Coloured plate-shaped component with textured top plate and colour filter layer

Description

[0001] The present invention lies in the technical fields of facade manufacturing and solar module production and relates to a colored, plate-shaped component with a structured cover plate and at least one color filter layer. The plate-shaped component is particularly designed in the form of a solar module or a facade element.

[0002] The use of solar modules as wall or facade elements is currently a relatively small market in economic terms, but one that is very interesting from an ecological perspective. Particularly in light of increased efforts toward decentralized energy solutions and energy-neutral buildings, the demand for the use of solar modules as integrated components of building envelopes is growing. This includes their use on roofs (integrated or surface-mounted) and facades. Other interesting applications for solar modules include noise barriers (roads, railways), privacy screens in outdoor areas, walls for greenhouses, or coverings for the architectural design of bridges or towers. The use of colored solar modules in ground-mounted installations would even be conceivable if standard blue-black solar modules are undesirable for reasons of landscape protection or specific customer requirements.These new applications place entirely new demands on solar modules, particularly with regard to aesthetics, lifespan, and other functionalities such as sealing and thermal insulation. In particular, the solar modules used for these applications must be available in various shapes, sizes, and colors, and convey a color appearance that is as homogeneous as possible. Depending on the origin of the color (absorption / remission, interference, refraction), the color of an otherwise homogeneous surface of the solar module can vary depending on the viewing angle and / or angle of incidence. Furthermore, the spectrum and spatial distribution (diffuse, directional) of the light also determine the perceived color.

[0003] An ideal solar module, in terms of efficiency optimization, would be a black body that completely absorbs incident sunlight to optimally convert radiant energy into electrical energy. However, every real object reflects incident radiation and re-emits absorbed radiation, with the color perception in the human eye fundamentally arising from the spectrally selected reflection and re-emission of light. The solar spectrum has the highest energy intensity in the visible spectral range, and the human eye is most sensitive to it. If a solar module is designed to be colored—that is, if the intention is to create a color impression in the human eye that differs from that of an ideal black body—the intensity of the light absorbed by the photovoltaic semiconductor is necessarily reduced, and consequently, so is the electrical power and efficiency of the solar module.Optimal efficiency can generally only be achieved with a black solar module. However, depending on the origin of the color (absorption / remission, interference, refraction), the color of an otherwise homogeneous solar module surface can vary depending on the viewing angle and / or angle of incidence. Furthermore, the spectrum and spatial distribution (diffuse, directional) of the light also determine the perceived color.

[0004] European patent applications EP18186153 and EP18186161 describe solar modules in which color is achieved through at least one optical interference layer. By structuring the front glass, a colored solar module is obtained that exhibits a largely stable color effect for the human eye even from different viewing angles and under varying lighting conditions, while still achieving an acceptable energy yield, in particular a good efficiency.

[0005] The precise dimensioning of a facade may necessitate colored solar modules in various sizes and shapes to achieve the most homogeneous color possible. Generally, smaller and non-rectangular solar modules lead to significantly higher costs if the actual semiconductor stack is manufactured over a large area and smaller module sizes have to be produced by segmentation, as smaller solar modules require considerably more material per unit of output power. Furthermore, the ratio of module area to edge area becomes less favorable in smaller solar modules, resulting in a lower overall module efficiency. Additionally, the costs of certain materials and fixed costs for mounting components and edge sealing represent a larger proportion of the total costs for smaller solar modules.Furthermore, certain steps of the manufacturing process can only be implemented with significantly modified plant concepts for different substrate sizes.

[0006] For the reasons mentioned above, the industrial mass production of solar modules is geared towards a few standard module sizes and, as a rule, rectangular shapes. This means that covering an entire facade with solar modules is usually either impossible or economically unacceptable. Furthermore, the photovoltaic design of the solar cells and various components such as contact strips, junction boxes, and cables are optimized for these standard module sizes. In addition, an unfavorable orientation to the sun or shading from parts of the same building or neighboring buildings can make it uneconomical to cover certain areas of a facade with solar modules, as their energy yield does not justify the additional costs.

[0007] To address the problem of a lack of suitable sizes and / or shapes for colored solar modules, it is conceivable to use passive photovoltaic facade elements made of sheet metal or other conventional building materials, provided that their color is as similar as possible to that of the colored solar modules. However, this presents a technical and design challenge inherent in the nature of color generation. The color of solar modules can change under different lighting conditions, depending on the origin of the color (absorption / reflection, interference, refraction), particularly depending on the type of light (diffuse, direct, color temperature), as well as on changes in the angle of incidence and / or viewing angle. If the passive photovoltaic facade elements are made of different materials than the colored solar modules, this typically results in color contrasts that are undesirable from a design perspective.

[0008] A solution to this problem is shown in European patent application EP 18186175. This application describes photovoltaic passive facade elements in which, analogous to European patent applications EP18186153 and EP18186161, the front glass has a structure and at least one optical interference layer is provided.

[0009] The colored photovoltaic active solar modules or colored passive facade elements shown in European patent applications EP18186153, EP18186161, and EP18186175 allow for the production of various colors such as green, blue, turquoise, or yellow, as well as various shades of gray. The interference layers used in these applications are based on transparent dielectric layers such as Si3N4, SiO2, TiO2, and ZrO2. However, white or red solar modules or facade elements are very difficult to produce, making their manufacture with acceptable efficiency losses a significant technical challenge. Particularly high efficiency losses occur with white and red, as a large portion of the visible spectrum must be reflected.Furthermore, the refractive index for the aforementioned material systems in the visible range (380 nm to 780 nm) is limited to values ​​below 3, so that at best only light shades of gray can be achieved (L<60).

[0010] Generally, colors with L values ​​above 80 or even better, 85, are considered white. In the RAL system, the darkest white is Papyrus White with L=81: RAL 9018, Papyrus White, L = 81.34, a = -2.29, b = 2.96.

[0011] To produce red solar modules or facade elements with interference layers, multiple layers are required, since with only one or two interference layers, the higher orders add blue components to the reflection spectrum, typically resulting in violet or purple tones. These multiple layers usually exhibit a strong angular dependence.

[0012] Examples of related prior art are described in BENEDIKT BLÄSI ET AL: "Morpho Butterfly Inspired Coloured BIPV Modules", PROC. OF THE 33RD EU-PVSEC, 25 - 29 September 2017, pp. 2630-2634, in S PELISSET ET AL: "EFFICIENCY OF SILICON THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES WITH A FRONT COLOURED GLASS", PROC. CISBAT 2011, 2011, pp. 37-42, in US 2017 / 033250 A1 and in US 2019 / 386607 A1.

[0013] In contrast, the object of the present invention is to provide a colored solar module or photovoltaic passive facade element in which red and white colors can also be easily implemented. A colored solar module should exhibit the lowest possible efficiency loss. Furthermore, the color of the solar module or photovoltaic passive facade element should depend as little as possible on the lighting conditions, viewing angle, and angle of incidence, and it should be producible in various sizes and shapes at acceptable costs and with satisfactory homogeneity.

[0014] These and other problems are solved according to the invention by a plate-shaped component with the features of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified by the features of the dependent claims.

[0015] According to the invention, a colored, plate-shaped component, in particular with a composite disc structure, is shown.

[0016] The term "panel-shaped component" generally refers to a component that is suitable and intended for use as a visible surface element. Preferably, the panel-shaped component is a solar module, in particular a thin-film solar module, which can be used, for example, in ground-mounted systems or rooftop installations. Equally preferably, the panel-shaped component is a photovoltaically active or passive facade element designed to be integrated into a facade. A photovoltaically active facade element is also a solar module. Generally, a facade has a front or exterior side and a back or interior side, with the front of the facade being visible from the outside environment. A facade is, for example, a building wall or a freestanding wall that serves, for instance, as a privacy screen or noise barrier.The facade element can be integrated into a facade as an independent component, with its front surface forming part of the exterior or front surface of the facade. This front or exterior surface of the facade element allows light (e.g., sunlight) to enter. The back or interior surface of the facade element is neither visible from the outside nor does it allow light to enter.

[0017] A "colored" plate-shaped component or "plate-shaped component with color effect" means that the front or outside of the plate-shaped component has a specific (selectable) color when exposed to light (e.g. sunlight).

[0018] The term "composite disc structure" means that the plate-shaped component has at least two discs that are firmly connected to each other by an intermediate layer (e.g. laminated).

[0019] According to the invention, a plate-shaped component with a color effect is shown, comprising a transparent top plate and at least one flat back element. In particular, the top plate and the flat back element can be firmly bonded together by an intermediate layer to form a composite panel. The intermediate layer is preferably a thermoplastic or cross-linking polymer layer (e.g., PVB or EVA). Bonding is also possible using a transparent silicone or casting resin.

[0020] For the purposes of the present invention, the term "transparency" or "transparent" refers to a transmittance for visible light of at least 85%, in particular at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, and in particular 100%. Visible light typically has a wavelength range of 380 nm to 780 nm. The term "opacity" or "opaque" refers to a transmittance for visible light of less than 5%, in particular 0%. The term "semi-transparency" or "semi-transparent" refers to a transmittance for visible light of less than 85% and at least 5%. The percentages refer to the intensity of the light, measured on one side of the planar structure under investigation (e.g., a disk), relative to the intensity of the light incident on the other side of the planar structure.For such a measurement, a white light source (source of visible light) can be placed on one side of the planar structure and a detector for visible light on the other side. The values ​​given below for the optical refractive index always refer to the optical refractive index in the visible wavelength range from 380 nm to 780 nm.

[0021] In the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the cover plate serves for coloring, as will be explained in more detail below. The coloring cover plate has a front surface facing the direction of light incidence and an opposite back surface. The front surface of the cover plate thus faces the external environment, from which the front or outside of the plate-shaped component can be viewed. The back surface of the cover plate accordingly faces away from the external environment.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the cover plate consists of glass or plastic, preferably soda-lime glass. Preferably, the cover plate is designed as a rigid glass or plastic plate. In this case, the front surface and / or back surface of the cover plate are formed by the respective material of the cover plate. According to an alternative embodiment of the cover plate, it can consist of at least two different materials, wherein the front surface and / or back surface is formed from a material different from a core of the cover plate. The core of the cover plate preferably consists of the same material, for example, glass or plastic, preferably soda-lime glass. A material different from the core of the cover plate, which is transparent and has the same optical refractive index as the material of the core of the cover plate, is applied to the outside and / or inside of the core of the cover plate. The front surface and / or back surface are formed from a material different from the core of the cover plate.In this case, the back surface is formed by the respective material applied to the core of the cover plate. According to the invention, the term "cover plate" thus also includes composite bodies, provided that the materials forming the plate are transparent and have the same optical refractive index. Preferably, the cover plate has no curvature and is therefore flat. However, the cover plate can also be curved. The cover plate can be rigid or flexible. A flexible cover plate can also be provided in a flat form. In the case of a flat cover plate, the cover plate itself defines a plane, which, for the purposes of the invention, is to be understood as the "plane of the cover plate." In the case of a curved cover plate, a local plane can be defined by an (imaginary) planar tangent surface at any point on the plane, which also falls under the term "plane of the cover plate."

[0023] The plate-shaped component according to the invention, when illuminated from the outside with white light, and particularly with sunlight, presents a homogeneous color impression to the observer in at least one section; that is, the plate-shaped component is colored. Preferably, the colored section extends over the entire front surface of the plate-shaped component. Plate-shaped components with a homogeneous color impression across the entire surface are considered particularly attractive.

[0024] The color of the plate-shaped component can be described by three color coordinates L*, a*, b*, where the color coordinates refer to the (CIE)L*a*b* color space, which is known to those skilled in the art and in which all perceptible colors are precisely defined. This color space is specified in the European standard EN ISO 11664-4 "Colorimetry - Part 4: CIE 1976 L*a*b* Colour space", to which full reference is made in the present description of the invention. In the (CIE)L*a*b* color space, each color is defined by a color locus with the three Cartesian coordinates L*, a*, b*. Green and red are opposite each other on the a* axis, the b* axis runs between blue and yellow, and the L* axis describes the brightness (luminance) of the color. For a more intuitive representation, the quantities can be converted into the Lhc color space, where L remains constant and saturation is the radius and h the angle of a color point in the a*b* plane.

[0025] The color of the plate-shaped component refers to its appearance from the outside environment, i.e., as seen from the front surface of the disc or cover plate. Color measurement, or the determination of the color coordinates of the plate-shaped component, can be easily performed using a commercially available colorimeter (spectrophotometer). For this purpose, the colorimeter is directed at the front surface of the cover plate, specifically placed directly on it. Standard colorimeters enable color measurements in accordance with standards, and their design and tolerances typically conform to international standards, such as those defined by DIN 5033, ISO / CIE 10527, ISO 7724, and ASTM E1347. For example, DIN 5033 is fully referenced with regard to color measurement.A colorimeter uses a light source such as a xenon flash lamp, a tungsten halogen lamp, or one or more LEDs. The front surface of an object is illuminated with the generated (e.g., white) light, and the light received by the flat component is measured. As explained earlier, the object color measured by the colorimeter results from the reflected and remitted light of the flat component.

