Photovoltaic module fabrication process
AssigneeUnited Solar Systems Corporation
InventorsPrem Nath, Craig N. Vogeli, Timothy Barnard
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Abstract
Photovoltaic devices comprised of one or more encapsulated slabs of photovoltaic material are prepared by a process wherein a large area body of photovoltaic material is divided into a plurality of slabs. A photoactive area is defined within each slab, and defects therein passivated. Current collecting structures are affixed to each slab, and if the device includes a plurality of slabs, they are electrically interconnected. The front surfaces of the slabs are laminated with a transparent protective material, and the rear surfaces are bonded to a support plate. Also disclosed herein is a particular configuration of bus bar tape for interconnecting the slabs and an apparatus for preparing the current collecting wires.
Claims27
A method for the manufacture of a photovoltaic panel, said method including the steps of:
- providing a photovoltaic material comprising a substrate electrode;
- a photovoltaic body disposed atop, and in electrical communication with said substrate electrode, said photovoltaic body operative to absorb photons and provide a photocurrent in response thereto;
- and a transparent, electrically conductive top electrode disposed atop the photovoltaic body;
- dividing photovoltaic said, material into a plurality of individual slabs, each slab comprising a portion of said substrate electrode, photovoltaic body, and top electrode;
- isolating a photoactive area within each slab, said photoactive area being substantially free of any edge defects which establish a short-circuit current path between the top electrode and substrate electrode of said slab;
- passivating any defect regions which may be present within said photoactive area;
- affixing a first bus bar tape to said slab in electrical communication with the substrate electrode thereof;
- affixing a second bus bar tape to said slab, said second tape being electrically insulated from said substrate electrode;
- providing at least one current collecting member;
- bonding said at least one current collecting member to the top electrode of said slab with an electrically conductive adhesive so as to establish electrical communication therewith;
- establishing electrical contact between said at least one current collecting member and said second bus bar tape, whereby said second tape is in electrical communication with the top electrode;
- applying a transparent, protective coating to said slab after affixation of said at least one current collecting member so as to cover said top electrode and said at least one member;
- electrically interconnecting a plurality of said slabs;
- affixing a flexible, transparent, electrically insulating encapsulant to a front surface of each electrically interconnected slab of said plurality so that a back surface of each of said slabs is not covered by said encapsulant;
- and,
- affixing a common backing plate to the back surface of each slab of said plurality.
A method as in clam 1, wherein the step of affixing said first bus bar tape comprises ultrasonically bonding said first tape to said substrate electrode.
A method for the manufacture of a photovoltaic panel, said method including the steps of:
- providing a photovoltaic material comprising a substrate electrode;
- a photovoltaic body disposed atop, and in electrical communication with said substrate electrode, said photovoltaic body operative to absorb photons and provide a photocurrent in response thereto;
- and a transparent, electrically conductive top electrode disposed atop the photovoltaic body;
- dividing said photovoltaic material so as to separate a slab therefrom, said slab comprising a portion of said substrate electrode, photovoltaic body, and top electrode;
- isolating a photoactive area within said slab, said photoactive area being substantially free of any edge defects which establish a short-circuit current path between the top electrode and substrate electrode of said slab;
- passivating any defect regions which may be present within said photoactive area;
- affixing a first bus bar tape to said slab in electrical communication with the substrate electrode thereof;
- affixing a second bus bar tape to said slab, said second tape being electrically insulated from said substrate electrode;
- providing at least one current collecting member which is coated with an electrically conductive adhesive;
- bonding said at least one current collecting member to the top electrode of said slab so as to establish electrical communication therewith;
- establishing electrical contact between said at least one current collecting member and said second bus bar tape, whereby said second tape is in electrical communication with the top electrode;
- applying a transparent, protective coating to said slab after affixation of said at least one current collecting member so as to cover said top electrode and said at least one member;
- affixing a flexible, transparent, electrically insulating encapsulant to a front surface of said slab so that a back surface thereof is not covered by said encapsulate;
- and
- affixing a backing plate to the back surface of the slab.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.