SOLAR CELL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20120103416A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Baik, Jung Shik, Kwon, Se Han
• Granted Patent: US 8,822,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/046 PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0463 characterised by special patterning methods to connect the PV cells in a module, e.g. laser cutting of the conductive or active layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0465 comprising particular structures for the electrical interconnection of adjacent PV cells in the module H01L31/0463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0749 including a AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CdS/CulnSe2 [CIS] heterojunction solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 CuInSe2 material PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Disclosed are a solar cell apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same. The solar cell apparatus includes a substrate; a back electrode layer on the substrate; a light absorbing layer on the back electrode layer; a front electrode layer on the light absorbing layer; and a connection wire extending from the front electrode layer and connected to the back electrode layer through the light absorbing layer, wherein the connection wire directly makes contact with an inner side of a recess formed in the back electrode layer.

Claims

1. A solar cell apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a back electrode layer on the substrate;

a light absorbing layer on the back electrode layer;

a front electrode layer on the light absorbing layer; and

a connection wire extending from the front electrode layer and connected to the back electrode layer through the light absorbing layer,

wherein the connection wire directly makes contact with an inner side of a recess formed in the back electrode layer.

2. The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light absorbing layer includes a perforation hole, the connection wire is aligned inside the perforation hole, and the recess is located corresponding to the perforation hole.

3. The solar cell apparatus of claim 2, wherein an inner surface of the perforation hole is aligned on a same plane with an inner surface of the recess.

4. The solar cell apparatus of claim 2, wherein the recess has a width wider than a width of the perforation hole.

5. The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer interposed between the back electrode layer and the light absorbing layer, wherein the connection wire extends by passing through the intermediate layer.

6. The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the recess is positioned between a top surface of the back electrode layer and a bottom surface of the back electrode layer.

7. The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the recess is a curved surface.

8. A solar cell apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a back electrode layer on the substrate;

an intermediate layer on the back electrode layer;

a light absorbing layer on the intermediate layer;

a front electrode layer on the light absorbing layer; and

a connection wire extending from the front electrode layer and directly connected to the back electrode layer through the light absorbing layer and the intermediate layer.

9. The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, wherein the intermediate layer includes a material contained in the back electrode layer and a material contained in the light absorbing layer.

10. The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, wherein the intermediate layer includes MoSe₂.

11. The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, wherein the connection wire is disposed inside a perforation hole formed in the light absorbing layer and the intermediate layer, a recess is formed in the back electrode layer corresponding to the perforation hole, and the connection wire directly makes contact with a bottom surface of the recess.

12. The solar cell apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bottom surface of the recess includes a curved surface.

13. The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, wherein a perforation hole is formed in the back electrode layer and a recess is formed in the substrate corresponding to the perforation hole.

14. The solar cell apparatus of claim 13, wherein an inner surface of the recess includes a curved surface.

15. A method for manufacturing a solar cell apparatus, the method comprising:

forming a back electrode layer on a substrate;

forming a light absorbing layer on the back electrode layer;

forming a second perforation hole through the light absorbing layer and simultaneously forming a second recess by removing a part of the back electrode layer; and

forming a front electrode layer on the light absorbing layer and forming a connection wire disposed in the second perforation hole and the second recess.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a first perforation hole through the back electrode layer and simultaneously forming a first recess by removing a part of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming of the second perforation hole and the second recess comprises spraying water onto the light absorbing layer and the hack electrode layer.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming of the second perforation hole and the second recess comprises irradiating a laser beam onto the light absorbing layer and the back electrode layer.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein, in the forming of the light absorbing layer, a material contained in the back electrode layer reacts with a material contained in the light absorbing layer so that an intermediate layer is formed between the back electrode layer and the light absorbing layer, and the connection wire extends through the intermediate layer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein second perforation hole is formed through the intermediate layer.