[0026] To ensure that the plate-shaped component according to the invention has a homogeneous color in at least one section, at least one surface (i.e., the front surface and / or back surface) of the cover plate has at least one structured area. Furthermore, at least one color-imparting color filter layer is arranged on the cover plate. The at least one color filter layer transforms the cover plate into a color-imparting cover plate. The at least one color filter layer serves to reflect light within a predetermined or predefinable wavelength range. The at least one color filter layer is preferably arranged directly (i.e., without any intermediate layer) on a surface of the cover plate.Since at least one color filter layer produces a colored reflection, it is no longer completely transparent. For darker and less saturated colors, the transmission of visible light can still be more than 85%, while for brighter and more saturated colors it is usually below 85%.

[0027] The color filter layer can be single- or multi-layered, meaning it can have one or more refractive layers. The color filter layer is used to create the color of the cover plate and thus the plate-shaped component. For example, the color filter layer can be designed to allow constructive or destructive interference of light reflected at the various interfaces of the color filter layer. In this case, the color of the plate-shaped component results from the interference of the light reflected at the interfaces of the color filter layer. As shown below, even very thin layers, which are too thin for constructive or destructive interference, can be used as color filters solely due to the refractive index discontinuities and dispersion (the dependence of the refractive index on the wavelength).Furthermore, this invention also uses materials for the color filter layers that exhibit partial absorption for a specific subrange of visible light. This selective partial absorption also contributes to the coloration. Therefore, the color-imparting layers will generally be referred to here as color filter layers.

[0028] When illuminated with (white) light, especially sunlight, the color filter layer acts as a color filter to produce a homogeneous color. Preferably, the structured area extends over the entire cover plate, i.e., over the entire surface (front and / or back surface) of the cover plate, so that the entire plate-shaped component has a homogeneous color. The plate-shaped component can also have several plate-shaped component sections, each with a homogeneous color. The colors of the plate-shaped component sections can be the same or different from each other.

[0029] The at least one structured area has a height profile perpendicular to the plane of the cover plate, with peaks (elevations) and valleys (depressions), wherein the mean height difference between the peaks and valleys is at least 2 µm and preferably, but not necessarily, a maximum of 20%, more preferably a maximum of 10%, and more preferably a maximum of 5%, of the cover plate thickness. Furthermore, at least 50%, more preferably at least 80%, and more preferably at least 90%, of the structured area of ​​the surface (front and / or back surface) consists of differently inclined segments or facets. The segments are sections of the surface of the cover plate facing the external environment and are each designed as flat surfaces inclined to the plane of the cover plate.Here, with respect to the plane of the cover plate, at least 20% of the segments have an inclination angle in the range of greater than 0° up to a maximum of 15°, and at least 30% of the segments have an inclination angle in the range of greater than 15° up to a maximum of 45°. Advantageously, but not necessarily, less than 30% of the segments have an inclination angle greater than 45°. The structures are preferably non-periodic and anisotropic. However, periodic and aniostropic structures can also be used for special optical effects.

[0030] Furthermore, the segments are each flat (planar) and have a segment area of ​​at least 1 µm². In at least one zone (i.e., sub-area) of the structured area, the segments each have an average roughness of less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, more preferably less than 5%, of the thickness of the color filter layer applied to the structured area. If the color filter layer consists of several refractive layers, the segments of the at least one zone each have an average roughness of less than 15% of the thickness of the refractive layer with the smallest thickness. The zone in which the segments each have an average roughness of less than 15% of the thickness of the color filter layer can correspond to the structured area; that is, the zone and the structured area are then identical.The structured area can be produced, for example, by etching, sandblasting or rolling the cover plate.

[0031] Accordingly, the at least one structured area of ​​the cover plate has a plurality of flat segments. In the context of the present invention, flat segments can be formed by non-curved surfaces. However, it is also possible for flat segments to be formed by slightly curved surfaces. A segment is slightly curved in the context of the present invention if, for every point of the segment, the following applies: if an (imaginary) tangent plane with an area of ​​1 µm² is constructed at a point of the segment, the distance between the surface of the segment and the tangent plane, with respect to the normal direction to the tangent plane, is less than 50 nm.

[0032] For the purposes of the present invention, the term "structuring" or "structured area" in connection with the plate-shaped component refers to an area of ​​the front surface or back surface of the cover plate in which the features described above are present in combination.

[0033] The features of the structured area advantageously ensure that, when the top plate is illuminated, light is reflected with relatively high intensity even when viewed from outside the gloss angle (where the angle of incidence of the incident light equals the angle of reflection of the reflected light relative to the plane of the colored top plate). This is due to the various inclined segments, which are present in sufficient number, appropriate size, and suitable angles to enable high intensity of the reflected light even when viewed from outside the gloss angle. There are always a sufficient number of inclined segments that, when structured on the outside, scatter enough light intensity in directions outside the gloss angle of the colored top plate through refraction, and when structured on the inside, through reflection.

[0034] As used here and subsequently, the term "glance angle" refers to the normal to the plane of the color-imparting top plate, in contrast to the "local glancing angle," which refers to the normal to the plane of a segment. The glancing angle and the local glancing angle can be the same (segment is parallel to the plane of the color-imparting first disk), but are generally different (segment is inclined to the plane of the color-imparting top plate).

[0035] As a result, the intensity of the light not reflected at the glancing angle (i.e., scattered) can be achieved to a relatively high degree. Compared to a reflective surface without such a structured area, this light exhibits only a slight angular dependence with respect to the direction of incidence and observation. Using the color filter layer, the light reflected outside the glancing angle can be color-selected, depending on the refractive index and thickness of the color filter layer. This ensures that the surface of the color-imparting cover plate has a homogeneous color with relatively low angular dependence. The color filter layer acts as a filter with the narrowest possible reflection and the broadest possible transmission.

[0036] Advantageously, the structured area has a height profile in which the mean height difference between the peaks and valleys is at least 2 µm, preferably at least 10 µm, and particularly preferably at least 15 µm. Such a structured area can be produced by etching the cover plate (e.g., made of glass). Equally advantageously, the structured area has a height profile in which the mean height difference between the peaks and valleys is at least 50 µm, preferably at least 100 µm. Such a structured area can be produced by rolling the colored cover plate (e.g., made of glass). Accordingly, the invention advantageously extends to a plate-shaped component, at least one structured area of ​​which is produced by etching or rolling the colored cover plate, thereby enabling the production of the aforementioned height profiles.

[0037] The structures can also be created by applying a transparent and structured layer to the colored top plate. This layer must have the same (or at least a very similar) refractive index as the top plate. According to the invention, structuring the surface of the colored top plate also includes applying such a transparent and structured layer.

[0038] The aforementioned properties of the structured area of ​​the color-imparting cover plate can be measured using conventional measuring instruments, such as a microscope, in particular a confocal microscope or a needle profilometer.

[0039] Preferably, the at least one structured area of ​​the (uncoated) cover plate of the plate-shaped element according to the invention ensures that, at viewing angles of 45° and 15° (each relative to the plane of the cover plate) and an angle of incidence that deviates by 45° from the respective gloss angle (in both directions), a brightness L of the reflected light of at least 10 occurs. Preferably, a brightness L of the reflected light of at least 15 occurs, and more preferably, at least 20. For this measurement, a black cover is placed on the side facing away from the side to be characterized (i.e., the back surface) of the (uncoated) cover plate. A D65 light source is used for the measurement, and the brightness L is measured with a commercially available multi-angle colorimeter (10° aperture angle). The measurement setup is described below in conjunction with Figure 26This will be explained in more detail. In this context, full reference is made to the European standard EN ISO 11664-4.

[0040] The color of the plate-shaped component is determined by the color selected by at least one color filter layer when illuminated with white light (e.g., sunlight), whereby the selected color is combined with the background color of the back element. The overall impression thus results from the selected color and the background color.

[0041] The plate-shaped component has at least one flat back element on its rear side. Preferably, the at least one flat back element is opaque or semi-transparent. The flat back element is arranged on the rear side of the plate-shaped component, i.e., behind the cover plate in the direction of the incident light.

[0042] The at least one back element contributes to the coloration of the plate-shaped component. For this purpose, the back element is, for example, achromatic, dark, and matte. It is also possible for the back element to be colored in order to give the plate-shaped component a specific (predefined or definable) color impression in combination with the at least one color-imparting color filter layer arranged on the top plate.

[0043] As previously explained, the cover plate has a front surface facing the outside environment and a back surface opposite it. When the plate-shaped component is installed in the facade, the front surface of each panel faces the outside environment. The at least one flat back element has a contact surface that is firmly connected to the back surface of the cover plate.

[0044] The at least one flat back element covers, for example, at least 70%, at least 90%, or at least 99% of the back surface of the cover plate. In particular, the flat back element covers the entire back surface of the cover plate (100%, i.e., complete coverage). However, it is also possible that the at least one flat back element covers less than 70%, in particular less than 50%, of the back surface of the cover plate.

[0045] According to a preferred embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one planar rear element is photovoltaically active, i.e., suitable and intended for generating energy from sunlight. The colored plate-shaped component can thus be advantageously used for photovoltaic energy generation.

[0046] The at least one flat back element can be either photovoltaically active or passive. If the back element is photovoltaically active and, for example, contains CIGS thin-film solar cells, these contribute to the overall color. CIGS thin-film solar cells typically have a bluish-black coloration.

[0047] Preferably, the photovoltaically active back element is a carrier substrate (disk) with series-connected solar cells applied to it, wherein the carrier substrate is preferably directly, i.e. without an intermediate disk, firmly connected to the cover plate by an intermediate layer (e.g. by lamination).

[0048] In principle, any type of solar cell is suitable, in particular silicon-based wafer-based solar cells (solar cells on a substrate in a superstrate configuration) or thin-film solar cells connected in series in a monolithic integrated form (solar cells on a substrate in a substrate or superstrate configuration). Preferably, thin-film solar cells connected in series in a monolithic integrated form are used.

[0049] Laminating the cover plate with the substrate and applied solar cells creates a (thin-film) solar module with a composite disc structure. The intermediate layer is preferably a thermoplastic or cross-linking polymer layer (e.g., PVB or EVA). Bonding is also possible using a transparent silicone or casting resin.

[0050] The photovoltaically active back element preferably comprises thin-film solar cells in a substrate configuration, in which the layer structure for manufacturing the solar cells is applied to a surface of the support substrate facing the light-entry side. In accordance with common usage, the term "thin-film solar cells" refers to a layer structure with a small thickness, for example, a few micrometers, so that a support substrate is required for sufficient mechanical strength. The support substrate can consist, for example, of inorganic glass or plastic and, depending on the respective layer thickness and the specific material properties, can be designed as a rigid plate or a flexible film. Preferably, the support substrate consists of glass.

[0051] In thin-film solar cells, the layer structure comprises, in a manner known per se, a back electrode layer, a front electrode layer, and a photovoltaically active absorber layer arranged between the back and front electrode layers. The front electrode layer is optically transparent, as light must be able to pass through to the layer structure. The optically transparent front electrode layer typically comprises or consists of a doped metal oxide (TCO = Transparent Conductive Oxide), for example, n-conducting, and in particular aluminum-doped, zinc oxide (AZO).

[0052] Preferably, the photovoltaically active absorber layer comprises or consists of a chalcopyrite semiconductor, which is advantageously a ternary I-III-VI compound semiconductor from the copper-indium / gallium disulfide / diselenide group (Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂). In the above formula, indium and gallium can be present alone or in combination. The same applies to sulfur and selenium, which can be present alone or in combination. CIS (copper indium diselenide / disulfide) or CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide, copper indium gallium disulfide, copper indium gallium disulfoselenide) are particularly suitable materials for the absorber layer. The absorber layer typically has a doping of a first conduction type (charge carrier type), and the front electrode has a doping of the opposite conduction type.As a rule, the absorber layer is p-type (p-doped), meaning it has an excess of holes, while the front electrode layer is n-type (n-doped), so that free electrons are present in excess. A buffer layer is typically placed between the absorber layer and the front electrode layer. This is particularly true for absorber layers based on Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂, where a buffer layer is generally required between a p-type Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂ absorber layer and an n-type front electrode. According to current understanding, the buffer layer enables electronic matching between the absorber and the front electrode. It also provides protection against sputtering damage in a subsequent process step, such as front electrode deposition by DC magnetron sputtering.The sequence of an n-type front electrode layer, a buffer layer, and a p-type absorber layer forms a pn heterojunction, that is, a transition between layers of opposite conductivity types. The photovoltaically active absorber layer can also consist of, for example, cadmium telleride (CdTe) or amorphous and / or microcrystalline silicon.

