# US 10,483,410 B2 · Forming front metal contact on solar cell with enhanced resistance to stress > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,410 B2 - Document ID: US10483410B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/918,043 - Filed: 2015-10-20 - Published: 2017-04-20 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-20 - Assignees: Alta Devices, Inc. - Applicants: Alta Devices, Inc. - Inventors: Linlin Yang; Liguang Lan; Chris France; Gang He; Erhong Li; Jose Corbacho - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483410B2 ## CPC - H10F 77/211: {for photovoltaic cells} - H10F 10/144: comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs,AlGaAs, or InP photovoltaic cells - H10F 19/30: comprising thin-film photovoltaic cells - H10F 19/80: Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells - H10F 19/906: {characterised by the materials of the structures} - H10F 19/908: {for back-contact photovoltaic cells} - H10F 71/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) - H10F 77/124: comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs - H10F 77/215: {Geometries of grid contacts} - Y02E 10/544: Solar cells from Group III-V materials - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract System and method of providing a photovoltaic (PV) cell having a cushion layer to alleviate stress impact between a front metal contact and a thin film PV layer. A cushion layer is disposed between an extraction electrode and a photovoltaic (PV) surface. The cushion layer is made of a nonconductive material and has a plurality of vias filled with a conductive material to provide electrical continuity between the bus bar and the PV layer. The cushion layer may be made of a flexible material preferably with rigidity that matches the substrate. Thus, the cushion layer can effectively protect the PV layer from physical damage due to tactile contact with the front metal contact. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photovoltaic assembly comprising: a photovoltaic cell configured to convert light energy to electrical energy, wherein said photovoltaic cell comprises: a front metal layer comprising a bus bar on a side along a length of said photovoltaic cell and multiple finger electrodes oriented perpendicular to and extending from said bus bar with one end connected to said bus bar, a photovoltaic layer disposed under said front metal layer, said front metal layer being disposed closer than said photovoltaic layer to a side of said photovoltaic cell intended to face light, and a substrate layer disposed under said photovoltaic layer; a front contact disposed above of said front metal layer and thereby above said bus bar and above the end of each of said finger electrodes connected to said bus bar, and said front contact configured to conduct electrical current originated from the photovoltaic cell to external circuitry; a cushion layer disposed between said front contact and said front metal layer thereby closer to said side of said photovoltaic cell intended to face light than said front metal layer, wherein said cushion layer includes a nonconductive material that is less rigid than said front contact and comprises a plurality of vias filled with a conductive material, wherein each filled via is aligned with and in direct contact with one finger electrode at the end of that finger electrode that is connected with said bus bar to conduct electrical current between said front contact and said photovoltaic layer via said front metal layer, and wherein an excess portion of said front contact and said cushion layer along said length of said photovoltaic cell wraps over an edge of said photovoltaic cell; and a back metal layer disposed between said photovoltaic layer and said substrate layer, said back metal layer being configured to interconnect said photovoltaic layer with another photovoltaic layer of a different photovoltaic cell in said photovoltaic assembly, wherein said nonconductive material of said cushion layer includes a flexible polymer material and said substrate layer includes the flexible polymer material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic assembly as described in claim 1, wherein a rigidity of said cushion layer matches a rigidity of said substrate layer, and wherein said cushion layer is used to protect said photovoltaic cell from physical damage caused by tactile contact with said front contact. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said flexible polymer material comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET) combined with pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said photovoltaic layer is less than 10 μm in thickness and comprises a GaAs layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said front contact comprises Cu and has a thickness of less than 50 μm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said front metal layer corresponds to an extraction electrode in said photovoltaic cell.