# US 9,040,815 B2 · Thin-film solar cell and method of fabricating thin-film solar cell

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- Number: US 9,040,815 B2
- Document ID: US9040815B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/877,242
- Filed: 2011-09-27
- Published: 2013-07-18
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-30
- Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Tohru Takeda; Kazuhito Nishimura
- Inventors: Tohru Takeda; Kazuhito Nishimura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040815B2

## CPC

- H10F 19/908: {for back-contact photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 19/31: having multiple laterally adjacent thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate
- H10F 19/33: Patterning processes to connect the photovoltaic cells, e.g. laser cutting of conductive or active layers
- H10F 77/937: {Busbar structures for modules}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- 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

## Abstract

A thin-film solar cell includes a cell having a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer stacked on a transparent insulation substrate. A plurality of cells are connected in series to constitute a cell string. A bus bar is arranged on the back electrode layer of an end cell constituting the cell string. The thin-film solar cell has a photoelectric conversion layer on a series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer. In plan view, a series-connection direction end of the back electrode layer at an end of the cell string and the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at the end of the cell string do not overlap, while the bus bar and the transparent electrode layer at the end cell constituting the cell string overlap at least partially. A method of fabricating the thin-film solar cell is provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thin-film solar cell, comprising:
a cell having a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer stacked on a transparent insulation substrate, a plurality of said cells connected in series to constitute a cell string,
a bus bar arranged on a back electrode layer of an end cell constituting the cell string,
having a photoelectric conversion layer on a series-connection direction end of said transparent electrode layer in one end of a series-connection direction,
in plan view of said one end of said series-connection direction,
a series-connection direction end of a back electrode layer at an end of said cell string and the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at an end of said cell string not overlapping, and
said bus bar and a transparent electrode layer of the end cell constituting said cell string overlapping at least partially.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The thin-film solar cell according to claim 1, wherein a photoelectric conversion layer of the end cell constituting said cell string and a photoelectric conversion layer on the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at the end of said cell string are separated.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The thin-film solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at the end cell constituting said cell string is covered with a photoelectric conversion layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The thin-film solar cell according to claim 3, wherein a transparent electrode layer separated from the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at the end cell constituting said cell string is formed below the series-connection direction end of the back electrode layer at the end cell constituting said cell string with a photoelectric conversion layer therebetween.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The thin-film solar cell according to claim 1, wherein said bus bar is arranged spaced apart from the series-connection direction end of said back electrode layer at the end of said cell string.

### Claim 6

A thin-film solar cell comprising:
a cell having a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer stacked on a transparent insulation substrate, a plurality of said cells connected in series to constitute a cell string,
a bus bar arranged on a back electrode layer of an end cell constituting the cell string,
having a photoelectric conversion layer on a series-connection direction end of said transparent electrode layer,
in plan view,
a series-connection direction end of a back electrode layer at an end of said cell string and the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at an end of said cell string not overlapping, and
said bus bar and a transparent electrode layer of the end cell constituting said cell string overlapping at least partially, and
said bus bar arranged spaced apart from the series-connection direction end of said back electrode layer at the end of said cell string.