# US 12,765,077 B2 · Semitransparent photovoltaic module and method of making the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,765,077 B2 - Document ID: US12765077B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/866,112 - Filed: 2023-05-16 - Published: 2025-10-30 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-05-16 - Assignees: Toledo Solar Inc. - Applicants: Toledo Solar Inc. - Inventors: Alvin Compaan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12765077B2 ## CPC - H10F 19/807: {Double-glass encapsulation, e.g. photovoltaic cells arranged between front and rear glass sheets} - H10F 10/162: comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CdTe photovoltaic cells - H10F 19/33: Patterning processes to connect the photovoltaic cells, e.g. laser cutting of conductive or active layers - H10F 19/37: comprising means for obtaining partial light transmission through the integrated devices, or the assemblies of multiple devices, e.g. partially transparent thin-film photovoltaic modules for windows - H10F 71/125: {The active layers comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdS, ZnS or CdTe} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A semitransparent photovoltaic module includes a submodule with a first glass layer, a transparent conducting oxide layer, a semiconductor layer, and a metal back contact layer. The submodule further includes a plurality of interconnection scribes extending in a first direction across the submodule and a plurality of light transmission scribes disposed perpendicularly to the plurality of interconnection scribes in a second direction. The module may further include a lamination layer and a second glass layer and have a visible light transmission of about 7% to about 70% and is capable of generating about 60 W to about 120 W of power. In one embodiment, the light transmission scribes are about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm wide, with a pitch of about 1 mm to about 5 mm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semitransparent photovoltaic module comprising: at least one semitransparent submodule having a visible light transmission of about 7% to about 70% comprising: an outer surface and an inner surface and comprising a first glass layer, a transparent conducting oxide layer, a semiconductor layer, and a metal back contact layer, wherein the submodule further comprises a plurality of interconnection scribes extending in a first direction across the submodule and a plurality of light transmission scribes disposed perpendicularly to the plurality of interconnection scribes in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnection scribes is disposed through the transparent conducting oxide layer and the semiconductor layer, but not the first glass layer or the back contact layer; and wherein the plurality of light transmission scribes are disposed through at least part of the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semitransparent photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein the module further comprises a first lamination layer disposed on the inner surface of the at least one submodule and a glass backing layer disposed on an inner surface of the first lamination layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semitransparent photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer is made of CdTe, CdSeTe, CdSe, CdZnTe, CdMgTe, CdHgTe, ZnTe, GaAs, AlGaAs, GaAsP, a-Si, CIGS, perskovite, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The semitransparent photovoltaic module of claim 3, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises CdTe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semitransparent photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein the module is capable of generating about 60 W to about 120 W of power. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semitransparent photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein the light transmission scribes are about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm wide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semitransparent photovoltaic module of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light transmission scribes are disposed about 0.25 mm to about 5.0 mm apart. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The semitransparent photovoltaic module of claim 2, wherein the module comprises a plurality of submodules, a second lamination layer, and a glass outer layer, wherein the plurality of submodules are positioned in sequence between an outer surface of the first lamination layer and an inner surface of the second lamination layer. ### Claim 9 A method of making a semitransparent photovoltaic module, the method comprising: providing at least one semitransparent submodule having a visible light transmission of about 7% to about 70% having an outer surface and an inner surface, the semitransparent submodule comprising: a first glass layer, a transparent conducting oxide layer, a semiconductor layer, and a metal back contact layer, wherein the submodule further comprises a plurality of interconnection scribes extending in a first direction across the submodule and a plurality of light transmission scribes disposed perpendicularly to the plurality of interconnection scribes in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnection scribes is disposed through the transparent conducting oxide layer and the semiconductor layer, but not the first glass layer or the back contact layer; and wherein the plurality of light transmission scribes are created using a pulsed laser ablation process with a wavelength of about 1064 nm; and wherein the plurality of light transmission scribes are disposed through at least part of the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises applying a first lamination layer disposed on the inner surface of the at least one submodule and a glass backing layer disposed on an inner surface of the first lamination layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the semiconductor layer is made of CdTe, CdSeTe, CdSe, CdZnTe, CdMgTe, CdHgTe, ZnTe, GaAs, AlGaAs, GaAsP, a-Si, perskovite, CIGS, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises CdTe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises providing a plurality of submodules, a second lamination layer, and a glass outer layer; wherein the plurality of submodules are positioned in sequence between an outer surface of the first lamination layer and an inner surface of the second lamination layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the semitransparent photovoltaic module is capable of generating about 60 W to about 120 W of power. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the light transmission scribes are about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm wide, with a pitch of about 1 mm to about 5 mm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of light transmission scribes are disposed about 0.25 mm to about 5.0 mm apart. ### Claim 17 A method of preventing power loss in a photovoltaic module due to an isolated electrical shunt, the method comprising: providing a semitransparent photovoltaic module comprising: at least one submodule having an outer surface and an inner surface and comprising a first glass layer, a transparent conducting oxide layer, a semiconductor layer, and a metal back contact layer, wherein the submodule further comprises a plurality of interconnection scribes extending in a first direction across the submodule and a plurality of light transmission scribes disposed perpendicularly to the plurality of interconnection scribes in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnection scribes is disposed through the transparent conducting oxide layer and the semiconductor layer, but not the first glass layer or the back contact layer and at least one of the plurality of light transmission scribes is disposed through at least part of the semiconductor layer; and wherein the interconnection scribes and light transmission scribes lines of laser ablation are disposed on the submodule in a pattern that prevents or inhibits electrical current from flowing from one line to adjacent lines.