# US 8,772,079 B2 · Backside contacting on thin layer photovoltaic cells

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- Number: US 8,772,079 B2
- Document ID: US8772079B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/594,146
- Filed: 2008-04-08
- Published: 2010-06-03
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-24
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: Rainer Krause; Gerd Pfeiffer; Thorsten Muehge; Hans-Juergen Eickelmann; Michael Haag; Markus Schmidt
- Inventors: Rainer Krause; Gerd Pfeiffer; Thorsten Muehge; Hans-Juergen Eickelmann; Michael Haag; Markus Schmidt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772079B2

## CPC

- H10F 77/219: {Arrangements for electrodes of back-contact photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 10/146: {Back-junction photovoltaic cells, e.g. having interdigitated base-emitter regions on the back side}
- H10F 19/902: {for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 71/121: {The active layers comprising only Group IV materials}
- H10F 77/211: {for photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 77/935: {for photovoltaic devices or modules}
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of backside contacting of thin layer photovoltaic cells having Si elements as well as thin film cells, like CIGS, is provided, including the following steps: providing a p-n-junction including a thin n-doped Si layer and a thin p-doped Si layer bonded on top of said n-doped Si layer; bonding said p-n-junction to a glass substrate; preparing contact points on said structured thin p-doped Si layer and said thin n-doped Si layer; and creating contact pins on said structured thin p-doped Si layer and said thin n-doped Si layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of backside contacting ultra thin layer photovoltaic cells, comprising:
bonding a thin film on a glass substrate creating an active side of said glass substrate;
creating contact pads on a back-side of said glass substrate; and
electrically connecting said thin film and said back-side,
wherein said electrically connecting is performed by gluing metal strips along one or more edges of said glass substrate before deposition of said thin film.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein said ultra thin layer photovoltaic cells are copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) photovoltaic cells.

### Claim 3

A method of backside contacting ultra thin layer photovoltaic cells comprising:
bonding a thin film on a glass substrate creating an active side of said glass substrate;
creating contact pads on a back-side of said glass substrate; and
electrically connecting said thin film and said back side,
wherein said electrically connecting is performed by arranging said contact pads on two opposite edges of said glass substrate and connecting said contact pads and said active side by a wired contact strip before deposition of said thin film.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3 wherein said ultra thin photovoltaic cells are copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) photovoltaic cells.