# US 2009/0260671 A1 · Systems and methods of parallel interconnection of photovoltaic modules

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- Number: US 2009/0260671 A1
- Document ID: US20090260671A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/334,028
- Filed: 2008-12-12
- Published: 2009-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2007-12-13
- Assignees: First Solar, Inc.
- Inventors: Roger Thomas Green; John Kenneth Christiansen; Ricky C. Powell; Michael David Ross
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260671A1

## CPC

- H10F 77/935: {for photovoltaic devices or modules}
- H10F 19/20: comprising photovoltaic cells in arrays in or on a single semiconductor substrate, the photovoltaic cells having planar junctions (having multiple thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate H10F19/31)
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A photovoltaic system includes a first submodule and a second submodule connected in parallel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photovoltaic system comprising:
a transparent conductive layer on a substrate; and
a first submodule and a second submodule connected in parallel and contacting the transparent conductive layer through a shared cell, the first submodule having an electrical contact region including a first trench pattern, wherein the first trench pattern is a pattern of photovoltaic cells connected in series and a last cell in the series is the shared cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second submodule has an electrical contact region including a second trench pattern, wherein the second trench pattern is a mirror image of the first trench pattern, the mirror image having symmetry about the shared cell.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trench pattern includes a trench having a depth that extends substantially through one layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trench pattern includes a trench having a depth that extends substantially through two layers.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trench pattern includes a trench having a depth that extends substantially through three layers

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trench pattern is formed by laser ablation, laser scribing, wet-chemical etching, or dry etching.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trench pattern includes constant spacing between scribes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a metal layer over the shared cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the shared cell is flanked by two electrical contacts between the transparent conductive layer and a metal layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the shared cell is in a center between the first and second submodules.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a photovoltaic cell includes an insulator.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the insulator is a dielectric material, atmosphere or vacuum.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the insulator is in a constant position among photovoltaic cells connected in series.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a photovoltaic cell includes a first semiconductor material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, further comprising a second semiconductor material over the first semiconductor material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the first semiconductor material is a CdS.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the second semiconductor material is a CdTe.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate is glass.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first submodule includes greater than 20 cells.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first submodule includes greater than 40 cells.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first submodule includes greater than 80 cells.

### Claim 22

A method of manufacturing a system including:
providing a transparent conductive layer on a substrate;
contacting a first submodule and a second submodule with the transparent conductive layer through a shared cell, the first submodule and second submodule being connected in parallel, the first submodule having an electrical contact region including a first trench pattern, wherein the first trench pattern is a pattern of photovoltaic cells connected in series and a last cell in the series is the shared cell.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the second submodule has an electrical contact region including a second trench pattern, wherein the second trench pattern is a mirror image of the first trench pattern, the mirror image having symmetry about the shared cell.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the first trench pattern includes one or more trench levels.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the second submodule has a second trench pattern that includes one or more trench levels.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the trench pattern is formed by laser ablation, laser scribing, wet-chemical etching, or dry etching.

### Claim 27 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the trench pattern includes constant spacing between scribes.

### Claim 28 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising positioning a metal layer over the shared cell.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the shared cell is flanked by two electrical contacts between the transparent conductive layer and a metal layer.

### Claim 30 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the shared cell is in a center between the first and second submodules.

### Claim 31 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the shared cell includes a first semiconductor material.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, further comprising depositing a second semiconductor material over the first semiconductor material.

### Claim 33

A photovoltaic structure including:
a semiconductor layer on a transparent conductive layer, the semiconductor layer having a scribe pattern that forms a cell;
a metal layer over the cell; and
a first and second electrical contact between the transparent conductive layer and the metal layer.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The structure of claim 33, wherein the cell is a shared cell between a first and second submodule, each having an electrical contact region including a first trench pattern and a second trench pattern, respectively.

### Claim 35 (depends on 33)

The structure of claim 33, wherein the first electrical contact is positioned on one side of the cell, and the second electrical contact is positioned on an opposite side of the cell.

### Claim 36 (depends on 33)

The structure of claim 33, wherein first or second electrical contact has a length that spans the length of a semiconductor layer and an end that contacts the transparent conductive layer.

### Claim 37 (depends on 33)

The structure of claim 33, wherein first and second electrical contact each have a length that spans the length of a semiconductor layer and an end that contacts the transparent conductive layer.

