SOLAR CELL MODULE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20160190363A1
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jingao Solar Company Limited (JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LIM, Kwangyoung, MOON, Kangseok, SON, Jeonghun, AHN, Sehwon
• Granted Patent: US 9,818,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0504 specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0508 the interconnection means having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0516 specially adapted for interconnection of back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/068 the potential barriers being only of the PN homojunction type, e.g. bulk silicon PN homojunction solar cells or thin film polycrystalline silicon PN homojunction solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

A solar cell module and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The method for manufacturing the solar cell module includes applying a low melting point metal on an electrode included in each of a plurality of solar cells, melting the low melting point metal to form a contact layer on the electrode, generating an ultrasonic vibration in the contact layer to remove a surface oxide layer formed on a surface of the electrode, melting a surface metal of the electrode and the contact layer to form a metal connection layer on the surface of the electrode, and connecting the metal connection layer to an interconnector.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a solar cell module comprising:

applying a low melting point metal on an electrode included in each of a plurality of solar cells;

melting the low melting point metal to form a contact layer on the electrode;

generating an ultrasonic vibration in the contact layer to remove a surface oxide layer formed on a surface of the electrode;

melting a surface metal of the electrode and the contact layer to form a metal connection layer on the surface of the electrode; and

connecting the metal connection layer to an interconnector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing of the surface oxide layer includes:

generating the ultrasonic vibration in a surface of the contact layer;

generating a cavitation phenomenon inside the contact layer by the ultrasonic vibration; and

removing the surface oxide layer formed on the surface of the electrode by the cavitation phenomenon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting of the metal connection layer to the interconnector includes melting the low melting point metal of the metal connection layer and a low melting point metal of the interconnector and bonding the metal connection layer to the interconnector.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic vibration is generated by an ultrasonic tip.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before applying the low melting point metal, forming an insulating layer surrounding the electrode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the electrode, wherein the forming of the electrode includes:

applying a first metal on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate;

generating the ultrasonic vibration in the first metal to form a first electrode;

applying a second metal on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

generating the ultrasonic vibration in the second metal to form a second electrode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first metal is a high melting point metal, and the second metal is a low melting point metal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a melting point of the high melting point metal is equal to or higher than about 150°

C., and a melting point of the low melting point metal is equal to or lower than about 150°

C.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the high melting point metal includes at least one conductive material of Sn—

Ag—

Cu, Sn—

Zn, or Sn—

Pb.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein an amount of tin (Sn) included in the high melting point metal is about 60 wt % to 100 wt %, and

wherein an amount of tin (Sn) included in the low melting point metal is about 10 wt % to 60 wt %.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising, before forming the first and second electrodes, forming a first anti-reflection layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and forming a second anti-reflection layer on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming of the first electrode includes:

generating a cavitation phenomenon by the ultrasonic vibration to etch a portion of the first anti-reflection layer; and

connecting the first metal to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate through the etched portion of the first anti-reflection layer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming of the second electrode includes:

generating a cavitation phenomenon by the ultrasonic vibration to etch a portion of the second anti-reflection layer; and

connecting the second metal to the second surface of the semiconductor substrate through the etched portion of the second anti-reflection layer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a first connection layer between the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and the first electrode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first connection layer is formed by generating cracks inside the first anti-reflection layer by the cavitation phenomenon.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first connection layer is formed by mixing the first anti-reflection layer with the first metal.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming a second connection layer between the second surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second electrode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second connection layer is formed by generating cracks inside the second anti-reflection layer by the cavitation phenomenon.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second connection layer is formed by mixing the second anti-reflection layer with the second metal.

20. The method of claim 6, wherein the first surface is a non-incident surface, on which light is not incident, and

wherein the second surface is an incident surface, on which light is incident.