# US 9,935,221 B1 · Shingled array solar cells and method of manufacturing solar modules including the same

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- Number: US 9,935,221 B1
- Document ID: US9935221B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/622,783
- Filed: 2017-06-14
- Granted: 2018-04-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-09
- Assignees: Flex Ltd.
- Applicants: Flex Ltd.
- Inventors: Lisong Zhou; Huaming Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9935221B1

## CPC

- H10F 19/00: Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one photovoltaic cell covered by group H10F10/00, e.g. photovoltaic modules
- H02S 20/25: Roof tile elements
- H02S 40/34: comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
- H02S 40/36: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
- H10F 19/902: {for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 19/904: {characterised by the shapes of the structures}
- H10F 71/136: {Singulating, e.g. dicing}
- H10F 77/215: {Geometries of grid contacts}
- H10F 77/50: Encapsulations or containers (for photovoltaic modules H10F19/80)
- H10F 77/937: {Busbar structures for modules}
- Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV]
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- 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
- H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- 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 solar cell is provided including a substrate having a front and back side, a metallization pattern deposited on the front side, the metallization pattern including a plurality of front side bus bars each including fingers extending therefrom, and a plurality of back side bus bars deposited on the back side. On the front side, one front side bus bar is formed along an edge of the front side of the substrate, and a remainder of the front side bus bars are unequally spaced across the substrate. On the back side of the substrate, only one back side bus bar is formed along an edge of the back side of the substrate, and a remainder of the back side bus bars are unequally spaced across the substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar cell, comprising:
a substrate having a front side and a back side;
a metallization pattern deposited on the front side of the substrate, the metallization pattern including a plurality of front side bus bars, each front side bus bar including fingers extending therefrom; and
a plurality of back side bus bars deposited on the back side of the substrate,
wherein:
on the front side of the substrate, no front side bus bar of the plurality of front side bus bars is formed along an edge of the front side of the substrate, and the plurality of front side bus bars are unequally spaced across the substrate, and
on the back side of the substrate, two back side bus bars of the plurality of back side bus bars are each formed along a corresponding edge of the back side of the substrate, and a remainder of the back side bus bars of the plurality of back side bus bars are unequally spaced across the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the remainder of the front side bus bars of the plurality of front include two front side bus bars that are adjacent each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein each front side bus bar of the plurality of front side bus bars includes finger lines extending therefrom and two sets of the finger lines point towards each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein each front side bus bar of the plurality of front side bus bars includes finger lines extending therefrom, a first set of the finger lines point toward each other, and a second set of the finger lines point toward each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the solar cell includes five discrete sections, each section including one front side bus bar and one back side bus bar.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the solar cell includes six discrete sections, each section including one front side bus bar and one back side bus bar.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the solar cell is dividable into a plurality of strips, each strip is of substantially equal width, and each strip has a front side bus bar on an edge opposite from an edge on which a back side bus bar is formed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the solar cell is dividable into a plurality of strips, each strip is of substantially equal area, and each strip has a front side bus bar on an edge opposite from an edge on which a back side bus bar is formed.

### Claim 9

A method of forming a solar cell comprising:
depositing a metallization pattern on the front side of a substrate, the metallization pattern including a plurality of front side bus bars, each front side bus bar including fingers extending therefrom; and
depositing a plurality of back side bus bars on the back side of the substrate,
wherein:
on the front side of the substrate, no front side bus bar of the plurality of front side bus bars is formed along an edge of the front side of the substrate, and the plurality of front side bus bars are unevenly spaced apart from each other across the substrate, and
on the back side of the substrate, two back side bus bars of the plurality of back side bus bars are each formed along a corresponding edge of the back side of the substrate, and a remainder of the back side bus bars of the plurality of back side bus bars are unequally spaced across the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the remainder of the front side bus bars of the plurality of front include two front side bus bars that are adjacent each other.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein each front side bus bar of the plurality of front side bus bars includes finger lines extending therefrom and two sets of the finger lines point towards each other.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein each front side bus bar of the plurality of front side bus bars includes finger lines extending therefrom, a first set of the finger lines point toward each other, and a second set of the finger lines point toward each other.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising forming scribe lines into the solar cell to define five discrete sections, each section including one front side bus bar and one back side bus bar.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising forming scribe lines into the solar cell to define six discrete sections, each section including one front side bus bar and one back side bus bar.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein upon cleaving the solar cell into a plurality of strips, each strip is of substantially equal width and each strip has a front side bus bar on an edge opposite from an edge on which a back side bus bar is formed.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein upon cleaving the solar cell into a plurality of strips, each strip is of substantially equal area and each strip has a front side bus bar on an edge opposite from an edge on which a back side bus bar is formed.