower and upper electrode layers. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A photovoltaic device comprising:
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a substrate; and a plurality of electrically coupled photovoltaic cells disposed above the substrate in a direction that incident light is received by the photovoltaic cells, the photovoltaic cells generating electric current based on the light that is received by the photovoltaic cells, each of the photovoltaic cells including; lower and upper electrode layers disposed above the substrate; and a semiconductor layer disposed between the lower and upper electrode layers, the semiconductor layer absorbing the light to excite electrons from the semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer of at least one of the photovoltaic cells includes a built-in bypass diode extending between and coupled with the lower and upper electrode layers of the at least one of the photovoltaic cells, the bypass diode permitting the electric current to flow between neighboring ones of the photovoltaic cells through the bypass diode when the at least one of the photovoltaic cells is reverse biased. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification