Photovoltaic module fabrication process
First Claim
1. A method for the manufacture of a photovoltaic panel, said method including the steps of:
- providing a photovoltaic material comprising a substrate electrode;
a photovoltaic body disposed atop, and in electrical communication with said substrate electrode, said photovoltaic body operative to absorb photons and provide a photocurrent in response thereto; and
a transparent, electrically conductive top electrode disposed atop the photovoltaic body;
dividing photovoltaic said, material into a plurality of individual slabs, each slab comprising a portion of said substrate electrode, photovoltaic body, and top electrode;
isolating a photoactive area within each slab, said photoactive area being substantially free of any edge defects which establish a short-circuit current path between the top electrode and substrate electrode of said slab;
passivating any defect regions which may be present within said photoactive area;
affixing a first bus bar tape to said slab in electrical communication with the substrate electrode thereof;
affixing a second bus bar tape to said slab, said second tape being electrically insulated from said substrate electrode;
providing at least one current collecting member;
bonding said at least one current collecting member to the top electrode of said slab with an electrically conductive adhesive so as to establish electrical communication therewith;
establishing electrical contact between said at least one current collecting member and said second bus bar tape, whereby said second tape is in electrical communication with the top electrode;
applying a transparent, protective coating to said slab after affixation of said at least one current collecting member so as to cover said top electrode and said at least one member;
electrically interconnecting a plurality of said slabs;
affixing a flexible, transparent, electrically insulating encapsulant to a front surface of each electrically interconnected slab of said plurality so that a back surface of each of said slabs is not covered by said encapsulant; and
,affixing a common backing plate to the back surface of each slab of said plurality.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Photovoltaic devices comprised of one or more encapsulated slabs of photovoltaic material are prepared by a process wherein a large area body of photovoltaic material is divided into a plurality of slabs. A photoactive area is defined within each slab, and defects therein passivated. Current collecting structures are affixed to each slab, and if the device includes a plurality of slabs, they are electrically interconnected. The front surfaces of the slabs are laminated with a transparent protective material, and the rear surfaces are bonded to a support plate. Also disclosed herein is a particular configuration of bus bar tape for interconnecting the slabs and an apparatus for preparing the current collecting wires.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for the manufacture of a photovoltaic panel, said method including the steps of:
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providing a photovoltaic material comprising a substrate electrode;
a photovoltaic body disposed atop, and in electrical communication with said substrate electrode, said photovoltaic body operative to absorb photons and provide a photocurrent in response thereto; and
a transparent, electrically conductive top electrode disposed atop the photovoltaic body;dividing photovoltaic said, material into a plurality of individual slabs, each slab comprising a portion of said substrate electrode, photovoltaic body, and top electrode; isolating a photoactive area within each slab, said photoactive area being substantially free of any edge defects which establish a short-circuit current path between the top electrode and substrate electrode of said slab; passivating any defect regions which may be present within said photoactive area; affixing a first bus bar tape to said slab in electrical communication with the substrate electrode thereof; affixing a second bus bar tape to said slab, said second tape being electrically insulated from said substrate electrode; providing at least one current collecting member; bonding said at least one current collecting member to the top electrode of said slab with an electrically conductive adhesive so as to establish electrical communication therewith; establishing electrical contact between said at least one current collecting member and said second bus bar tape, whereby said second tape is in electrical communication with the top electrode; applying a transparent, protective coating to said slab after affixation of said at least one current collecting member so as to cover said top electrode and said at least one member; electrically interconnecting a plurality of said slabs; affixing a flexible, transparent, electrically insulating encapsulant to a front surface of each electrically interconnected slab of said plurality so that a back surface of each of said slabs is not covered by said encapsulant; and
,affixing a common backing plate to the back surface of each slab of said plurality. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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10. A method as in clam 1, wherein the step of affixing said first bus bar tape comprises ultrasonically bonding said first tape to said substrate electrode.
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27. A method for the manufacture of a photovoltaic panel, said method including the steps of:
- providing a photovoltaic material comprising a substrate electrode;
a photovoltaic body disposed atop, and in electrical communication with said substrate electrode, said photovoltaic body operative to absorb photons and provide a photocurrent in response thereto; and
a transparent, electrically conductive top electrode disposed atop the photovoltaic body;dividing said photovoltaic material so as to separate a slab therefrom, said slab comprising a portion of said substrate electrode, photovoltaic body, and top electrode; isolating a photoactive area within said slab, said photoactive area being substantially free of any edge defects which establish a short-circuit current path between the top electrode and substrate electrode of said slab; passivating any defect regions which may be present within said photoactive area; affixing a first bus bar tape to said slab in electrical communication with the substrate electrode thereof; affixing a second bus bar tape to said slab, said second tape being electrically insulated from said substrate electrode; providing at least one current collecting member which is coated with an electrically conductive adhesive; bonding said at least one current collecting member to the top electrode of said slab so as to establish electrical communication therewith; establishing electrical contact between said at least one current collecting member and said second bus bar tape, whereby said second tape is in electrical communication with the top electrode; applying a transparent, protective coating to said slab after affixation of said at least one current collecting member so as to cover said top electrode and said at least one member; affixing a flexible, transparent, electrically insulating encapsulant to a front surface of said slab so that a back surface thereof is not covered by said encapsulate; and affixing a backing plate to the back surface of the slab.
- providing a photovoltaic material comprising a substrate electrode;
Specification