A solar cell module includes: two solar cells, each including an photoelectric conversion body 10a, 10b having first and second main faces and generating photogenerated carriers, a first electrode provided on the first main face, and a second electrode provided on the first or second main face and having a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode; and a wiring member 2a for electrically connecting the first electrode of one of the two solar cells to the second electrode of the other solar cell. The first electrode has a plurality of finger electrodes for collecting the photogenerated carriers generated in the photoelectric conversion body 10a and a bus-bar electrode 11a for collecting the photogenerated carriers collected by the plurality of finger electrodes. The wiring member 2a is connected onto the bus-bar electrode 11a of the one solar cell through a connection layer 13 formed of a conductive resin containing conductive material. The connection layer 13 is also in contact with the first main face of the photoelectric conversion body 10a.

Solar cell module

An electrode is described for contacting an electrically conductive surface, in particular for contacting at least one surface of a photovoltaic element wafer 3, the electrode comprising an electrically insulating optically transparent film 10, an adhesive layer 11 provided on one surface of said film 10, and a first plurality of substantially parallel, electrically conductive wires 5' being embedded into the adhesive layer 11, a part of the surfaces of said wires 5' protruding from the adhesive layer 11 and at least on the surface protruding from the adhesive layer 11 being covered by a coating 2 consisting of an alloy with a low melting point, wherein the wires 5' of the first plurality are electrically connected to a first terminal bar 20. A plurality of said electrodes may be formed as an endless, continuous strip, which can be cut to a length corresponding to that of an array of adjacent photovoltaic elements 3 to be connected for forming a PV module, wherein the wires 5' running in longitudinal direction of the strip are cut at distances corresponding to the distances of the PV cells. A PV cell or a PV module comprising at least one electrode 16 or one electrode strip 16 as described above may comprise one or more photovoltaic cells 3 with an electrically conductive, antireflective, optically transparent coating 4 on at least one of its surfaces, the wires 5' of the first plurality being soldered onto the coating 4 and onto the respective terminal bars 20 or terminal frames 17 by means of the alloy 2.

Electrode for photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic cell and photovoltaic module

Methods and systems for interconnecting back contact solar cells. The solar cells preferably have reduced area busbars, or are entirely busbarless, and current is extracted from a variety of points on the interior of the cell surface. The interconnects preferably relieve stresses due to solder reflow and other thermal effects. The interconnects may be stamped and include external or internal structures which are bonded to the solder pads on the solar cell. These structures are designed to minimize thermal stresses between the interconnect and the solar cell. The interconnect may alternatively comprise porous metals such as wire mesh, wire cloth, or expanded metal, or corrugated or fingered strips. The interconnects are preferably electrically isolated from the solar cell by an insulator which is deposited on the cell, placed on the cell as a discrete layer, or laminated directly to desired areas of the interconnect.

Interconnect technologies for back contact solar cells and modules

Back contact solar cells including rear surface structures and methods for making same. The rear surface is doped to form an n+ emitter and then coated with a dielectric layer. Small regions are scribed in the rear surface and p-type contacts are then formed in the regions. Large conductive grid areas overlay the dielectric layer. The methods provide for increasing efficiency by minimizing p-type contact areas and maximizing n-type doped regions on the rear surface of a p-type substrate.

Process and fabrication methods for emitter wrap through back contact solar cells

Methods for fabrication of emitter wrap through (EWT) back-contact solar cells and cells made by such methods. Certain methods provide for higher concentration of dopant in conductive vias compared to the average dopant concentration on front or rear surfaces, and provided increased efficiency. Certain methods provide for selective doping to holes for forming conductive vias by use of printed dopant pastes. Other methods provide for use of spin-on glass substrates including dopant.

Back-contact solar cells and methods for fabrication

A potentially low-cost process for forming and passivating a selective emitter The process uses a plasma etch of the heavily doped emitter to improve its performance The grids of the solar cell are used to mask the plasma etch so that only the emitter in the region between the grids is etched, while the region beneath the grids remains heavily doped for low contact resistance This process is potentially low-cost because it requires no alignment After the emitter etch, a silicon nitride layer is deposited by plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor deposition, and the solar cell is annealed in a forming gas

William K. Schubert

Papers

Silicon solar cells made by a self-aligned, selective-emitter, plasma-etchback process