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Solar cell panels and method of fabricating same

a technology of solar cell panels and manufacturing methods, applied in the field can solve the problems of high cost of solar cell panels, many steps of fabrication, etc., and achieve the effect of improving the efficiency of solar cell panels and reducing the cost of manufacturing

Inactive Publication Date: 2010-02-18
IBM CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a structure that includes a bottom cover plate with an electrically conductive bus bar on its top surface, a top cover plate with an electrically conductive contact frame proximate to its bottom surface, and an array of rows and columns of solar cell chips between the bottom and top cover plates. Each solar cell chip has an anode adjacent to its top surface and a cathode adjacent to its bottom surface. The bus bar electrically contacts each anode of each solar cell chip, while the contact frame contacts each anode of each solar cell chip. The technical effect of this structure is that it provides a reliable electrical connection for the solar cells, allowing for efficient energy conversion and improved performance.

Problems solved by technology

Solar cell panels require many steps to fabricate and it is relatively expensive for a manufacturer to supply more than a few voltage / current combination solar cell panels.

Method used

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  • Solar cell panels and method of fabricating same
  • Solar cell panels and method of fabricating same
  • Solar cell panels and method of fabricating same

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first embodiment

[0023]FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C are views of components of a solar cell panel according to the present invention. FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate an embodiment in which all solar cell chips of a solar cell panel are connected in parallel. In FIG. 2A, a bottom cover plate 155 (e.g., glass, quartz, plastic) has an electrically conductive plate 160 formed on a top surface 165 of plate 155. In one example, plate 160 comprises a material selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc-aluminum oxide (ZnAlO) and tin oxide (SnO). In one example, plate 160 comprises a transparent (e.g., to visible light) conducting material (TCM) examples of which include ZnO and ZnAlO. In one example, plate 160 comprises a transparent (e.g., to visible light) conducting oxide (TCO) examples of which include ZnO and ZnAlO. Plate 160 may be formed by screen printing an electrically conductive paste, evaporation, sputter deposition, chemical-vapor-deposition ...

second embodiment

[0029]Turning to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are views of components of a solar cell panel according to the present invention. FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C illustrate an embodiment in which solar chips in each row are connected in parallel and each row is connected in series. In FIG. 3A, a bottom cover plate 190 (e.g., glass, quartz, plastic) has an electrically conductive lands 195 formed on a top surface 200 of plate 190. In one example, lands 195 comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Mo, ZnO, ZnAlO and SnO. In one example, lands 195 comprises a TCM) examples of which were listed supra. In one example, lands 195 comprises a TCO examples of which were listed supra. Lands 195 may be formed by screen printing an electrically conductive paste, sputter deposition through a metal mask, by subtractive etch of a layer formed by sputter deposition, evaporation, CVD or plating, or by a damascene process. Lands 195 may be considered a bus bar, which has been ...

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Abstract

A solar cell panel and method of forming a solar cell panel. The method includes a: forming an electrically conductive bus bar on a top surface of a bottom cover plate; forming an electrically conductive contact frame proximate to a bottom surface of a top cover plate, the top cover plate transparent to visible light; and placing an array of rows and columns of solar cell chips between the bottom cover plate and the top cover plate, each solar cell chip of the array of solar cell chips comprising an anode adjacent to a top surface and a cathode adjacent to a bottom surface of the solar cell chip, the bus bar electrically contacting each anode of each solar cell chip of the array of solar cell chips and the contact frame contacting each anode of each solar cell chip of the array of solar cell chips.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the field of solar cell panels; more specifically, it relates to solar cell panels and methods of fabricating solar cell panels.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Solar cell panels require many steps to fabricate and it is relatively expensive for a manufacturer to supply more than a few voltage / current combination solar cell panels. Accordingly, the industry would welcome reductions in solar cell panel fabrication costs and increased solar cell panel fabrication flexibility. Therefore there exists a need in the art to mitigate the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION[0003]A first aspect of the present invention is a structure, comprising: a bottom cover plate having an electrically conductive bus bar on a top surface of the bottom cover plate; a top cover plate having an electrically conductive contact frame proximate to a bottom surface of the top cover plate, the top cover plate tran...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H01L31/052H01L31/048H01L31/18
CPCH01L31/048Y02E10/50H01L31/0508H01L31/0201H01L31/022433H01L31/0475H01L31/049H01L31/0504
Inventor HOVEL, HAROLD JOHNKRAUSE, RAINER KLAUSSHAO, XIAOYANSTEEN, STEVEN ERIK
Owner IBM CORP