Method to Form a Photovoltaic Cell Comprising a Thin Lamina Bonded to a Discrete Receiver Element
AssigneeTwin Creeks Technologies, Inc.
InventorS. Brad Herner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A donor semiconductor wafer is processed to define a cleave plane, then affixed to a discrete receiver element, which may be glass, metal or a metal compound, plastic, or semiconductor. A semiconductor lamina is cleaved from the donor wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic assembly is fabricated comprising the semiconductor lamina and the receiver element. The photovoltaic assembly comprises a photovoltaic cell. After fabrication, the photovoltaic assembly can be inspected for defects and tested for performance, and select photovoltaic assemblies can be assembled into a completed photovoltaic module.
Claims25
A method for forming a photovoltaic assembly, the method comprising:
- affixing a semiconductor donor body at a first surface to a receiver element, the semiconductor donor body having a donor widest dimension and the receiver element having a receiver widest dimension, wherein the receiver widest dimension does not exceed the donor widest dimension by more than 50 percent;
- cleaving a semiconductor lamina from the semiconductor donor body along a cleave plane, wherein the semiconductor lamina remains affixed to the receiver element;
- and
- completing fabrication of the photovoltaic assembly, wherein the completed photovoltaic assembly comprises the semiconductor lamina and the receiver element, and wherein the semiconductor lamina comprises a portion of a base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell.
A method for forming a photovoltaic module, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, each photovoltaic assembly comprising a semiconductor lamina and a receiver element, wherein each semiconductor lamina has a thickness between about 0.2 and about 50 microns, each semiconductor lamina is bonded to one of the receiver elements, each receiver element has a thickness of at least 80 microns, and each semiconductor lamina comprises at least a portion of a base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell;
- testing each photovoltaic assembly of the plurality;
- selecting a subset of the plurality for inclusion in the photovoltaic module based on results of the testing step;
- and
- affixing at least some of the plurality of photovoltaic assemblies to a substrate or superstrate to form the photovoltaic module.
A photovoltaic assembly comprising:
- a semiconductor lamina, the semiconductor lamina having a thickness between about 1 and about 50 microns and having a lamina widest dimension;
- and
- a receiver element having a receiver widest dimension, wherein the receiver widest dimension does not exceed the lamina widest dimension by more than about 50 percent, wherein the receiver is bonded to the semiconductor lamina.
A first photovoltaic assembly comprising:
- a first photovoltaic cell;
- a semiconductor lamina having a thickness between about 1 and about 20 microns, the semiconductor lamina comprising at least a portion of a base of the first photovoltaic cell, the semiconductor lamina having a lamina widest dimension;
- and
- a receiver element having a receiver widest dimension, wherein the receiver widest dimension does not exceed the lamina widest dimension by more than about 50 percent, wherein the receiver is bonded to the semiconductor lamina.
A photovoltaic module comprising:
- i) a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, each photovoltaic assembly comprising:
- a) a semiconductor lamina having a thickness between about 0.2 and about 50 microns, the semiconductor lamina comprising at least the base of a photovoltaic cell,
- b) a receiver element at least about 80 microns thick, the semiconductor lamina bonded to the receiver element, and
- c) the photovoltaic cell;
- and
- ii) a substrate or superstrate, each of the photovoltaic assemblies affixed to the substrate or superstrate, wherein the photovoltaic cell of one photovoltaic assembly is electrically connected in series to the photovoltaic cell of at least one other photovoltaic assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.