Solar cell structure utilizing an amorphous silicon discrete by-pass diode
First Claim
1. A solar cell structure comprising:
- a solar cell comprising an active semiconductor structure having a first active semiconductor structure side and a second active semiconductor structure side, wherein the solar cell produces a voltage between the first active semiconductor structure side and the second active semiconductor structure side when illuminated; and
a by-pass diode structure, wherein the by-pass diode structure comprises a discrete amorphous silicon by-pass diode, wherein the by-pass diode has a first by-pass diode terminal and a second by-pass diode terminal, a first electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the first active semiconductor structure side and the first by-pass diode terminal, and a second electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the second active semiconductor structure side and the second by-pass diode terminal.
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Abstract
A solar cell structure includes a solar cell that produces a voltage when illuminated, and a discrete amorphous silicon by-pass diode. A first by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode is electrically connected to a first side of an active semiconductor structure of the solar cell, and a second by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode is electrically connected to a second side of the active semiconductor structure. Alternatively, the first by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode may be electrically connected to the first side of the active semiconductor structure of the solar cell, and the second by-pass diode terminal of the amorphous silicon by-pass diode may be electrically connected to a second side of the active semiconductor structure of another solar cell.
67 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A solar cell structure comprising:
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a solar cell comprising an active semiconductor structure having a first active semiconductor structure side and a second active semiconductor structure side, wherein the solar cell produces a voltage between the first active semiconductor structure side and the second active semiconductor structure side when illuminated; and
a by-pass diode structure, wherein the by-pass diode structure comprises a discrete amorphous silicon by-pass diode, wherein the by-pass diode has a first by-pass diode terminal and a second by-pass diode terminal, a first electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the first active semiconductor structure side and the first by-pass diode terminal, and a second electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the second active semiconductor structure side and the second by-pass diode terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15)
a substrate having a first substrate side in contact with the second active semiconductor structure side and a second substrate side oppositely disposed to the first substrate side. -
3. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein
the first electrical diode interconnection comprises a first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization in contact with the first active semiconductor structure side and with the first by-pass diode terminal, and wherein the by-pass diode is supported on the first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization. -
4. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the solar cell further comprises
an electrically semiconductive substrate having a first substrate side comprising a contacting substrate portion that contacts the second active semiconductor structure side, and a noncontacting substrate portion that does not contact the second active semiconductor structure side, wherein the second electrical diode interconnection is in electrical communication with the noncontacting substrate portion. -
5. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the solar cell structure further comprises
an electrically semiconductive substrate having a first substrate side comprising a contacting substrate portion that contacts the second active semiconductor structure side, and a noncontacting substrate portion that does not contact the second active semiconductor structure side, wherein the second electrical diode interconnection comprises a second-interconnection lead extending between the noncontacting substrate portion and the second by-pass diode terminal. -
6. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the solar cell further comprises
a substrate having a first substrate side in contact with the second active semiconductor structure side and a second substrate side oppositely disposed to the first substrate side, and a back-side metallization in contact with the second substrate side, wherein the first electrical diode interconnection comprises a first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization in contact with the first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization and with the first by-pass diode terminal, and the second electrical diode interconnection is in electrical communication between the back-side metallization and the second by-pass diode terminal. -
7. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the solar cell further comprises
a substrate having a first substrate side in contact with the second active semiconductor structure side and a second substrate side oppositely disposed to the first substrate side, and a back-side metallization in contact with the second substrate side, wherein the first electrical diode interconnection comprises a first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization in contact with the first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization and with the first by-pass diode terminal, and the second electrical diode interconnection comprises a second-interconnection lead extending between the back-side metallization and the second by-pass diode terminal. -
8. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the solar cell further comprises
a substrate having a first substrate side in contact with the second active semiconductor structure side and a second substrate side oppositely disposed to the first substrate side, and a back-side metallization in contact with the second substrate side, and wherein the by-pass diode is supported on the back-side metallization. -
9. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the solar cell further comprises
a substrate having a first substrate side in contact with the second active semiconductor structure side and a second substrate side oppositely disposed to the first substrate side, wherein the first electrical diode interconnection comprises a first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization contacting the first active semiconductor structure side and in electrical communication with the first by-pass diode terminal, and the second electrical diode interconnection comprises a back-side metallization in contact with the second substrate side and with the second by-pass diode terminal. -
10. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the solar cell further comprises
a substrate having a first substrate side in contact with the second active semiconductor structure side and a second substrate side oppositely disposed to the first substrate side, wherein the first electrical diode interconnection comprises a first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization contacting the first active semiconductor structure side, and a first-interconnection lead extending between the first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization and the first by-pass diode terminal, and the second electrical diode interconnection comprises a back-side metallization in contact with the second substrate side and with the second by-pass diode terminal. -
15. The solar cell structure of claim 1, wherein the by-pass diode is about 2-3 micrometers thick.
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11. A solar cell structure comprising:
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a first solar cell comprising a first-cell active semiconductor structure having a first-cell first active semiconductor structure side and a first-cell second active semiconductor structure side, wherein the solar cell produces a voltage between the first-cell first active semiconductor structure side and the first-cell second active semiconductor structure side when illuminated;
a second solar cell comprising a second-cell active semiconductor structure having a second-cell first active semiconductor structure side and a second-cell second active semiconductor structure side, wherein the solar cell produces a voltage between the second-cell first active semiconductor structure side and the second-cell second active semiconductor structure side when illuminated; and
a by-pass diode structure, wherein the by-pass diode structure comprises a discrete amorphous silicon by-pass diode, wherein the by-pass diode has a first by-pass diode terminal and a second by-pass diode terminal, a first electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the first-cell first active semiconductor structure side and the first by-pass diode terminal, and a second electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the second-cell second active semiconductor structure side and the second by-pass diode terminal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
a first-cell first-active-semiconductor-structure-side metallization in contact with the first-cell first active semiconductor structure side and with the first by-pass diode terminal. -
13. The solar cell structure of claim 11, wherein the second electrical diode interconnection comprises a second-interconnection lead.
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14. The solar cell structure of claim 11, wherein the second electrical diode interconnection comprises
a second-cell substrate having a second-cell first substrate side in contact with the second-cell second active semiconductor structure side, and an oppositely disposed second-cell second substrate side, a second-cell back-side metallization in contact with the second-cell second substrate side, and a second-interconnection lead extending between the second-cell back-side metallization and the second by-pass diode terminal.
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16. A solar cell structure comprising:
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a solar cell comprising an active semiconductor structure having a first active semiconductor structure side and a second active semiconductor structure side, wherein the solar cell produces a voltage between the first active semiconductor structure side and the second active semiconductor structure side when illuminated; and
a by-pass diode structure, wherein the by-pass diode structure comprises an amorphous silicon by-pass diode, wherein the by-pass diode exists separately from the solar cell, wherein a structure of the by-pass diode is not integral with a structure of the solar cell, and wherein the by-pass diode has a first by-pass diode terminal and a second by-pass diode terminal, a first electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the first active semiconductor structure side and the first by-pass diode terminal, and a second electrical diode interconnection in electrical communication between the second active semiconductor structure side and the second by-pass diode terminal.
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Specification