# US 10,872,991 B2 · Method and apparatus of fabricating a solar cell device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,991 B2 - Document ID: US10872991B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/950,727 - Filed: 2018-04-11 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-11 - Assignees: SunPower Corporation - Applicants: Sunpower Corporation - Inventors: Nathaniel Caswell; David C. Hosken; Jason Kalus - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872991B2 ## CPC - H10F 19/902: {for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells} - H10F 19/904: {characterised by the shapes of the structures} - B05C 13/02: for particular articles - H10F 71/1375: {Apparatus for automatic interconnection of photovoltaic cells in a module} - H10F 77/935: {for photovoltaic devices or modules} - B32B 37/1284: {Application of adhesive} - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - Y02E 10/52: PV systems with concentrators - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Solar cell devices as well as method and apparatus for producing solar cell devices are disclosed. Aspects of the disclosure provide a solar cell device that includes a string of solar cells. The string of solar cells are conductively connected in series and arranged in a shingled manner with sides of adjacent solar cells being overlapped. A first metal ribbon segment is conductively bonded to a front surface of an end cell, the front surface being configured to face a light incoming direction to receive energy from a light source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a solar cell device from silicon solar cells, the method comprising: preparing a first metal ribbon segment; inspecting a quality and a location of the first metal ribbon segment after the preparing the first metal ribbon segment, wherein the inspecting is operated by an inspection camera mounted on a main stage; dispensing, at the main stage, an electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) onto the first metal ribbon segment; inspecting, by the inspection camera mounted on the main stage, the quality and the location of the ECA after the dispensing of the ECA onto the first metal ribbon segment; placing a first solar cell onto the first metal ribbon segment, the first metal ribbon segment being bonded with a front surface of the first solar cell through the ECA in a shingled manner with sides of the first metal ribbon segment and the first solar cell being overlapped, and the front surface being configured to face a light incoming direction to receive energy from a light source; and bonding one or more solar cells with the first solar cell through a ECA in a shingled manner with sides of adjacent solar cells being overlapped to form a first string of solar cells. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing the ECA comprises using a mechanical actuator with an attached push plunger to push the ECA contained in a replaceable ECA syringe through the attached push plunger to dispense the ECA onto the first metal ribbon segment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second string of solar cells and bonding a second metal ribbon segment with the front surface of the first solar cell of the second string. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising bonding the second metal ribbon segment and the first metal ribbon segment to form a first metal ribbon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising bonding a third metal ribbon onto a rear surface at another end of the first string and second string of solar cells, and the rear surface being opposite to the front surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, comprising bonding a third metal ribbon onto a rear surface of the first string and second string of solar cells, wherein the third metal ribbon is configured to connect with a bypass circuit, and the rear surface is opposite to the front surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising connecting a return metal ribbon to the first metal ribbon at the rear surface of the solar cell device, wherein the rear surface is opposite to the front surface. ### Claim 8 A method for manufacturing a shingled solar cell device comprising: preparing a first metal ribbon segment at a main stage; inspecting, by an inspection camera mounted on the main stage, the first metal ribbon segment after the preparing the first metal ribbon segment; dispensing, at the main stage, an electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) onto the first metal ribbon segment; inspecting, by the inspection camera mounted on the main stage, a quality and a location of the ECA on the first metal ribbon segment; and placing a first solar cell onto the first metal ribbon segment to bond with a first surface of the first solar cell through the ECA in a shingled manner with sides of the first metal ribbon segment and the first solar cell being overlapped. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the preparing the first metal ribbon segment at the main stage comprises gripping and stretching the first metal ribbon at the main stage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the preparing the first metal ribbon segment at the main stage comprises adjusting a position of the main stage with one or more travel stages. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the inspecting the first metal ribbon segment comprises moving the inspection camera mounted on the main stage to capture a plurality of images of the metal ribbon segment from different locations between ends of the metal ribbon segment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the inspecting the first metal ribbon segment comprises capturing approximately five images of different locations between ends of the metal ribbon segment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the dispensing, at the main stage, the ECA comprises dispensing the ECA at a plurality of ECA locations between two ends of the first metal ribbon segment by moving the main stage between a plurality of positions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the inspecting the quality and the location of the ECA is performed simultaneously with the dispensing of the ECA. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the inspecting the quality and the location of the ECA comprises moving the inspection camera mounted on the main stage to capture a plurality of images of the dispensed ECA as the main stage moves.