[0053] The layered structure consists of series-connected solar cells formed by structuring zones. At least the back electrode layer is divided into completely separate sections by first structuring lines (P1 lines), which form the back electrodes of the solar cells. Furthermore, at least the absorber layer is divided into completely separate sections by second structuring lines (P2 lines), which form the absorbers of the solar cells, and at least the front electrode layer is divided into completely separate sections by third structuring lines (P3 lines), which form the front electrodes of the solar cells.Adjacent solar cells are electrically connected to each other in series via electrically conductive material in the second structuring lines, whereby the front electrode of one solar cell is electrically connected to the back electrode of the adjacent solar cell and typically, but not necessarily, has direct contact with it. Each structuring zone comprises a direct sequence of the three structuring lines P1-P2-P3, in that order.

[0054] Thin-film modules based on amorphous and / or microcrystalline silicon and on CdTe are usually structured in a superstrate configuration. The thin-film solar cells are thus arranged on the light-entry surface of the glass. A second glass layer is typically located on the back side for climate-stable encapsulation. Even in this configuration, they can be combined in one of the embodiments shown here to form a colored, plate-shaped component, serving as a colored solar module or a colored facade element.

[0055] In accordance with common usage, the term "solar cell" in thin-film solar cells refers to a region of the layered structure comprising a front electrode, a photovoltaically active absorber, and a back electrode, bounded by two immediately adjacent structuring zones. Each solar cell has an optically active zone, which, stacked on top of each other, comprises a back electrode, an absorber, and a front electrode and is capable of the photoelectric conversion of light into electrical current.

[0056] The flat back panel is firmly connected to the top panel. The flat back panel can itself be colored, and its color influences the overall color of the flat component.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the rear element has a mechanically supporting disc. This measure enables the plate-shaped component to withstand even higher wind loads. Preferably, the mechanically supporting disc is firmly connected to the cover plate by an intermediate layer.

[0058] According to one embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the flat rear side element is photovoltaically passive, i.e., not intended or suitable for generating energy through sunlight.

[0059] The photovoltaic passive backplate element is, for example, designed as a coating, in particular an opaque coating, on the back surface of the cover plate. Likewise, the backplate element can be designed, for example, as a film firmly bonded to the back surface of the cover plate, in particular an opaque film, or as a rigid body (not a coating), in particular an opaque rigid body, for example in plate form. The rigid body can be load-bearing or non-load-bearing and, as a load-bearing body, can in particular be a support plate. The bonding of a film or body to the cover plate can be achieved by a transparent adhesive, in particular a transparent adhesive film.

[0060] In particular, the color of the photovoltaic passive flat backplate can be chosen to match the opaque background of colored solar modules; that is, the backplate can have a color that corresponds to the optically active solar cells. Preferably, the photovoltaic passive flat backplate is achromatic, dark, and matte. This allows the color appearance and its angle dependency of the plate-shaped component to be particularly well matched to the correspondingly manufactured colored modules based on thin-film modules. These properties can be described as follows: an L-value of at most 50, preferably less than 45 or less than 40; a chroma c = (a 2< +b 2< ) 1 / 2< of at most 5, preferably less than 2 or more preferably less than 1.5.

[0061] To prevent shine, the following additional requirement can be added: a reflection haze of at least 90%, where reflection haze is the proportion of diffusely reflected light to the total reflected light.

[0062] In the following, various embodiments of the color-imparting cover plate of the plate-shaped component according to the invention are described.

[0063] According to one embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "Type I" for ease of reference) of the plate-shaped component, the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate has at least one structured area on which a color-imparting (transparent or semi-transparent) color filter layer is arranged for reflecting light within a predetermined or predefinable wavelength range. The color filter layer is preferably arranged directly (i.e., without any further intermediate layer) on the front surface of the cover plate.

[0064] In the above embodiment according to Type I, it can be advantageous if the back surface of the color-imparting top plate has no structured area and no color filter layer. The back surface is then preferably smooth (within the limits of production tolerances).

[0065] In the aforementioned embodiment according to Type I, it can further be advantageous if the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate has no structured area, wherein a further color filter layer for reflecting light within a predetermined wavelength range is arranged on the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate. The back surface is preferably smooth (within the limits of production tolerances). The two color filter layers can be the same or different from each other. In particular, the two color filter layers can be designed to reflect light within the same wavelength range. However, it is also possible for the two color filter layers to reflect light within different or only partially overlapping wavelength ranges. The layer thicknesses and refractive indices of the two color filter layers can be the same or different from each other.This measure allows for even better definition of the color of the plate-shaped component. Furthermore, mixed colors can be generated.

[0066] In the aforementioned embodiment of type I, it can be further advantageous if the back surface has at least one structured area on which a color filter layer is arranged for reflecting light within a predetermined wavelength range. The structured area of ​​the back surface and the structured area of ​​the front surface can be the same or different. The layer thicknesses and refractive indices of the two color filter layers can be the same or different. This measure also allows for a more precise definition of the color of the plate-shaped component. Furthermore, mixed colors can be generated.

[0067] In the plate-shaped component of type I, a color with high intensity and low angular dependence, even outside the specular angle, is generated as soon as light strikes the structured front surface of the cover plate with interference layer through reflection, transmission, partial absorption, and interference. The additional color filter layer and / or structuring on the back surface of the cover plate can further enhance this effect.

[0068] According to a further embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "Type II" for ease of reference) of the plate-shaped component, a color-imparting (transparent or semi-transparent) color filter layer for reflecting light within a predetermined or definable wavelength range is arranged on the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate. The color filter layer is preferably arranged directly (without any intermediate layer) on the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate. Furthermore, the back surface and / or the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate each have at least one structured area, with the proviso that either the front surface has at least one structured area or a further color filter layer for reflecting light within a predetermined or definable wavelength range is arranged on the front surface.The color filter layer is preferably arranged directly (without any intermediate layer) on the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate. This means that no color filter layer is arranged on the front surface if the front surface has at least one structured area.

[0069] The incident light must therefore pass through the cover plate at least once and be reflected by the inner color filter layer to achieve the desired color with improved angular stability. Due to the internally and / or externally structured surface of the color-imparting cover plate, light is reflected with high intensity and low angular dependence even outside the specular angle, since the inner color filter layer represents an interface with a higher refractive index. With external structuring, the light is refracted at the air-glass interface and strikes the inner color filter layer diffusely from various angles. With internal structuring only, the diffuse scattering occurs at this inner interface, since, according to the invention, many surface segments with different angles of inclination are available.Furthermore, the color filter layer achieves a good, homogeneous color impression. The color filter layer thus acts as a filter with the narrowest possible reflection and broadband transmission.

[0070] In the aforementioned embodiment of type II, it can be advantageous to arrange a color filter layer on the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate, wherein the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate has no structured area and the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate has at least one structured area, and wherein no further color filter layer is arranged on the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate. The back surface is preferably smooth (within the limits of manufacturing tolerances). There is no roughness requirement for the segments of the structured area on the front surface of the plate-shaped component. The structured front surface may also exhibit a greater microscopic roughness. At this interface, only transmission, refraction, and scattering occur, but no interference.In this embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, it can be advantageous if the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate is coated with an (e.g., thin) antireflective layer whose optical refractive index is lower than that of the color-imparting cover plate. This suppresses the essentially colorless reflection from the color-imparting cover plate (e.g., glass) and increases the saturation of the colors. An additional layer on the front surface of the cover plate can also have the same refractive index as the cover plate. In this case, the layer serves only to protect the color-imparting cover plate from moisture and other corrosive components in the air. It has been shown that etched satin-finished glasses are more sensitive to moist heat than flat or rolled glasses. In the case of etched soda-lime glass, the additional layer can, for example, be a thin sputtered SiO₂ layer.

[0071] In the aforementioned embodiment of type II, it can be further advantageous to arrange a color filter layer on the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate, wherein the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate has at least one structured region and the front surface has at least one structured region, and wherein no further color filter layer is arranged on the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate. The structured region of the back surface and the structured region of the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate can be the same or different from each other. There is no roughness requirement for the segments of the structured region of the front surface. The structured front surface can also exhibit greater microscopic roughness. At this interface, only transmission, refraction, and scattering occur, but no interference.The roughness condition mentioned above applies to the segments of the structured area of ​​the back surface, since a color filter layer is arranged on the structured area. If the front surface is structured and the color filter layer is located on the back surface, the angular stability arises from the fact that the light, upon entering the structured front surface, is refracted at the differently inclined segments, strikes the color filter layer at different angles, and after interference, partial absorption, and reflection, passes through the structured front surface once more as it exits the color-imparting top plate, changing its direction again through refraction.

[0072] In the aforementioned embodiment of type II of the plate-shaped component, it can further be advantageous if a color filter layer is arranged on the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate, wherein the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate has at least one structured area and the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate does not have a structured area, and wherein no further color filter layer is arranged on the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate. The front surface is preferably smooth (within the limits of production tolerances). The above-mentioned roughness condition applies to the segments of the structured area of ​​the back surface, since a color filter layer is arranged on the structured area. In this embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, it can be advantageous if the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate is coated with a (e.g.,It is coated with a thin anti-reflective layer whose refractive index is lower than that of the cover plate. This suppresses the essentially white reflection of a glass cover plate and increases the saturation of the colors.

[0073] In the aforementioned embodiment of type II, it can be further advantageous if the back surface of the color-imparting cover plate has at least one structured area and the front surface has no structured area, with a further color filter layer arranged on the front surface of the color-imparting cover plate. The front surface is preferably smooth (within the limits of production tolerances). The roughness condition mentioned above applies to the segments of the structured area of ​​the back surface, since a color filter layer is arranged on the structured area. The two color filter layers can be the same or different from each other. In particular, the two color filter layers can be designed to reflect light within the same wavelength range.However, it is also possible that the two color filter layers are designed to reflect light within different or only partially overlapping wavelength ranges. The color filter layer on the smooth outer surface can also be a color-neutral antireflective layer to reduce the white component of the overall reflected light. The color is then generated by reflection off the structured inner surface containing the color filter layer. Alternatively, the color filter layer on the smooth outer surface can also be a color-imparting layer that intensifies the color generated on the inner surface or mixes in another color component in a different wavelength range.

[0074] The incident light must therefore pass through the color-giving top plate at least once and be reflected by the inner color filter layer in order to achieve the desired color with improved angular stability after exiting the front surface of the color-giving top plate.

[0075] In the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the structured cover plate reflects light with high intensity and low angular dependence, even outside the gloss angle. The at least one color filter layer, which imparts color, produces a very homogeneous color impression.

[0076] In an advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, at least 80%, and particularly preferably at least 90%, of a structured area of ​​the front surface or the back surface (depending on which surface is structured) of the coloring cover plate consists of segments inclined to the plane of the coloring cover plate. By increasing the number of segments, the intensity of the light reflected from the structured area of ​​the surface of the coloring cover plate, even outside the gloss angle, and its angular stability can be further increased.

[0077] In an advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the inclination angles of the (surface) segments lie between 0° and 45° to the plane of the cover plate (glass plane). At least 50%, preferably 70%, of the inclined segments should have an angle of inclination of less than 25°. The distribution of the angles of inclination should exhibit a frequency maximum in the angular range of 0° to 35°, preferably 0° to 25°, which lies in the range of 5° to 25°, preferably between 10° and 20°. Furthermore, the proportion of uninclined surfaces (angle of inclination = 0°) should be less than 5% of the total angular distribution.

[0078] In an advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the aspect ratio of width (B) to height (H) of the structures (segments) is at least B:H > 2:1 and B:H < 50:1, better B:H > 3:1 and B:H < 10:1.

[0079] In a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, at least 30% of the segments of at least one structured area have an angle of inclination in the range of greater than 0° to a maximum of 15°, at least 40% of the segments have an angle of inclination in the range of greater than 15° to a maximum of 45°, and preferably, but not necessarily, less than 10% of the segments have an angle of inclination greater than 45°. If a relatively large number of facets with a small angle of inclination of less than 10° are present, then (as with an unstructured surface) essentially only a reflected intensity occurs at an observation angle close to the glancing angle, which is not desirable according to the invention. According to the above conditions, a very high intensity of the reflected light can also be achieved outside the glancing angle, with a particularly low angular dependence of the intensity. The structures are preferably non-periodic and anisotropic.For special optical effects, periodic and / or anisotropic structures can also be used. Periodic and anisotropic structures such as pyramids, tetragonal or hexagonal honeycomb structures, or hemispheres can be readily produced using rollers in glass drawing. They can be used to create attractive gloss and color effects. If the surface structures meet the aforementioned conditions, the plate-shaped components again exhibit a significantly reduced decrease in color intensity for angles outside the gloss angles; however, the angular dependencies are then anisotropic with respect to the orientation in the plane of the cover plate.

