Thin Film Solar Cell Module Including Series Connected Cells Formed on a Flexible Substrate by Using Lithography

A solar cell module comprising:

• a flexible substrate having an exposed surface configured to be mounted to a first carrier material and having a second major surface opposite the exposed surface;
• a metallization layer disposed on the second major surface of the flexible substrate;
• a semiconductor layer disposed on the metallization layer, the semiconductor layer having a first major surface and an opposite second major surface facing the flexible substrate;
• a plurality of isolation trenches in the metallization layer and the semiconductor layer;
• a plurality of contact trenches in the metallization layer and the semiconductor layer laterally dividing the semiconductor layer into a plurality of semiconductor regions, a width of a contact trench being less than a width of an isolation trench;
• a plurality of dielectric sidewall spacers covering each sidewall of the isolation trenches;
• and
• a transparent metallization layer disposed on the plurality of semiconductor regions, within the plurality of isolation trenches, the plurality of dielectric sidewall spacers, and the plurality of contact trenches.

A solar cell module comprising:

• a flexible substrate;
• a metallization layer disposed on the flexible substrate and comprising a major surface;
• a plurality of first isolation trenches in the metallization layer;
• a semiconductor layer disposed over the major surface of the metallization layer;
• a plurality of contact trenches in the semiconductor layer laterally dividing the semiconductor layer into a plurality of semiconductor regions;
• a transparent metallization layer disposed on the plurality of semiconductor regions, the transparent metallization layer comprising a first contact region that physically contacts a first portion of the major surface and a second contact region that physically contacts a second portion of the major surface;
• and
• a plurality of second isolation trenches disposed in the transparent metallization layer and the semiconductor layer, the plurality of second isolation trenches separating adjacent cells of a plurality of series-connected solar cells, and the plurality of second isolation trenches isolating the first contact region and the second contact region from sidewalls of the plurality of semiconductor regions facing the corresponding first and second contact regions.