High temperature solar cell mount

A high temperature electro-mechanical pressure mount for a solar cell having a solar cell foot print area, a back surface metallization, and at least two busbar edges on either side of said solar cell comprising:

• a plate electrically insulating and thermally conductive having a plate front surface and a solar cell foot print area;
• a center flat strip disposed over said solar cell foot print area and extending outward from either side of said solar cell foot print area in a flat strip direction, said center flat strip electrically conductive and thermally coupled to said plate front surface by a thermal compound or a thermal epoxy;
• a first flat strip and a second flat strip disposed on either side of said solar cell foot print area respectively, both of said first flat strip and a second flat strip thermally and mechanically coupled to said plate front surface by an epoxy;
• a first flat lead and a second flat lead disposed on and about perpendicular to said first flat strip and a second flat strip respectively, each raised end of said first flat lead and a second flat lead mechanically, thermally, and electrically couples respectively to the busbar edges on either side of the solar cell disposed over about a solar cell footprint area;
• wherein said first flat lead and second flat lead hold a solar cell back surface metallization of the solar cell in a mechanical and an electrical contact with said center flat strip by an electro-mechanical pressure mount caused by mechanical pressure of each raised end of said first flat lead and a second flat lead mechanically against each of a pair of side busbars of the solar cell respectively;
• and
• wherein said first flat strip provides a first electrical terminal of said high temperature electro-mechanical pressure mount, the first electrical terminal electrically coupled to the back surface metallization of the solar cell, and said first flat lead and a second flat lead provide a second electrical terminal of said high temperature electro-mechanical pressure mount, the second electrical terminal electrically coupled to at least two busbar edges on either side of said solar cell.

A method for mounting a solar cell in a high temperature electro-mechanical pressure mount comprising the steps of:

• providing an electrically insulating and thermally conductive plate having a plate front surface and a solar cell foot print area;
• mounting a center flat strip, a first strip, and a second strip to said plate front surface, said first strip and said second strip separated from and adjacent to said center flat strip, all of said center flat strip, said first strip, and said second strip oriented in about a flat strip direction on said plate front surface;
• applying a thermal compound to said center flat strip over about said solar cell foot print area;
• setting a back surface metallized layer of a solar cell into said thermal compound;
• applying an electrically conductive thermal compound to at least two busbar edges on either side of a light receiving surface of the solar cell;
• and
• mounting mechanically and electrically a first flat lead and a second flat lead over said first strip, and a second strip respectively, each in a direction about perpendicular to said flat strip direction where an end of each flat lead overlaps and couples to each of the busbar edges respectively, by at least in part pressing on the busbar edges through said electrically conductive thermal compound.