[0080] The at least one color filter layer can contain, and in particular consist of, one or more refractive layers. A refractive layer consists of the same material (with the same composition) and, in particular, has a homogeneous (same) refractive index across its thickness. If the color filter layer contains several refractive layers, at least two of these layers consist of different materials and have different refractive indices.

[0081] The at least one color filter layer contains at least one refractive layer made of a high-refractive-index and semi-transparent material, hereinafter referred to as the "high-refractive-index layer," abbreviated "HTM." The high-refractive-index layer (HTM) consists of a material with a refractive index n greater than 2.5 in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm and an extinction coefficient of at least 0.2 below 450 nm and less than 0.2, preferably less than 0.1, above 700 nm. This particularly advantageously enables the production of colored, plate-shaped components in white or red, although other colors are also possible.

[0082] According to an advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one high-refractive-index layer has an extinction coefficient of less than 0.2, preferably less than 0.1 above 500 nm, with regard to the production of a white or red color of the plate-shaped component.

[0083] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one high-refractive index layer has a refractive index n of greater than 3.0, preferably greater than 3.5, in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm with regard to the production of a white or red color of the plate-shaped component.

[0084] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one high-refractive index layer has a layer thickness in the range of 5 nm to 300 nm, preferably in the range of 5 nm to 40 nm, with regard to the production of a white or red color of the plate-shaped component.

[0085] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one high-refractive index layer has a refractive index n of greater than 3.0, preferably greater than 3.5, in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm and a layer thickness in the range of 5 nm to 40 nm with regard to the production of a white color of the plate-shaped component.

[0086] For example, the high-refractive index layer contains at least one material selected from: crystalline or microcrystalline Si, amorphous a-Si:H (amorphous hydrogen-passivated silicon), a-SiC:H (amorphous hydrogen-passivated silicon-rich silicon carbide), a-SiO:H (amorphous hydrogen-passivated silicon-rich silicon oxide), a-SiGe:H, silicon-rich Si x N y , silicon-rich Si x N y O z (y>z), Cu 2 O and Fe 2 O 3 . The high-refractive index layer can also consist of the selected at least one material.

[0087] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one color filter layer has at least one refractive layer made of a transparent dielectric material with a refractive index of less than 2.5, hereinafter referred to as the "low refractive index layer", abbreviated "TD".

[0088] For example, the low-refractive index (TD) layer contains at least one compound selected from ZrOₓ, SiC, Si₃N₄, MgF₂, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, and silicon oxynitride. These are compounds with a relatively low refractive index. The low-refractive index layer can also consist of the selected at least one compound.

[0089] According to an advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one low-refractive-index layer has a layer thickness of greater than 10 nm and less than 250 nm.

[0090] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one color filter layer has a double layer consisting of a high refractive index layer and a low refractive index layer.

[0091] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one color filter layer has a triple layer in which a high-refractive-index layer is arranged between two low-refractive-index layers, or a low-refractive-index layer is arranged between two high-refractive-index layers.

[0092] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one color filter layer has a four-layer structure in which two high-refractive-index layers and two low-refractive-index layers are arranged in alternating sequence, wherein a high-refractive-index layer is arranged between two low-refractive-index layers and a low-refractive-index layer is arranged between two high-refractive-index layers.

[0093] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, the at least one color filter layer is designed such that an electrical resistance at a voltage of 1000 V and a measuring electrode distance of 2 cm in daylight is not less than 10 GOhm, preferably not less than 100 GOhm, and a specific dark resistance is greater than 10 10< Ωcm, preferably greater than 10 11< Ωcm.

[0094] In at least one structured area of ​​the color-imparting top plate, reflection of the incident light radiation occurs with relatively high intensity even outside the glancing angle. For this purpose, the structured area is preferably designed such that a reflection haze of more than 50%, and particularly preferably more than 90%, is present. The reflection haze can be determined using a commercially available haze meter. According to ASTM D1003, haze is the ratio of the diffuse component of the reflected light to the total reflection.

[0095] In the plate-shaped component according to the invention, at least one zone is provided in which the segments have an average roughness of less than 15% of the thickness of the color filter layer on the front surface, thereby enabling constructive or destructive interference of the reflected light. Advantageously, this zone extends over the entire color-imparting top plate. According to one embodiment, the structured area has at least one further zone, i.e., a (partial) area, in which the segments each have an average roughness such that interference at the color filter layer does not occur. For example, the segments there have an average roughness of 50% to 100% of the thickness of the color filter layer. In these zones, the plate-shaped component does not exhibit any color produced by the color filter layer.

[0096] The various embodiments of the invention can be implemented individually or in any combination. In particular, the features mentioned above and explained below can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0097] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show, in simplified, not to scale, representations of: Figs. 1-4: Various embodiments of the plate-shaped component according to the invention in schematic cross-sectional views; Figs. 5-6: Various diagrams for characterizing a front glass; Figs. 7-8: Reflection and absorption spectra of increasingly silicon-rich Si x N y layers on planar float glass; Fig. 9: A schematic cross-sectional view of the color-imparting cover plate according to an embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention; Fig. 10: A schematic representation of typical lighting conditions on a plate-shaped component according to the invention; Figs. 11-14: Schematic representations of exemplary light paths during reflection in the structured area of ​​the color-imparting cover plate. Figure 9Fig. 15 a schematic representation of the interference of light rays in a color filter layer; Figs. 16-17 further embodiments of the color-imparting cover plate of the plate-shaped component according to the invention in schematic cross-sectional views; Fig. 18 a schematic representation of exemplary light paths upon reflection at the color-imparting cover plate; Figs. 19-20 further embodiments of the color-imparting cover plate of the plate-shaped component according to the invention in schematic cross-sectional views; Fig. 21 a schematic representation of exemplary light paths upon reflection in the structured area of ​​the plate-shaped component. Figure 20 Fig. 22 shows a further embodiment of the color-imparting cover plate of the plate-shaped component according to the invention in a schematic cross-sectional view; Fig. 23 shows a schematic representation of exemplary light paths when reflected at the color-imparting cover plate of the plate-shaped component. Figure 22; Figs. 24-25 further embodiments of the color-imparting cover plate of the plate-shaped component according to the invention in schematic cross-sectional views; Fig. 26 a schematic representation of the measuring method for multi-angle color measurement.

[0098] In the Figures 1 to 4 Various configurations of a plate-shaped component, designated by the reference number 1, are schematically illustrated using cross-sectional views (sections perpendicular to the surface of the plate-shaped component). The plate-shaped component 1 serves, for example, as an element in a facade. The facade can be the outer skin of a building or the cladding of other structures such as noise barriers, privacy screens, bridges, or towers. The plate-shaped component can also be designed as a colored solar module that is mounted on roofs or ground-mounted systems.

[0099] The plate-shaped component 1 comprises a transparent, color-imparting cover plate 2 and a rear element 14, which is rigidly connected to the cover plate 2. The cover plate 2 is, for example, a glass pane and consists of a glass that preferably has low absorption, such as soda-lime glass. For coloring the plate-shaped component 1, the cover plate 2 is provided with at least one structured area and at least one color filter layer, as will be explained in detail below.

[0100] In the design of Figure 1The plate-shaped component 1 is a photovoltaically active plate-shaped component 1, suitable and intended for generating energy from sunlight. The plate-shaped component 1 is designed in the form of a solar module 20. In addition to the cover plate 2, the plate-shaped component 1 comprises, for example, a glass substrate 16 (glass pane) on which a plurality of serially connected solar cells 18 are formed. The substrate 16 is firmly bonded to the cover plate 2 by an intermediate layer 13 (e.g., by lamination). The cover plate 2 and the substrate 16 form a composite panel 15. The intermediate layer 13 is preferably a thermoplastic or cross-linked polymer interlayer (e.g., PVB or EVA).Preferably the solar cells 18 are thin-film solar cells in which the photovoltaically active absorber layer consists of a chalcopyrite semiconductor, in particular of a ternary I-III-VI compound semiconductor from the group copper-indium / gallium disulfide / diselenide (Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) 2 ).

[0101] The plate-shaped component 1 has a front side V, which is to be viewed from the outside environment (side of the incident light), and a back side R. For the purposes of the present invention, the outside environment is considered to be the area U surrounding the front side V of the plate-shaped component 1 (in the Figures 1 to 4 (each the surrounding area located above the plate-shaped component 1).

[0102] The colored cover plate 2 comprises a front surface 4 facing the external environment U and, opposite it, a rear surface 5 facing away from the external environment U. For the purposes of the present invention, surfaces are referred to as "front surfaces" if they face the external environment U. Correspondingly, surfaces are referred to as "rear surfaces" if they face away from the external environment U.

[0103] In Figure 2An embodiment is shown in which the plate-shaped component 1 is a photovoltaically passive plate-shaped component 1. Here, the cover plate 2 is rigidly connected to an opaque back element 14. The back element 14 is, for example, designed as a full-surface coating of the back surface 5 of the cover plate 2. Likewise, the back element 2 can be designed, for example, as a film, in particular an opaque film, rigidly connected to the back surface 5 of the cover plate 2, or as a rigid body, in particular an opaque rigid body, for example in plate form.

[0104] In Figure 3An embodiment is shown in which the plate-shaped component 1 is a photovoltaically active plate-shaped component 1. The plate-shaped component 1 comprises a cover plate 2 and a mechanically supporting disc 3, which are firmly bonded together by an intermediate layer 13 (e.g., by lamination). The cover plate 2 and the mechanically supporting disc 3 are, for example, glass panes and consist of a glass that preferably has low absorption, such as soda-lime glass. This forms a laminated disc 15. Depending on the structural requirements, the two discs 2, 3 preferably consist of refined glass, such as thermally tempered glass, so-called tempered safety glass (ESG), or partially tempered glass (TVG).

[0105] The mechanically supporting disc 3 serves to mechanically support (i.e. reinforce) the color-giving cover plate 2 and contributes significantly to the mechanical stability of the plate-shaped component 1, so that it can withstand even larger wind loads.

[0106] In the Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the color-imparting cover plate 2 is thinner than the mechanically supporting disc 3. For example, the cover plate has a thickness in the range of 2–4 mm. The mechanically supporting disc 3 is thicker than the cover plate 2 and has, for example, a thickness of more than 4 mm.

[0107] The mechanically supporting disk 3 has a front surface 4' and a back surface 5'. The back surface 5' is directly bonded to a support substrate 16, i.e., without an intermediate disk, by means of a further intermediate layer 13' (e.g., by lamination). The mechanically supporting disk 3 and the support substrate 16 thus form a further composite disk 15'. This results in a composite disk structure in which three disks are bonded together by lamination. The further intermediate layer 13' is preferably a thermoplastic or cross-linking polymer interlayer (e.g., PVB or EVA).

[0108] In Figure 4 is one variant of Figure 3 shown which differ from the design of Figure 3The mechanically supporting disk 3 differs in that it is thinner than the cover plate 2. Furthermore, the mechanically supporting disk 3 is smaller than the cover plate 2 and its dimensions correspond to those of the substrate 16. Here, the mechanically supporting disk 3 is designed as a cover plate for the substrate 16 with solar cells 18. During the production of the plate-shaped component 1, a solar module 20, comprising the mechanically supporting disk 3 as a cover plate and the substrate 16 with solar cells 18, can be laminated to the cover plate 2. This can be advantageous from a process engineering perspective, as the solar module 20 can be prefabricated. The back element 14 then corresponds to the complete solar module 20. The size of the solar module 20 in the plane of the substrate 16 is smaller than that of the cover plate 2, thus providing good protection for the solar module 20 against external influences.It would also be possible to design the cover plate 2 as the front glass of the solar module 20 (with a correspondingly similar size to the carrier substrate 16), and then to firmly connect the solar module 20 to the mechanically supporting second pane 3 arranged on the front.

[0109] In the designs of the Figures 3 and 4 A masking layer 19 is located behind the last color filter layer (see below), i.e., behind the color-imparting top plate 2. Figures 3 and 4 The masking layer 19 is applied to the back surface 5 of the cover plate 2. The masking layer 19 only partially covers the back surface 5, concealing the photovoltaically inactive areas. The photovoltaically active areas of the solar cells 18 are not covered. This improves the external appearance of the plate-shaped component 1.

