Busbar-Free Back Contact Cell Layout to Prevent Finger Shorting

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Solution Overview

Problem

The risk of short circuits in busbar-free back contact cells due to conduction between fingers of opposite polarity is a significant challenge.

Innovation Solution

The busbar-free back contact cell design includes alternately distributed current-confluence and non-current-confluence regions on the cell substrate, with insulating members covering fingers of opposite polarity and conductive members in electrically connected regions to facilitate same-polarity connections, reducing the risk of short circuits and eliminating the need for busbars.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If fingers of two polarities are alternately distributed on the back surface to collect current, then current collection efficiency is improved, but the risk of short circuits between opposite polarity fingers increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecurrent collection efficiencyVSAvoidshort circuit risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The back surface is segmented into current-confluence regions and non-current-confluence regions through patterned insulating members. This segmentation allows fingers of opposite polarity to be physically separated into different regions, enabling efficient current collection while preventing short circuits between opposite polarity fingers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Insulating members are introduced as intermediary elements between fingers of opposite polarity. These insulating members (with thickness 10-50 μm) act as mediators that prevent direct electrical contact between opposite polarity fingers while allowing the fingers to maintain their alternately distributed configuration for efficient current collection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If insulating members are added to prevent short circuits, then short circuit risk is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshort circuit preventionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating members serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide electrical insulation between opposite polarity fingers, define current-confluence and non-current-confluence regions, and facilitate the connection structure for conductive members. This merging of functions reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating members are designed with multi-functionality: they act as electrical insulators, region delimiters, and structural support elements for conductive members. This universal design allows a single component to address multiple requirements, minimizing the overall complexity increase despite adding insulation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If conductive members are arranged in electrically connected regions to connect same polarity fingers, then series connection efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseries connection efficiencyVSAvoidconductive member placement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating members are pre-patterned to define electrically connected regions before conductive members are added. This preliminary action creates predetermined zones where conductive members will be placed, ensuring accurate positioning for series connections while simplifying the subsequent manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating members create localized electrically connected regions with specific properties (conductivity, connectivity) that are different from surrounding areas. This local quality differentiation ensures that conductive members placed in these regions automatically achieve proper electrical connection with same polarity fingers, reducing the overall precision requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4651209A1Busbar-free back contact cell, cell module and photovoltaic system
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 ZHUHAI FUSHAN AIKO SOLAR ENERGY TECH CO LTD
  • EP4651209A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4651209A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4651209A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present disclosure is applicable to the technical field of solar cells, and provides a busbar-free back contact cell (100), a cell module and a photovoltaic system. The busbar-free back contact cell (100) includes a cell substrate (10), first insulating members (21) and conductive members, wherein alternately distributed fingers of two polarities are formed on the back surface of the cell substrate (10), the back surface includes alternately distributed current-confluence regions (13) and non-current-confluence regions (14), and parts of each finger are located in the current-confluence regions (13), and the rest parts of each finger is located in the non-current-confluence regions (14); the current-confluence regions (13) include electrically connected regions (101), and the first insulating members (21) are arranged in the current-confluence regions (13) and cover fingers having a polarity opposite to that of the current-confluence regions (13) to expose the electrically connected regions (101); and the conductive members are arranged in the electrically connected regions (101).