Photovoltaic device with decreased gridline shading and method for its manufacture
First Claim
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1. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device having decreased shading of incident illumination from collector grid lines, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a photovoltaic cell, said cell including a bottom electrode layer, a photovoltaic body disposed atop the bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer disposed atop the photovoltaic body and an electrically-conductive, current-collecting grid line in electrical communication with said top electrode layer;
disposing a layer of embossable, transparent, organic, polymeric, encapsulating material directly atop the top electrode layer;
providing an embossing die, said die including at least one groove forming element;
aligning the embossing die with the photovoltaic cell so that the groove forming element thereof is in registry with at least a portion of the length of the grid line and in contact with the layer of polymeric encapsulating material; and
compressing the embossing die and photovoltaic cell so as to emboss a groove into the layer of encapsulating material; and
removing the embossing die, whereby there is provided a photovoltaic cell having a groove integral with the encapsulant layer, said groove operable to direct incident illumination away from the grid line so as to decrease the shading effects thereof.
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Abstract
A photovoltaic cell includes a light-directing optical element integrally formed in an encapsulant layer thereof in the region of opaque current-collecting gridlines.The optical element redirects light which would be absorbed by the opaque structure to other regions of the photovoltaic device, thereby decreasing shading effects.
78 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device having decreased shading of incident illumination from collector grid lines, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a photovoltaic cell, said cell including a bottom electrode layer, a photovoltaic body disposed atop the bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer disposed atop the photovoltaic body and an electrically-conductive, current-collecting grid line in electrical communication with said top electrode layer; disposing a layer of embossable, transparent, organic, polymeric, encapsulating material directly atop the top electrode layer; providing an embossing die, said die including at least one groove forming element; aligning the embossing die with the photovoltaic cell so that the groove forming element thereof is in registry with at least a portion of the length of the grid line and in contact with the layer of polymeric encapsulating material; and compressing the embossing die and photovoltaic cell so as to emboss a groove into the layer of encapsulating material; and removing the embossing die, whereby there is provided a photovoltaic cell having a groove integral with the encapsulant layer, said groove operable to direct incident illumination away from the grid line so as to decrease the shading effects thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of manufacturing a large area photovoltaic module, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of photovoltaic cells, each cell including a bottom electrode member, a photovoltaic body disposed in electrical communication with the bottom electrode, a top electrode disposed atop the photovoltaic body, and at least one electrically-conductive grid line associated in electrical communication with the top electrode; disposing said plurality of cells on a support member in an electrically interconnected relationship; disposing a layer of transparent, organic, polymeric, encapsulant material directly atop the top electrode and said at least one gridline of each of the photovoltaic cells; laminating said encapsulant material onto said cells so as to provide a self-supporting assembly; providing a plurality of embossing dies, each die including at least one groove-forming element; aligning each of said plurality of dies with a corresponding one of said photovoltaic cells so that the groove-forming element thereof is in registry with at least a portion of the length of one of said at least one gridline; and compressing said dies and laminated assembly of photovoltaic cells whereby said dies form grooves in the transparent encapsulating layer in the region of the gridlines so as to provide a light-directing optical element integral with said layer of encapsulant material and operable to decrease gridline shading. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A photovoltaic cell having decreased shading, said cell comprising:
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a layer of bottom electrode material; a photovoltaic body disposed upon said layer of bottom electrode material; a layer of top electrode material disposed upon said photovoltaic body in a spaced apart relationship with said layer of bottom electrode material so that the photovoltaic body is sandwiched therebetween; at least one electrically-conductive, current-collecting grid line associated in electrical communication with said top electrode; and a layer of transparent, electrically insulating synthetic organic polymeric material disposed directly upon said top electrode material and said at least one grid line so as to cover the top electrode and the at least one gridline, said encapsulating layer having a groove formed integrally therein generally coextensive with the length of said current-collecting gridline, said groove operative to diffract incident light away from the underlying grid line so that said light illuminates adjacent portions of said photovoltaic cell, whereby shading effects caused by said grid line are minimized. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification