Foil trim approaches for foil-based metallization of solar cells

A solar cell, comprising:

• a wafer having alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions and having an outermost perimeter;
• and
• a metal foil electrically connected to the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions of the wafer, the metal foil comprising:
• a first portion of the metal foil inset from the outermost perimeter of the wafer from a plan view perspective to expose a first portion of the wafer along the outermost perimeter of the wafer, the exposed first portion of the wafer including a first chamfered corner and a second chamfered corner of the wafer from the plan view perspective, and the first portion of the metal foil having a first chamfered corner parallel with and entirely retracted from the first chamfered corner of the first portion of the wafer and having a second chamfered corner parallel with and entirely retracted from the second chamfered corner of the first portion of the wafer from the plan view perspective;
• a second portion of the metal foil partially overhanging and extending beyond the outermost perimeter of the wafer from the plan view perspective, wherein the overhanging portion of the second portion of the metal foil has a longest dimension less than a longest dimension of the wafer;
• a third portion of the metal foil opposite the first portion of the metal foil, the third portion inset from the outermost perimeter of the wafer from the plan view perspective to expose a second portion of the wafer along the outermost perimeter of the wafer, the exposed second portion of the wafer including a third chamfered corner and a fourth chamfered corner of the wafer from the plan view perspective, and the third portion of the metal foil having a third chamfered corner parallel with and entirely retracted from the third chamfered corner of the second portion of the wafer and having a fourth chamfered corner parallel with and entirely retracted from the fourth chamfered corner of the second portion of the wafer from the plan view perspective, and wherein the second portion of the metal foil is continuous with the first portion of the metal foil and with the third portion of the metal foil;
• and
• a fourth portion of the metal foil opposite the second portion of the metal foil, the fourth portion partially overhanging and extending beyond the outermost perimeter of the wafer from the plan view perspective, wherein the overhanging portion of the fourth portion of the metal foil has a longest dimension less than the longest dimension of the wafer, and wherein the fourth portion of the metal foil is continuous with the first portion of the metal foil with the third portion of the metal foil.