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US 8,541,680 B2Granted
Photovoltaic cells including peaks and methods of manufacture
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsChris Eberspacher, Bruce E. Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Photovoltaic module and methods for the manufacture of photovoltaic modules are described. Operative layers of the photovoltaic cell are deposited onto a superstrate having one or more of at least one peak allowing for electrical isolation of a portion of a photovoltaic module and at least one ramp creating a series connection between individual photovoltaic cells with minimal loss of the efficiency due to dead space between the cells.
Claims10
A photovoltaic module comprising:
- a superstrate having a front side, a back side, a left edge and a right edge, the back side having a roughened surface including at least one peak and a plurality of ramps, each ramp including a ramped surface and a vertical face which is perpendicular to the back side of the superstrate;
- a front contact layer on the back side of the superstrate;
- a layer of amorphous silicon overlying the front contact layer;
- and
- a back contact layer overlying the silicon layer, the back contact layer having a front side facing the silicon layer and a back side,
- wherein each ramp has an effective height to form a connection between the front contact layer located at a top of the ramp with the back contact layer located adjacent the top of the ramp on the vertical face that delimits the front contact layer, amorphous silicon layer and back contact layer into individual, electrically interconnected cells,
- wherein the at least one peak and the layers thereon are truncated, exposing a portion of the superstrate relative to the front contact layer, amorphous silicon layer and back contact layer and interrupting electrical continuity of the photovoltaic module.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.