# US 10,771,006 B2 · Photovoltaic roof tiles and method of manufacturing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,006 B2 - Document ID: US10771006B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/034,299 - Filed: 2018-07-12 - Published: 2019-01-17 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-12 - Assignees: Tesla, Inc. - Applicants: Tesla, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Preston Flanigan; Alex Christopher Mayer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771006B2 ## CPC - H02S 20/25: Roof tile elements - H10F 19/31: having multiple laterally adjacent thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate - H10F 19/807: {Double-glass encapsulation, e.g. photovoltaic cells arranged between front and rear glass sheets} - H10F 77/126: {comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS]} - H10F 77/123: comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdS, ZnS or HgCdTe - Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV] - Y02E 10/541: CuInSe2 material PV cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - 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 A solar tile and method for manufacturing solar tiles as a roofing surface with improved aesthetics that reduce the visual differences between solar and non-solar portions of tile. Roof tiles include an active area of thin-film photovoltaic material and an inactive area of thin-film photovoltaic material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photovoltaic tile comprising: a light transmissive top sheet; a base substrate, wherein the base substrate is adhered to the top sheet; an active area of photovoltaic material between the base substrate and the top sheet; and an inactive area of photovoltaic material between the base substrate and the top sheet; and an adhesive material disposed between the inactive area of photovoltaic material and the top sheet forming an adhesion region, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is located between an edge of the base substrate and the active area of photovoltaic material, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is continuous and surrounds the active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic tile of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic materials of the active area and the inactive area are the same type of thin-film solar material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The photovoltaic tile of claim 2, wherein the thin-film solar material is deposited on the base substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The photovoltaic tile of claim 3, wherein the active area of photovoltaic material is substantially rectangular and the inactive area of photovoltaic material forms a continuous rectangular border around the active area of photovoltaic material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The photovoltaic tile of claim 4, wherein a continuous portion of the base substrate without deposited thin-film solar material is directly adjacent to and surrounds the inactive area of photovoltaic material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The photovoltaic tile of claim 4, wherein the rectangular border comprises a width of greater than 5 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic tile of claim 1, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material does not directly contact the active area of photovoltaic material and is separated by a continuous gap on the base substrate surrounding the active area of photovoltaic material, and wherein the continuous gap is located at a predetermined distance from the edge of the base substrate in order for the active area of photovoltaic material to comply with a setback requirement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The photovoltaic tile of claim 7, wherein the continuous gap is less than 100 microns. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The photovoltaic tile of claim 8, wherein the continuous gap is laser scribed through the base substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The photovoltaic tile of claim 1, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material surrounds a second active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate, distinct from and not directly contacting the active area of photovoltaic material. ### Claim 11 A photovoltaic roof tile comprising: a light transmissive top sheet; a layer of thin-film photovoltaic material on a base substrate, the layer of thin-film photovoltaic material, comprising; an active area of photovoltaic material and an inactive area of photovoltaic material, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is located between an edge of the base substrate and the active area of photovoltaic material; and encapsulating material surrounding the active area of photovoltaic material and the inactive area of photovoltaic material and disposed between the base substrate and the light transmissive top sheet; and an adhesive material disposed between the inactive area of photovoltaic material and the light transmissive top sheet forming an adhesion region, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material is continuous and surrounds the active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 11, wherein the inactive area of photovoltaic material does not directly contact the active area of photovoltaic material and is separated by a continuous gap on the base substrate surrounding the active area of photovoltaic material, and wherein the gap is located at a predetermined distance from the edge of the base substrate in order for the active area of photovoltaic material to comply with a setback requirement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 12, wherein the gap is less than 100 microns. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 11, wherein the layer of thin-film photovoltaic forms a substantially rectangular active area of photovoltaic material and a continuous substantially rectangular border of inactive area of photovoltaic material around the active area of photovoltaic material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 14, wherein the rectangular border comprises a width of greater than 5 mm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The photovoltaic roof tile of claim 11, wherein the layer of thin-film photovoltaic material further comprises a second active area of photovoltaic material on the base substrate, distinct from the active area of photovoltaic material. ### Claim 17 A photovoltaic roof tile comprising: a light transmissive top sheet; a thin-film photovoltaic material, comprising: an active area and an inactive area of the thin-film photovoltaic material disposed on a base substrate, wherein the inactive area is located between an edge of the base substrate and the active area of the thin-film photovoltaic material; and an adhesive material disposed between the inactive area of the thin-film photovoltaic material and the light transmissive top sheet forming an adhesion region, wherein the inactive area of the thin-film photovoltaic material is continuous and surrounds the active area of the thin-film photovoltaic material on the base substrate.