[0110] Depending on the design of the plate-shaped component 1, the front surface 4 and / or the back surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 is structured (e.g. by etching, sandblasting or rolling during the drawing process) and has at least one color filter layer, which is shown in the Figures 1 to 4 This is not shown. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0111] In Figure 9 Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention, showing only the colored cover plate 2 with an exemplary structure. The plate-shaped component 1 can be, in particular, as shown in the following figures: Figures 1 to 4The front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 is structured in a region 8, which in this example extends over the entire front surface 4, i.e., the front surface 4 and the structured region 8 are identical. A color filter layer 9 is arranged directly on the front surface 4. In the structured region 8, the front surface 4 has a height profile with peaks and valleys. More than 50% of the front surface 4 consists of planar segments 10, the planes of which are each inclined to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2, i.e., they have a non-zero angle to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2. The segments 10 each have a segment area of ​​at least 1 µm² and an average roughness of less than 15% of the layer thickness d of the color filter layer 9.A mean vertical sublayer between the highest points (peaks) and lowest points (valleys) of the front surface 4 is at least 2 µm and, for example, a maximum of 20% of the thickness of the coloring top plate 2. With respect to the plane of the coloring top plate 2, at least 20% of the segments have an angle of inclination in the range of greater than 0° to a maximum of 15°, at least 30% of the segments have an angle of inclination in the range of greater than 15° to a maximum of 45°, and less than 30% of the segments 10 have an angle of inclination greater than 45°. In the embodiment of . Figure 9 All segments have a maximum tilt angle of 45°.

[0112] The following section describes in more detail the functionality of the structuring of the front surface 4 of the color-imparting top plate 2. First, let us consider... Figure 10Considered, in which typical lighting conditions for a plate-shaped component 1 are illustrated as an example. Accordingly, light from the sun S strikes the colored cover plate 2 directly and is reflected at the glancing angle. The incident light ray E and the light ray R reflected at the glancing angle are shown. In addition to the reflected light ray R, the incident light is also diffusely scattered outside the glancing angle. Two diffusely scattered light rays R' are shown as examples. The color effect arises from reflection, scattering, and interference. If an observer B stands in front of the plate-shaped component 1 (for example, a facade) and looks perpendicularly at the colored cover plate 2 in front of him, his eye only very rarely encounters the directly reflected light R (i.e., the observer is usually not at the glancing angle). This is in Figure 10This illustrates where the observer B is located outside the glare angle and sees only the diffusely scattered light ray R'. On a smooth surface without a structured area 8, the intensity of the diffusely scattered light R' is relatively low and exhibits a strong angular dependence. Only when the diffusely scattered component is sufficiently large is there a distinct color with satisfactory intensity (brightness, L-value).

[0113] The basic principle of the operation of the inclined segments 10 of the structured area 8 is in Figure 11This illustrates, by way of example, the different light paths for an observer B looking perpendicularly at the glass surface or front surface 4 of the plate-shaped component 1. Shown are three segments 10 with different inclinations to the schematically illustrated plane GE of the colored cover plate 2, as well as the light rays E incident on the segments 10, which are reflected by the segments 10 at the local glancing angle to the observer B (reflected light rays R). The middle segment 10 is arranged parallel to the plane GE, with the incident light ray E striking the segment 10 perpendicularly and being reflected perpendicular to the observer B (reflected ray R). For the middle segment 10, the glancing angle and the local glancing angle are identical.In the two adjacent segments 10, the incident light rays E each have a non-zero angle to the surface normal on the plane GE and also strike the observer B at the local glancing angle. Due to the different inclinations of the segments 10, light from different directions is reflected at the local glancing angle of the segments 10 to the observer B, who is looking perpendicularly at the module surface. In the embodiment of . Figure 11 The angles of incidence and reflection are a maximum of 45°.

[0114] In Figure 12 Figure 1 shows a situation where observer B is looking at the plane GE of the color-imparting cover plate 2 at an angle of 45° to the surface normal. As shown in Figure 2 Figure 11Three segments 10 with different inclinations to the plane GE of the color-imparting cover plate 2 are shown as examples, as well as the light rays E incident on each of the segments 10, which are reflected by the segments 10 at the local glancing angle to the observer B (reflected light rays R). Due to the different inclinations of the segments 10, light from different directions is reflected at the local glancing angle to the observer B looking at the module surface. In the embodiment of Figure 12 The angles of incidence and reflection are a maximum of 67.5°. Generally, at relatively large values ​​of the specular angle, the reflected light is blueshifted. This blueshift can be reduced by a higher refractive index of the color filter layer. At relatively steep surface inclinations, multiple reflections can also occur at adjacent facets.

[0115] In Figure 13A situation is shown in which the light source and, consequently, the incident light rays are always inclined at an angle of 45° to the plane GE of the color-giving cover plate 2. The observer B views the surface of the plate-shaped component 1 from different angles. The angle specifications in Figure 13 The angles are to be understood as follows: angle of incidence (relative to plane GE of the color-imparting top plate 2) / angle of observation or reflection (deviation from the specular angle relative to the surface normal on plane GE). The degree symbol "°" is not shown. Figure 13Four segments 10 with different inclinations to the plane GE are shown as examples. Only in one segment 10, whose plane is parallel to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2, is the observer B located at the gloss angle with respect to the plane GE: 45 / 0. This means that the incident light ray has an angle of 45° to the plane GE, and the reflected light ray has an angular deviation of zero from the gloss angle. In the other segments 10, the observer B is located outside the gloss angle. In the two leftmost segments 10 (45 / 90, 45 / 45), the observer views the surface of the plate-shaped component 1 at an angle of 90° and 45°, respectively, to the gloss angle, with the light incident at an angle of 45° to the plane GE. In the rightmost segment 17 (45 / -15), the observer is located at an angle of -15° to the gloss angle.Due to the differently inclined segments 10 and the resulting reflection in the local gloss angle, light with sufficient intensity is reflected to the observer B even if the observer is not located in the gloss angle, with respect to the plane GE of the color-giving cover plate 10.

[0116] In Figure 14 A situation is shown in which the observer B always observes the surface of the plate-shaped component 1 at an angle of 45° to the module surface or plane GE of the color-giving cover plate 2. Figure 14Four segments 10 with different inclinations to the plane GE are shown as examples. Only in one segment 10, whose plane is parallel to the plane GE, is the observer B located at the glancing angle: 45° / 0°. In the other segments 10, the observer B is located outside the glancing angle. In the two leftmost segments 10 (45° / 90°, 45° / 45°), the observer B views the surface of the plate-shaped component 1 at an angle of 45°, with the light incident at a deviation of 90° and 45°, respectively, relative to the glancing angle. In the rightmost segment 10 (45° / -15°), the light incidents at an angle of -15° to the glancing angle. Due to the differently inclined segments 10 and the resulting reflection at the local glancing angle, light is reflected to the observer B with sufficient intensity even when light incidents outside the glancing angle.

[0117] In the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention, a homogeneous color impression in a predefinable wavelength range can be achieved by structuring the front surface 4 of the color-giving cover plate 2 in combination with the color-giving color filter layer 9, whereby the color impression is far less angle-dependent compared to an unstructured surface.

[0118] In Figure 15The reflection at the color filter layer 9 with thickness d is illustrated. The incident light ray E is reflected at both the atmosphere-color filter layer interface (R1) and the color filter layer-disc interface (R2). If the path difference of the two light rays R1, R2 corresponds to a multiple of the wavelength of the incident light ray, constructive interference occurs; if the path difference is a multiple of half the wavelength, destructive interference occurs. When illuminated with white light, the color filter layer 9 thus acts as a color filter, since constructive interference, depending on the refractive index n and layer thickness d, only occurs for light of suitable wavelengths. Here, α is the angle of the reflected rays R1, R2 to the surface normal.The light rays R' illustrate, by way of example, the reflected light outside the glancing angle, which can occur in the structured region 15 if the roughness of the interface between the color filter layer and the disk is too great. To fulfill the interference condition, it is necessary that the scattering centers are each smaller than the wavelength and layer thickness. This can be achieved by the minimum area of ​​the segments claimed according to the invention and their maximum roughness. However, coloration is also possible if the layer thickness is significantly smaller than the wavelength, for example, by the dispersion of the refractive index (dependence of the refractive index on the wavelength) and by partial absorption of the high-refractive-index materials used according to the invention in a part of the visible spectrum. The roughness conditions should also be met for these very thin layers.

[0119] If the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 is coated with a color filter layer 9, consisting of an inorganic, chemically inert, and hard layer such as Si3N4, the plate-shaped component 1 exhibits high scratch resistance, chemical resistance, and dirt repellency. The use of photocatalytic layers such as TiO2 can also result in a self-cleaning effect. Climate tests have also shown that color filter layers made of materials such as Si3N4 or TiO2 prevent corrosion of a glass cover plate 2 caused by moist heat.

[0120] Reference will now be made to Figure 16 Figure 1 illustrates a further embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention, again showing only the color-imparting cover plate 2. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences to the other embodiment are shown. Figure 9described and otherwise reference is made to the above explanations. In this embodiment, the structured area 8 of the front surface 4 has first zones 11 and second zones 12. Here, the first zones 11 are designed such that the segments 10 have a mean roughness that is less than 15% of the layer thickness d of the color filter layer 9 on the front surface 4. In the embodiment of Figure 9This applies to the entire structured area 8. In contrast, the average roughness in the second zones 12 is so high that interference in the color filter layer 9 is prevented. For example, the average roughness of the segments 10 in the second zones 12 is more than 50% of the thickness of the color filter layer 9. The plate-shaped component 1 therefore has a homogeneous color in the first zones 11, which results from the color filtering effect of the color filter layer 9. In the second zones 12, the color filter layer 9 has no color filtering effect due to the lack of constructive interference, and thus the surface essentially corresponds to the plate-shaped component without the color filter layer 9. The plate-shaped component 1 can therefore be optionally provided with a homogeneous color in the definable first zones 11. Figure 16 The second zones 12 are schematically illustrated by a greater roughness.

[0121] In Figure 17 Figure 1 illustrates a further embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention, showing only the colored cover plate 2. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences compared to the embodiment of [the other embodiment] are shown. Figure 9described above, and otherwise reference is made to the above explanations. Accordingly, the plate-shaped component 1 has a first color filter layer 9 on the structured area 8 of the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2, and a second color filter layer 9' on the back surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2. The back surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 is not structured, i.e., it does not have a structured area 8 analogous to the front surface 4. The back surface 5 is smooth within the limits of production tolerances. The second color filter layer 9' has a layer thickness d' and an optical refractive index n', which may be the same as those of the first color filter layer 9, but do not necessarily have to be. The color effect is further enhanced by the second color filter layer 9'. Regarding the design of Figure 9This creates a second reflection source with a color filter effect, since the refractive index of the second color filter layer 9' between the color-imparting cover plate 2 (e.g., glass) and the adhesive layer 6 is greater than that of the color-imparting first plate 2 (e.g., glass) and the adhesive layer 6. Due to the refraction of light, the angle of incidence at the second reflection is smaller. Since the light passes through a color filter layer a total of three times, the light reaching the observer is more strongly filtered. In particular, the layer thicknesses d, d' and the refractive indices n, n' of the two color filter layers 9, 9' can also be significantly different from each other. With coatings having significantly different optical thicknesses n*d and n*d, respectively, the refractive index of the second color filter layer 9 is also significantly different.Mixed colors can be generated because the first color filter layer 9 then produces a different reflection spectrum than the second color filter layer 9', and the light reflected by the second color filter layer 9' overlaps when it passes through the first color filter layer 9 again. In this way, colored, plate-shaped components 1 with a variety of colors and high angular stability can be produced very simply and cost-effectively for colored solar modules and colored active and passive facade elements.

[0122] In Figure 18 The path of the incident light E and reflected light R1, R2 is greatly simplified and illustrated. Figure 18The structure of the color-imparting cover plate 2 is not shown. Only a single beam path is depicted, here in the gloss angle relative to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2. It can be seen that the light, which has passed through the first color filter layer 9, is refracted in the color-imparting cover plate 9 (e.g., glass), is reflected a second time at the second color filter layer 9', and is thereby filtered by interference. Upon exiting the color-imparting cover plate 2, it passes through the color filter layer 9, so that the color filter layers are passed through three times.

[0123] In Figure 19A further embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention is illustrated, showing only the color-imparting cover plate 2. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences are described, and reference is made to the above explanations. Accordingly, the plate-shaped component 1 has a first structured area 8 on the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 and a second structured area 8' on the rear surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2, wherein a first color filter layer 9 is arranged on the first structured area 8 and a second color filter layer 9' is arranged on the second structured area 8'. The two structured areas 8, 8' can be identical or different.Similarly, the two color filter layers 9, 9' can be identical or different, with the layer thicknesses d, d' and the refractive indices n, n' of the two color filter layers 9, 9' being particularly different. If the same optical thickness n*d is chosen for the two color filter layers 9, 9', the color of the plate-shaped component 1 can be intensified. When coated with significantly different optical thicknesses, mixed colors can be generated.

