Transparent cover layers for solar cells and modules

Abstract

The present invention describes a solar cell device and a method of manufacturing the same. A method of fabricating a solar cell comprising forming a photovoltaic substructure comprising a substrate, a back contact layer, an absorber layer and a buffer layer, forming a transparent cover layer separate from the photovoltaic substructure comprising a transparent layer and a layer of plasmonic nanostructures in contact with the transparent layer , and attaching a transparent cover layer on top of the photovoltaic substructure. The plasmonic nanostructure layer may include metal nanoparticles. The invention also provides transparent cover layers for solar cells and modules.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to photovoltaic solar cells and solar modules. More specifically, the present invention relates to a transparent cover layer for a solar module and a method of manufacturing the same. Background technique [0002] A solar cell is a power generating device that directly generates electricity from sunlight. A plurality of solar cells may be connected through respective interconnect structures to form a solar cell module. Multiple modules can be connected to form an array. [0003] Some solar cell devices include a protective cover over the solar cells. Sunlight passes through the protective covering to the underlying solar cells to be converted into electrical current through the photovoltaic effect. The optical transmittance through the protective cover affects the efficiency of the solar cell device. For example, the amount of electricity generated by a solar cell depends on the amount of light passing through the pro...

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