### Claim 38 (depends on 34)

The structure of claim 34, wherein the trench pattern includes constant spacing between scribes.

### Claim 39 (depends on 34)

The structure of claim 34, further comprising a metal layer over the shared cell.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The structure of claim 39, wherein the shared cell is flanked by two electrical contacts between the transparent conductive layer and a metal layer.

### Claim 41 (depends on 34)

The structure of claim 34, wherein the shared cell is in a center between the first and second submodules.

### Claim 42 (depends on 34)

The structure of claim 34, wherein the cell includes an insulator.

### Claim 43 (depends on 42)

The structure of claim 42, wherein the insulator is a dielectric material, atmosphere or vacuum.

### Claim 44 (depends on 42)

The structure of claim 42, wherein the insulator is in a constant position among photovoltaic cells connected in series.

### Claim 45 (depends on 42)

The structure of claim 42, wherein the cell includes a first semiconductor material.

### Claim 46 (depends on 45)

The structure of claim 45, further comprising a second semiconductor material over the first semiconductor material.

### Claim 47 (depends on 45)

The system of claim 45, wherein the first semiconductor material is a CdS.

### Claim 48 (depends on 46)

The system of claim 46, wherein the second semiconductor material is a CdTe.

### Claim 49

A method of forming a photovoltaic structure including:
depositing a semiconductor layer over a transparent conductive layer;
scribing the semiconductor layer to form a cell, the cell comprising a semiconductor material shared by two parallel connected submodules; and
metallizing the cell.

### Claim 50 (depends on 49)

The method of claim 49, wherein the two submodules includes a first submodule having an electrical contact region including first trench pattern and a second submodule having an electrical contact region including a second trench pattern, wherein the second trench pattern is a mirror image of the first trench pattern, the mirror image having a symmetry about the shared cell.

### Claim 51 (depends on 50)

The method of claim 50, wherein the first trench pattern includes one or more trench levels.

### Claim 52 (depends on 50)

The method of claim 50, wherein the second submodule has a second trench pattern that includes one or more trench levels.

### Claim 53 (depends on 50)

The method of claim 50, wherein the trench pattern is formed by laser ablation, laser scribing, wet-chemical etching, or dry etching.

### Claim 54 (depends on 50)

The method of claim 50, wherein the trench pattern includes constant spacing between scribes.

### Claim 55 (depends on 50)

The method of claim 50, wherein metallizing the cell includes positioning a metal layer over the shared cell.

### Claim 56 (depends on 55)

The method of claim 55, wherein the shared cell is flanked by two electrical contacts between the transparent conductive layer and a metal layer.

### Claim 57 (depends on 55)

The method of claim 55, wherein the shared cell is in a center between the first and second submodules.

### Claim 58 (depends on 55)

The method of claim 55, wherein the shared cell includes a first semiconductor material.

### Claim 59 (depends on 58)

The method of claim 58, further comprising depositing a second semiconductor material over the first semiconductor material.

### Claim 60

A method of forming a photovoltaic structure including:
depositing a semiconductor layer over a transparent conductive layer;
scribing a semiconductor layer to form a cell;
placing a metal layer over the cell; and
forming two electrical contacts between the transparent conductive layer and the metal layer.

### Claim 61 (depends on 60)

The method of claim 60, wherein the cell is a shared cell between a first submodule having an electrical contact region including first trench pattern and a second submodule having an electrical contact region including a second trench pattern, wherein the second trench pattern is a mirror image of the first trench pattern, the mirror image having a symmetry about the shared cell.

### Claim 62 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, wherein the first trench pattern includes one or more trench levels.

### Claim 63 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, wherein the second submodule has a second trench pattern that includes one or more trench levels.

### Claim 64 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, wherein the trench pattern is formed by laser ablation, laser scribing, wet-chemical etching, or dry etching.

### Claim 65 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, wherein the trench pattern includes constant spacing between scribes.

### Claim 66 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, wherein the shared cell is flanked by two electrical contacts between the transparent conductive layer and a metal layer.

### Claim 67 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, wherein the shared cell is in a center between the first and second submodules.

### Claim 68 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, wherein the shared cell includes a first semiconductor material.

### Claim 69 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, further comprising depositing a second semiconductor material over the first semiconductor material.