[0124] These designs share the common feature that, upon light striking the structured front surface with its color filter layer, reflection and interference create a color with high intensity and low angular dependence, even outside the specular angle. Additional color filter layers and / or textures on the back surface can further enhance this effect.

[0125] In Figure 20A further embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention is illustrated by means of an enlarged section of the color-imparting cover plate 2 of the plate-shaped component 1. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences are described, and otherwise reference is made to the above explanations. Accordingly, the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 is structured in a region 8, which in the present example extends over the entire front surface 4, i.e., the front surface 4 and the structured region 8 are identical. A color filter layer 9 is arranged directly on the back surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2. The back surface 5 has no structure and is smooth within the limits of production tolerances. There is no color filter layer on the front surface 4. For the segments 10 of the structured region 8 of the front surface 4 of the plate-shaped component 1 of Figure 20There is no requirement for roughness.

[0126] Based on Figure 21 The function of the structured front surface 4 in combination with the inner color filter layer 9 is determined according to the design of Figure 20 This is explained in more detail below. The figure shows examples of different light paths for differently inclined segments 10 of the color-imparting cover plate 2. Three segments 10 are shown as examples, where the rightmost segment 10 is parallel to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2, and the other two segments 10 have a non-zero angle to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2. The reflection of the light rays at the color filter layer 9 is shown in a simplified manner. The reflection at the color filter layer 9 has already been explained. Figure 21The light paths for three light rays are shown, each striking the differently inclined segments 10 of the front surface 4 of the coloring cover plate 2 at the same angle to the normal of the plane of the coloring cover plate 2. The respective perpendicular to the segments 10 is shown as a dashed line.

[0127] Due to the differently inclined segments 10, the light rays are reflected in different ways. A first light ray 1-1 strikes a segment 10, crosses the color-imparting cover plate 2 as a refracted light ray 1-2, is reflected as a light ray 1-3 by the color filter layer 9 (at the glancing angle), and exits the color-imparting cover plate 2 towards the surroundings as a refracted light ray 1-4. The light ray 1-4 ultimately reflected from the color-imparting cover plate 2 has a different angle to the normal to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2 than the incident light ray 1-1, so that there is no reflection at the glancing angle but rather scattering.Similarly, a second light ray 2-1 strikes another segment 10, crosses the color-imparting cover plate 2 as a refracted light ray 2-2, is reflected by the color filter layer 9 as a light ray 2-3, and exits the color-imparting cover plate 2 towards the surrounding environment as a refracted light ray 2-4. The reflected light ray 2-4 exits the color-imparting cover plate 2 in approximately the opposite direction to the incident light ray 2-1, which is also a scattering process and not a reflection at the specular angle. A third light ray 3-1 strikes another segment 10, crosses the color-imparting cover plate 2 as a refracted light ray 3-2, is reflected by the color filter layer 9 as a light ray 3-3, and exits the color-imparting cover plate 2 towards the surrounding environment as a refracted light ray 3-4. This segment 10 lies parallel to the plane of the color-giving top plate 2, so that the light ray 2-4 is reflected at the gloss angle.The essential point here is that, due to the refraction at the respective segment 10 and subsequent reflection at the interface with the color filter layer 9, as well as further refraction at the structured surface, a strong reflection occurs even outside the gloss angle (relative to the plane of the color filter layer 2) due to those segments 10 which are inclined to the plane of the color filter layer 2, so that in combination with the color filter layer 9 a homogeneous color effect of the reflected light is achieved. Figure 21The position of a viewer B, located outside the specular angle, is shown as an example. Due to the relatively strongly (diffusely) scattering color-giving cover plate 2 with its external structure and internal color filter layer, suitable light paths that have passed through the color filter layer are usually found for various viewing angles outside the specular angle. This results in a color impression that is far less direction-dependent than with conventional modules without a structured area 8.

[0128] Reference will now be made to Figure 22Figure 1 illustrates a further embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention, showing only the color-imparting cover plate 2. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences are described, and reference is made to the above explanations. Accordingly, the plate-shaped component 1 has a structured area 8 on the rear surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2, with a color filter layer 9 arranged on the structured area 8. The color filter layer 9 is thin and follows the surface of the structured area 8. The structured area 8 and the color filter layer 9 can each be designed analogously to the previous embodiments. The front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 does not have a structured area 8 and is smooth within the limits of production tolerances. Furthermore, no color filter layer is arranged on the front surface 4.In contrast to the segments 10 of the structured area 8 of the front surface 4, the color filter layer 9 is located on the structured area 8 of the back surface 5, so that the segments 10 must meet the condition that the segments 10 of the structured area 8 of the back surface 5 are each flat, have a segment area of ​​at least 1 µm 2< and have a mean roughness of less than 15% of a layer thickness of the color filter layer 9 on the back surface 5.

[0129] In Figure 23Three different light paths are shown as examples. The reflection of the light rays at the color filter layer 9 is again simplified. Due to the differently inclined segments 10, the light rays are reflected differently from the color-imparting cover plate 2. A first light ray 1-1 strikes the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2, crosses the color-imparting cover plate 2 as a refracted light ray 1-2, is reflected as a light ray 1-3 by a segment 10 inclined to the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2, and exits the color-imparting cover plate 2 towards the outside environment as a refracted light ray 1-4.Similarly, a second light ray 2-1 strikes the front surface 4 of the coloring cover plate 2, crosses the coloring cover plate 2 as a refracted light ray 2-2, is reflected as a light ray 2-3 by a segment 10 parallel to the plane of the coloring cover plate 2, and exits the coloring cover plate 2 towards the surroundings as a refracted light ray 2-4. Similarly, a third light ray 3-1 strikes the front surface 4 of the coloring cover plate 2, crosses the coloring cover plate 2 as a refracted light ray 3-2, is reflected as a light ray 3-3 by a segment 10 inclined to the plane of the coloring cover plate 2, and exits the coloring cover plate 2 towards the surroundings as a refracted light ray 3-4. Only for the middle segment 10 is the condition angle of incidence = angle of reflection, i.e. reflection at the specular angle, fulfilled for the incident light ray 2-1 and the reflected light ray 2-4.The other light rays are reflected by segments 10 at local specular angles, which, however, do not correspond to the specular angle of the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2, resulting in relatively strong scattering. In conjunction with the color filter layer 9, a homogeneous color effect with little dependence on direction can be achieved for the plate-shaped component 1.

[0130] In Figure 24Figure 1 illustrates a further embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention, showing only the color-imparting cover plate 2. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences are described, and reference is made to the above explanations. Accordingly, the plate-shaped component 1 has, in addition to the color filter layer 9 on the structured area 8 of the back surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2, a further color filter layer 9' directly on the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2. The front surface 4 is not structured, i.e., it does not have a structured area 8 analogous to the back surface 5. Rather, the front surface 4 is smooth within the limits of manufacturing tolerances. The two color filter layers 9 and 9' can have the same or different optical refractive indices and the same or different layer thicknesses.If the same optical thickness n*d is chosen for the two color filter layers 9, 9', the color of the plate-shaped component 1 can be intensified, since the light reaching the observer passes through a color filter layer a total of three times and is therefore more strongly filtered. With coatings of significantly different optical thicknesses, mixed colors can be generated.

[0131] If the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 is coated with a color filter layer 9' consisting of an inorganic, chemically inert and hard layer such as Si 3 N 4, the plate-shaped component 1 will have high scratch resistance, chemical resistance and dirt-repellent properties. Furthermore, the use of photocatalytic layers such as TiO 2 can result in a self-cleaning effect.

[0132] Such an additional layer arranged on the front surface 4 can also be a thin antireflective layer which has an optical refractive index that is smaller than that of the color-imparting top plate 2. This suppresses the essentially white reflection of the color-imparting top plate 2 (e.g. glass) and increases the saturation of the colors.

[0133] In Figure 25Figure 1 illustrates a further embodiment of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention, showing only the color-imparting cover plate 2. To avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences are described, and reference is made to the above explanations. Accordingly, the rear surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 of the plate-shaped component 1 has a structured area 8 on which a color filter layer 9 is arranged. Furthermore, the front surface 4 of the color-imparting cover plate 2 also has a structured area 8'. No color filter layer is arranged on the front surface 4. The two structured areas 8, 8' can be the same or different from each other. In the exemplary embodiment of Figure 25All segments 10 have a maximum inclination angle of 45°. In contrast to the segments 10 of the structured area 8 of the rear surface 5, there is no such thing for the segments 10' of the structured area 8' of the front surface 4 of the plate-shaped component 1. Figure 25 not a condition for roughness.

[0134] Such an additional layer arranged on the front surface 4 can also be a thin, color-neutral antireflective layer with an optical refractive index lower than that of the color-imparting top layer 2. This suppresses the essentially white reflection of the color-imparting top layer 2 (e.g., glass) and increases the color saturation. However, an additional layer arranged on the front surface 4 can also have the same optical refractive index as the color-imparting top layer 2. In this case, the layer serves only to protect the color-imparting top layer 2 from moisture and other corrosive components in the air. It has been shown that etched satin-finished glasses are more sensitive to moist heat than flat or rolled glasses. In the case of etched soda-lime glass, the additional layer can, for example, be a thin sputtered SiO₂ layer.

[0135] In these designs, the light must pass through the color-giving top plate at least once and must be reflected by the inner color filter layer in order to achieve the desired color with improved angular stability after exiting the front surface.

[0136] In principle, the plate-shaped component 1 can be mounted to a facade using any suitable fastening technique, such as back rails, drilled point fixings, clamping strips, etc. In ventilated curtain wall facades, suspension systems are frequently used, where the connection is achieved through a positive locking mechanism.

[0137] In Figure 26The measuring setup for determining the diffuse scattering of the plate-shaped component 1 according to the invention is illustrated with a commercially available multi-angle colorimeter 17 (multi-angle color measurement). The structured area 8, not shown in detail, extends over the entire color-imparting cover plate 2 (e.g., glass). A light beam is directed onto the front surface 4 of the plate-shaped component 1 to be characterized at various angles of incidence, and the scattered or reflected light is spectrally measured from different viewing angles, for example, 15° or 45° to the surface normal of the plane of the color-imparting cover plate 2. Beneath the color-imparting cover plate 2 is an opaque back element 14, which here is designed, for example, as a black, non-glossy layer (e.g., bonded with a liquid having a refractive index of approximately 1.5).The multi-angle colorimeter 17 can be used to determine the brightness in the Lab system under D65 standard illumination and a 10° aperture angle. It has been shown that good angular stability (i.e., low angular dependence of the scattered light) is achieved when, at both 45° and 15° viewing angles and at an angle of incidence of 45°, measured from the glancing angle, a brightness of at least L = 10, preferably L = 15, and even better L = 20, is still present. Due to the at least one structured area 8 of the front surface 4 and / or rear surface 5 of the color-imparting cover plate 2, a brightness of at least L = 10 can be achieved at both 45° and 15° viewing angles and at an angle of incidence of 45°, measured from the glancing angle (in both directions). The degree values ​​are to be understood as follows: reflection angle (relative to the surface normal) / incidence angle (relative to the glancing angle).For example, at an observation angle of 45° (measured relative to the surface normal) and an angle of incidence of 45° (measured from the glancing angle), the incident steel is exactly perpendicular to the surface (45 / 45). At an observation angle of 15° and an angle of incidence of 45°, the direction of incidence is 30° from the surface normal, on the same side as the observation direction (15 / 45). The multi-angle colorimeter 20 is positioned relative to the surface normal at an observation angle of 45° or 15°.

[0138] Figure 5Figure 1 shows the height profile (angle distribution) from a confocal microscopy measurement of a lightly structured glass plate (Type A), a more heavily structured plate (specially etched glass, Type B), and another suitably structured glass plate (Type C). While the structures on the lightly structured plate (Type A) are very large and have inclination angles of only 5–10°, the structure of the etched plate (Type B) is in the range of 80–100 µm (peak-to-peak distance in the glass plane) with mean angles of approximately 17°. Measured with a profilometer, mean structure depths of 14 µm (peak-to-valley height) are obtained. As shown in Figure 2, the structure of the etched plate (Type B) is approximately 100 µm (peak-to-valley height). Figure 5It is noticeable that the slightly textured glass (Type A) exhibits only low reflection intensity (measured as L-value) at angles greater than 20-30° from the specular angle. With the structured glass Type B, significant brightness is still visible at 45° as 45° or 15° as 45°. Measuring height profiles on the Type B glass reveals characteristic structural properties: the aspect ratio of width (B) to height (H) of the structures ranges from B:H > 3:1 to B:H < 10:1; structures with an inclination angle of 45° would have an aspect ratio of 2:1. Another suitable structured glass (Type C) has a similar distribution of surface segment angles and also good angular stability of L as measured in a multi-angle colorimeter. However, the structure sizes are considerably smaller: the peak-to-peak distance is 30 µm and the peak-to-valley height is 4 µm. This results in a similar mean inclination angle of 16° as with Type B.Crucial for the angular distribution of brightness is the very similar distribution of the tilt angles, not the absolute feature size, at least over a very wide size range from a few micrometers to a few hundred micrometers. Other distributions with average tilt angles of 20°–30° can also be advantageous. At excessively steep tilt angles, the probability of multiple reflections increases significantly.

[0139] Figure 6Figure 1 is a diagram showing the brightness of uncoated textured glass, measured with a multi-angle colorimeter (X-Rite MA-T12). A double-sided blackened frosted glass was optically bonded to the back of the front glass using a thin layer of glycerin (refractive index n = 1.47), so that essentially the reflection of the textured surface was measured. The textured front glass suitable according to the invention (e.g., type B or C, haze 92%–94%) shows a significantly higher intensity of diffusely reflected light overall than a slightly textured solar glass (type A, rolled glass, haze = 2%) or an untextured float glass (haze <0.5%). The flat float glass only reflects at the glancing angle, which is not measured by this method. Particularly at angles far from the glancing angle, a significant brightness is still discernible in the textured glass according to the invention.This effect can be used to advantage when combined with a color filter layer.

[0140] In one embodiment of the plate-shaped component according to the invention, there is at least one structured outer surface and at least one color filter layer on the outer surface. Since at least one color filter layer is applied to a diffusely scattering glass element, microscopic surface elements are found for different viewing angles, the inclination of which satisfies the reflection condition angle of incidence = angle of reflection. This results in an average color impression that is less dependent on the direction. According to a further embodiment, there is at least one color filter layer on the inner surface and at least one structured surface (outer or inner), or both surfaces are structured.Due to the diffuse effect of at least one structured layer, there are many different light paths that lead to reflection at the inner color filter layer and exit in various directions, resulting in significantly greater angular stability of brightness than with glass that is smooth on both sides. In these cases, the light must pass through the glass and back out at least once to produce the desired color effect at different angles, even beyond the angle of gloss.

[0141] When the structured side and at least one color filter layer are located on the outside, the diffuse effect of the at least one structured surface creates many different light paths, leading to reflection in various directions at the outer color filter layer. This results in significantly greater angular stability of brightness than with glass that is smooth on both sides. The structure must, in any case, have facets and structure sizes with dimensions larger than the wavelength of visible light. To generate interference in the color filter layer for an incident wavefront, the surface segments must be sufficiently flat, e.g., exhibiting a roughness of less than 15% or less than 10% of the thickness of the color filter layer.To enable constructive or destructive interference even at oblique incidence on a layer with a maximum thickness of several hundred nanometers, the surface segments must have a minimum size: a size of 1 µm edge length or diameter is required, otherwise the wave packet reflected directly at the upper interface cannot interfere with the wave packet reflected at the lower interface and exiting laterally. With increasing angle of incidence and increasing layer thickness, the exit point of the beam reflected at the lower interface is increasingly shifted laterally on the segment. Suitable glasses can be produced, for example, by etching, with structures ranging in size from a few micrometers to several tens of micrometers. However, the structure sizes can also be in the submillimeter range, as is the case with rolled glasses.The structures should have as many different surface inclinations as possible, with a wide distribution of the angles of inclination. The structures can also be produced by laser or by applying and structuring a transparent top layer using printing techniques or similar methods.

[0142] The at least one color filter layer 9, 9' of the plate-shaped component 1 contains at least one high-refractive index layer made of a material with a refractive index n greater than 2.5 in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm and an extinction coefficient of at least 0.2 below 450 nm and less than 0.2, preferably less than 0.1, above 700 nm. Optionally, the at least one color filter layer 9, 9' can have at least one refractive layer made of a transparent dielectric material with a refractive index of less than 2.5.As already explained at the outset, it can be advantageous if the at least one color filter layer 9, 9' has a double layer consisting of a high-refractive-index layer (HTM) and a low-refractive-index layer (TD), a triple layer in which a high-refractive-index layer (HTM) is arranged between two low-refractive-index layers (TD), or a low-refractive-index layer (TD) is arranged between two high-refractive-index layers (HTM), or a quadruple layer in which two high-refractive-index layers (HTM) and two low-refractive-index layers (TD) are arranged in alternating sequence, wherein a high-refractive-index layer (HTM) is arranged between two low-refractive-index layers (TDS) and a low-refractive-index layer (TD) is arranged between two high-refractive-index layers (HTM).

[0143] When using non-absorbing materials such as Si₃N₄, SiO₂, SiON₄, ZrO₂, or TiO₂ (typical dielectrics) for the color filter layer, the selection of available refractive indices is limited to values ​​below n=3 in the visible spectrum (380 nm–780 nm). Simulations (transfer matrix method) show that an achromatic reflection (chromaticity c < 3) with a luminance of L=55 can be achieved with a thin Si₃N₄ layer (e.g., 50–70 nm) on glass. With ZrO₂, L=60 is achieved, and with TiO₂, L=70 is possible (see also Table 1 below). Table 1 (Layer packages for white tones) Shift package L a b C ΔE20°-50° jscloss R G B 60nm Si3N4 / Glass 55 -2,2 -2,3 3,2 1,4 -14,9 125 133 135 50nm TiOx / glass 69 -2,8 -1,7 3,3 1,3 -29,1 162 170 172 24 nm a-Si / glass 85 -3,1 1,1 3,3 1,3 -48,8 206 213 209 24nm c-Si / Glass 84 -2,7 -7 7,5 1,5 -48,4 198 212 223 20nm SiO2 / 20nm a-Si / Glass 83 -3,4 0 3,4 2,3 -44,3 199 207 205 10nm Si3N4 / 20nm aSi / Glass 83 -3,3 0,5 3,3 1,6 -45,7 201 209 206 14nm a-Si / 100nm SiO2 / 22 nm a-Si / glass 90 -3 0,7 3,1 4,6 -36,3 220 227 224 16nm a-Si / 85nm SiO2 / 26nm a-Si / glass 90 -2,9 1,8 3,4 4,7 -37,3 222 228 223 10 SiO2 / 10nm-a-Si / 110nm SiO2 / 20 nm-a-Si 90 -2,8 0,5 2,9 4 -39 222 229 226 130 SiO2 / 10nm-a-Si / 60nm SiO2 / 35 nm-a-Si 87 -2,8 -0,6 2,9 4 -38 211 219 218 10 SiN / 20nm-a-Si / 120nm SiO2 / 20 nm-a-Si 90 -2,8 0,8 2,9 4,3 -37,8 219 226 223

[0144] For a white color appearance, however, values ​​of L=85 and above are required. With more complex multilayers of these materials in combination with SiO₂, values ​​of ΔL can be increased by 5-10. However, the required layer thicknesses become very high, and the angular dependence increases significantly. TiOₓ has also proven problematic due to its catalytic effect and activation by UV light. Solar modules with TiOₓ layers on the inside showed clear reactions between the paint coating and the edge sealant. Even with outer coatings, degradation and optical defects were still visible due to sputtering towards the inside.

[0145] To achieve white tones (L>80, c<3.5), the average visible reflection must be R = 65%. The relevant wavelength range is between 400 nm and 700 nm. If this is to be achieved with simple layer systems consisting of only a few layers, the refractive index of the materials must be greater than 3.0, preferably greater than 3.5. Above 700 nm, the transmission should be above 80%, preferably above 90%, to achieve the highest possible efficiency. Absorption and reflection must be correspondingly low. Silicon or CIGS solar cells still have high spectral sensitivity between 700 nm and 1250 nm. To reduce the efficiency loss compared to solar modules with normally transparent front glass, the color filters should be as transparent as possible in the near-infrared.

[0146] The refractive index and extinction coefficient profiles of crystalline, microcrystalline, and hydrogen-passivated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and other semiconductors such as GaP, GaAs, or Ge are known from publications and textbooks on semiconductor physics (e.g., Seyed Sadreddin Mirshafieyan and Junpeng Guo, Opt. Express 22, 31545-31554 (2014)). These materials are characterized by a very high refractive index above n=3 across the entire visible wavelength range from 380 nm to 780 nm, with maxima in the 300-400 nm range and values ​​from n=4 up to n=7. The extinction coefficient for these materials is very high in the 250 nm range, with values ​​from k=2 to over k=6. Above 400-500 nm, however, the extinction coefficient drops significantly to values ​​below 0.2 and ultimately below 0.01 in the near infrared (NIR) above 800 nm.

[0147] Mixed systems of amorphous silicon, hydrogen, and the elements carbon (C), geothermal (Ge), or oxygen (O) are also suitable. The optical properties can be further modified by adding O, C, and Ge to achieve high reflectance, low chromaticity, and high transmission in the near-infrared (NIR) range. Materials with the refractive index and extinction coefficient specified above are suitable for the high-refractive-index coating according to the invention. Transparent, insulating dielectrics with a refractive index <2.2 and k=0, such as SiO₂, S₃N₄, and SiON₄, are suitable for the low-refractive-index coating according to the invention.

[0148] Silicon-nitrogen hybrid systems are also suitable: starting with stoichiometric Si3N4, increasing the silicon-to-nitrogen ratio raises the refractive index and creates an absorption edge in the blue region. Additions of oxygen allow for further variation of the optical properties, making silicon-rich SION layers generally suitable. Ideally, the nitrogen content should be higher than the oxygen content.

[0149] All silicon-based materials can also contain traces of aluminum. To improve the sputtering process, sputtering targets with up to 10% aluminum in the silicon are used.

[0150] Furthermore, various transition metal oxides (e.g., Cu₂O or Fe₂O₃) also possess the aforementioned suitable optical properties. Even some metal sulfides or metal selenides (such as Mo₂S₃ or Mo₂Se₃) have similarly suitable optical properties. However, adhesion and stability problems can sometimes occur with metal sulfides due to their low hardness and adhesion.

[0151] To avoid problems with electrical insulation or PID (potential-induced degradation), the layers should be undoped and highly insulating. The resistance R of the layers / layer stack should not be less than 10 GΩ, preferably less than 10² GΩ, at a voltage of 1000 V and a measuring electrode spacing of 2 cm in daylight. The specific dark resistance should be greater than 10¹⁰ Ωcm, preferably greater than 10¹¹ Ωcm.

[0152] By using multiple layers with typical dielectrics such as SiO₂, S₃N₄, or SiON₄ with a refractive index <2.2, current losses can be reduced even further. Examples of triple layers can be found in Table 1 above.

[0153] In summary, the following color filter layers on textured glass in one of the aforementioned configurations (texture inside, outside, or on both sides, and coating inside, outside, or on both sides) are suitable for white tones (L>80, c<3.5): High-refractive-index and semi-transparent materials (HTMs) with a refractive index greater than 3.0, preferably greater than 3.5, in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm and an extinction coefficient less than 0.2, preferably less than 0.1, above 700 nm, preferably above 500 nm. Examples of particularly suitable HTMs are: crystalline or microcrystalline Si, amorphous a-Si:H, a-SiC:H, a-SiO:H, a-SiGe:H, silicon-rich SixNy, silicon-rich SixNyOz (y>z). The thicknesses of the HTMs should be less than 30 nm and greater than 5 nm. The resistance R of the layers / layer stacks should not be less than 10 GOhm, preferably not less than 10 2< GOhm, at a voltage of 1000 V and a measuring electrode spacing of 2 cm in daylight.The specific dark resistance should be above 10< 10 Ωcm, preferably above 10< 11 Ωcm.

[0154] The color filter layer, for example, has exactly one high refractive index (HTM) layer (single layer).

[0155] The color filter layer, for example, has exactly one high-refractive-index layer (HTM) and exactly one low-refractive-index layer (TD) (dual layer). This means a double layer of glass / HTM / TD or TD / HTM / glass. For external coatings, the top layer of TD should be on the very outside, in contact with the air; for internal coatings, it should be on the very inside, in contact with the lamination film.

[0156] The color filter layer has, for example, exactly one high-refractive-index layer (HTM) and exactly two low-refractive-index layers (TD), or alternatively, exactly one low-refractive-index layer (TD) and exactly two high-refractive-index layers (HTM) (triple layer). That is, a triple layer HTM / DT / HTM / glass or glass / DT / HTM / DT or glass / DT / HTM / DT or DT / HTM / DT / glass.

[0157] The color filter layer, for example, has exactly two high-refractive-index layers (HTM) and exactly two low-refractive-index layers (TD), which are arranged alternately (quadruple layer). That is, a quadruple layer of glass / HTM / DT / HTM / DT or DT / HTM / DT / HTM / glass.

[0158] Red, plate-shaped components, especially solar modules, cannot be fabricated using single or double layers of common dielectric transparent materials (TDs) such as Si₃N₄, ZrO₂, or TiOₓ based on interference. While the first-order maximum of a single layer of Si₃N₄ or TiOₓ can be shifted into the red wavelength range (>600 nm) by increasing the layer thickness, the second-order maximum then appears in the blue range. Although the distance between the maxima increases with decreasing refractive index, the distance is already too small even for low refractive indices (between 1 and 1.5). Furthermore, the interference maxima of single or double layers are too broad: In the human eye, the spectral absorption curves of the photoreceptor pigments for red (L-cones) and green (M-cones) overlap considerably. For a strong red tone, the difference between the signals of the L-cones and the M-cones is decisive.To achieve the most saturated red tone, a relatively steep rise in the color spectrum between 580 nm and 620 nm is needed. A rise that is too shallow leads to yellow tones resulting from the mixture of red and green. The shift caused by increasing layer thickness then always leads from gold to violet or purple hues.

[0159] HTM-based color filters enable the production of significantly improved red tones with low blue content and good angular stability. Two properties contribute to this: firstly, the refractive index is very high. This reduces the required layer thickness for suitable color filter layers, resulting in considerably improved angular stability. Secondly, the higher absorption in the blue range leads to a reduction in the blue component of the reflection spectrum.

[0160] Figure 6 shows reflection spectra of Si x N y on glass with increasing silicon content and Figure 7This figure shows absorption spectra (A=1-TR) of increasingly silicon-rich Si x N y layers on planar float glass. The layer thickness is approximately 260 nm. With increasing silicon content, reflection in the red spectral region increases significantly, while the blue component decreases. With increasing silicon content, absorption in the blue region increases.

[0161] Using such single layers of silicon-rich Si x N y, a red-violet solar module with L=41, h=5, and c=31 was produced as an inner coating on structured glass, and an old-rose-colored solar module with L=60, h=29, and c=31 as an outer coating (measured in Di:8°, D65). By combining it with a thin layer of SiO 2 (or another thermal diffusion layer), the blue tint can be further suppressed, and the layer is protected against moisture. Furthermore, as with the white modules, the top layer provides improved electrical insulation.

[0162] With multilayer stacks and thick layers, red hues can be produced from transparent dielectric materials (1.5 < n < 2.8) such as TiO₂, SiO₂, Si₃N₄, or ZrO₂ even without HTM (high-temperature manipulation). However, due to the relatively high total layer thickness and long optical path lengths, the angular stability is too low: the hue changes too much under different viewing and illumination angles. At larger angles, the maximum shifts from the red to the yellow-orange range: for example, a layer stack of 110 nm-SiN-90 nm SiO₂-90 SiN TiO₂ on glass produces a terracotta red with L=47.2, a=38.9, and b=20.8. Between 20° and 50°, however, the color changes by ΔE=42 to a gold tone.

[0163] With HTM, red tones can be produced using triple or quadruple layers with significantly reduced layer thicknesses. For example, in the simulation, a red tone corresponding to the terracotta red shown above can be generated using amorphous silicon: 4nm aSi-45nm SiN-18nm aSi-glass with L=47, a=36, b=19. The ΔE=13 between 20° and 50° demonstrates significantly greater angular stability compared to the ΔE=42 shown above, due to the considerably shorter optical path length. The estimated current loss here is 30%.

[0164] Strong red tones can also be simulated using the n and k dispersion data of crystalline Si with triple or quadruple layers. Further examples can be found in Table 2 below. Table 2: Layer packages for red tones Layer package / glass L a b C h ΔE20 °50° Jscloss R G B 50nm SiN / 40nm a-Si 37,5 46,7 17 49,7 20 9,9 -37 158,9 47,9 63,4 4nm a-Si / 45nm SiN / 18nm a-Si 47,2 36,3 19,1 41 27,7 12,8 -28,5 175 85 82 8nm a-Si / 25nm SiO2 / 30nm a-Si 50,7 43 16,2 46 20,6 14,8 -36,6 193 87 95 10 nm a-Si / 20 nm SiO2 / 28 nm a-Si 53,5 43,5 1 43,5 1,3 12 -40,3 196 95 128 40nm SiN / 45nm c-SI / 40nmSiN 41,1 37,5 15,5 40,6 22,4 11,5 -33,6 157,6 68,6 73,5 50nm SiN / 30nm c-Si / 10nm SiN / 10nm c-Si 41 33,1 27,2 42,9 39,4 10,2 -31,5 154,9 72,1 53,8 50nm SiN / 40nm a-Si / 90nm SiN / 50 nm a-Si 43,3 62,1 59,8 86,2 43,9 13,7 -51,1 200,4 32,5 0 60nm SiN / 10nm a-Si / 110nmSiN / 50nm a-Si 45,8 59,4 42,7 73,1 35,7 23,3 -41,6 203,7 48,8 40

[0165] For the production of more angle-stable, saturated, and low-blue red tones, color filters on the structured glass elements (inside, outside, or on both sides) with the same characteristics as above are suitable, with the following modifications: The color filters contain at least one or more layers of a high-refractive-index and semi-transparent material (HTM) with a refractive index greater than 2.5, preferably greater than 3.0, in the wavelength range of 400 nm to at least 700 nm, and an extinction coefficient of at least 0.2 below 450 nm and less than 0.2, preferably 0.1, above 700 nm, preferably above 500 nm. The thickness of the HTM layers can be in the range of 5 nm to 300 nm.

[0166] White and red plate-shaped components are the main applications of the color filters described above on structured front glass with HTM. However, it is also possible that the interesting properties (high refractive index in the visible range, low absorption above 700 nm or above 500 nm) can be used for other colors as well.

[0167] A double layer of TD / HTM / glass allows for the production of a range of bright, highly saturated colors with good angular stability and moderate efficiency loss, using a thin layer of HTM and TD layer thicknesses in the range of 50–150 nm. Examples include blue produced from 110 nm SiN / 10 nm / glass with L=50, c=46, h=245, E20°50°=11, and Jsc-loss=-15%. Numerous combinations are possible. The key is the alternating use of one or two layers of HTM with a transparent dielectric TD.

[0168] HTMs can be deposited onto glass using various well-known coating processes: reactive sputtering, CVD, ALD, evaporation (thermal or electron beam), etc. Since the layer thicknesses are relatively small, ALD would be recommended. ALD and CVD also result in good conformal coverage of the structured surface.

[0169] As can be seen from the foregoing description of the invention, the invention provides an improved plate-shaped component that has a very homogeneous, intense color with little or no directional dependence. In particular, the plate-shaped component can be advantageously provided with a white or red color. The plate-shaped component can be manufactured cost-effectively in various shapes and sizes and, for example, easily integrated into a facade. The invention thus provides an innovation that offers significant advantages in the practical application of facade construction and in the application possibilities of solar modules as colored modules for roof mounting or ground-mounted installations. Reference symbol list

[0170] 1 Plate-shaped component 2 Cover plate 3 Mechanically supporting disc 4, 4' Front surface 5, 5' Rear surface 6 Adhesive layer 7 Contact surface 8, 8' Structured area 9, 9' Color filter layer 10, 10' Segment 11 First zone 12 Second zone 13, 13' Intermediate layer 14 Back element 15, 15' Composite disc 16 Carrier substrate 17 Multi-angle colorimeter 18 Solar cells 19 Masking layer 20 Solar module Front V Back R External environment U

Claims

1. Plate-shaped component (1) with a colour effect, comprising a transparent cover plate (2) and at least one flat rear element (14) attached to the cover plate (2), wherein the cover plate (2) has a front surface (4) facing the outer environment and a rear surface (5) facing the rear element (3), wherein at least one surface (4, 5), selected from front and rear surfaces, has at least one structured region (8, 8'), and wherein on at least one surface (4, 5), selected from front and rear surfaces, at least one colour filter layer (9, 9') is arranged for reflecting light within a predefined wavelength range, - characterised in that the at least one structured region (8, 8') has the following features i) to iii): i) a height profile having peaks and valleys perpendicular to the plane of the cover plate (2), wherein an average height difference between the peaks and valleys is at least 2 µm, ii) at least 50% of the structured region is composed of segments inclined to the plane of the cover plate (2), wherein, in relation to the plane of the cover plate (2), at least 20% of the segments have an inclination angle in the range of greater than 0° to a maximum of 15° and at least 30% of the segments have an inclination angle in the range of greater than 15° to a maximum of 45°, wherein iii) the segments are each flat and have a segment surface of at least 1 µm2, wherein the segments each have an average roughness of less than 15% of a layer thickness of the at least one colour filter layer (9, 9'), and - in that the at least one colour filter layer (9, 9') contains at least one highly-refractive refractive layer, wherein the at least one refractive layer has a refractive index of greater than 2.5 in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm and an extinction coefficient of at least 0.2 below 450 nm and less than 0.2, in particular less than 0.1, above 700 nm.

2. Plate-shaped component (1) according to claim 1, in which the at least one highly-refractive refractive layer has an extinction coefficient of less than 0.2, in particular less than 0.1, above 500 nm.

3. Plate-shaped component (1) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the at least one highly-refractive refractive layer has a refractive index of greater than 3.0, in particular greater than 3.5, in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm.

4. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the at least one highly-refractive refractive layer has a layer thickness in the range from 5 nm to 300 nm, in particular in the range from 5 nm to 40 nm.

5. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the at least one highly-refractive refractive layer has a refractive index of greater than 3.0, in particular greater than 3.5, in the wavelength range from 400 nm to at least 700 nm and a layer thickness in the range from 5 nm to 40 nm.

6. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the at least one colour filter layer (9, 9') has at least one low-refractive refractive layer consisting of a transparent dielectric material, wherein the at least one low-refractive refractive layer has a refractive index of less than 2.5.

7. Plate-shaped component (1) according to claim 6, in which the at least one low-refractive refractive layer has a layer thickness of greater than 10 nm and less than 250 nm.

8. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the at least one colour filter layer (9, 9') has: - a double layer consisting of a highly-refractive refractive layer and a low-refractive refractive layer, or - a triple layer in which a highly-refractive refractive layer is arranged between two low-refractive refractive layers, or a low-refractive refractive layer is arranged between two highly-refractive refractive layers, or - a quadruple layer in which two highly-refractive refractive layers and two low-refractive refractive layers are arranged in alternating sequence, wherein a highly-refractive refractive layer is arranged between two low-refractive refractive layers and a low-refractive refractive layer is arranged between two highly-refractive refractive layers.

9. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the rear element (14) comprises a carrier substrate (16) with solar cells (18) for photovoltaic energy generation.

10. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the rear element is in the form of: - a coating, in particular an opaque coating, of the cover plate (2), - a film, in particular an opaque film, which is firmly connected to the cover plate (2) by a transparent adhesive, in particular a transparent adhesive film, or - a rigid body, in particular an opaque rigid body, which is firmly connected to the cover plate (2) by a transparent adhesive, in particular a transparent adhesive film.

11. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, in which the rear element (14) comprises a mechanically supporting disc (3).

12. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, in which the front surface (4) of the cover plate (2) has at least one structured region (8) on which a colour filter layer (9) is arranged for reflecting light within a predefined wavelength range.

13. Plate-shaped component (1) according to claim 12, in which i) the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2) has no structured region and no colour filter layer, or ii) the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2) has no structured region and a further colour filter layer (9') for reflecting light within a predefined wavelength range is arranged on the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2), or iii) the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2) has at least one structured region (8') on which a colour filter layer (9') is arranged for reflecting light within a predefined wavelength range.

14. Plate-shaped component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, in which a colour filter layer (9) for reflecting light within a predefined wavelength range is arranged on the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2), wherein the rear surface (5) and / or the front surface (4) each has at least one structured region (8, 8'), wherein either the front surface (4) has at least one structured region (8) or a further colour filter layer (9') for reflecting light within a predefined wavelength range is arranged on the front surface (4).

15. Plate-shaped component (1) according to claim 14, in which i) the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2) has no structured region and the front surface (4) has at least one structured region (8), wherein no colour filter layer is arranged on the front surface (4), or ii) the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2) has at least one structured region (8) and the front surface (4) has at least one structured region (8'), wherein no colour filter layer is arranged on the front surface (4), or iii) the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2) has at least one structured region (8) and the front surface (4) has no structured region, wherein no colour filter layer is arranged on the front surface (4), or iv) the rear surface (5) of the cover plate (2) has at least one structured region (8) and the front surface (4) has no structured region, wherein a further colour filter layer (9') is arranged on the front surface (4).