Solar Cell Lateral Electrode Plating Shading Loss Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar cell technologies face challenges in reducing shading losses due to collecting electrodes, particularly bus bar electrodes, which hinder efficiency and require complex production processes, and existing solutions like back electrode type solar cells are costly and difficult to produce.
Innovation Solution
A solar cell design with a patterned collecting electrode and a connection electrode formed on the lateral surfaces using a plating method, eliminating the need for a bus bar electrode on the light-receiving surface, and a wiring sheet for modularization that connects the solar cells in series, simplifying the production process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bus bar electrode is provided on the light-receiving surface to extract photocarriers, then current extraction efficiency is improved, but shading loss increases due to the electrode blocking light incidence
Solution Approach 1:
The connection electrode is extended from the light-receiving surface to the lateral surface of the solar cell, utilizing a different spatial dimension for current extraction. This allows the bus bar electrode to be positioned on the lateral surface rather than blocking the light-receiving surface, thereby reducing shading loss while maintaining current extraction efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extracting current horizontally across the light-receiving surface through a bus bar electrode, the invention inverts the approach by extracting current vertically through the lateral surface. This inversion eliminates the need for a large bus bar electrode on the light-receiving surface, reducing shading loss while maintaining effective current extraction
2Ease of manufacture
If a connection electrode is formed on the lateral surface using a plating method, then the production process is simplified and simultaneous formation of collecting and connection electrodes is enabled, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces traditional screen printing or paste application methods with an electroplating process for forming the connection electrode. This substitution enables simultaneous formation of multiple electrodes with consistent dimensions and properties, reducing variability and improving manufacturing precision while simplifying the overall production process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces shading losses by eliminating the need for a bus bar electrode, improves conversion efficiency, and simplifies the production process by allowing simultaneous formation of collecting and connection electrodes, enabling easier modularization of solar cells.
Implementation Method 1
a connection electrode which is in electrical continuity with the collecting electrode and which is in electrical non-continuity with the back electrode, wherein the collecting electrode includes a first metal seed layer provided on the first principal surface of the photoelectric conversion section, and a first plating layer provided on the first metal seed layer
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a solar cell comprises forming a first conductivity-type silicon-based thin-film on a first surface of a substrate; forming a second conductivity-type silicon-based thin-film different from the first conductivity-type silicon-based thin-film, on a second surface of the substrate that is opposite to the first surface of the substrate; forming a first transparent electrode layer on the first conductivity-type silicon-based thin-film; and forming a second transparent electrode layer on the second conductivity-type silicon-based thin-film; forming a first metal seed layer on a first transparent electrode layer; forming a second metal seed layer on a second transparent electrode layer; forming a third metal seed layer on a peripheral edge and on an end-edge of the second conductivity-type silicon-based thin-film; forming a first plating layer on the first metal seed layer and a third plating layer on the third metal seed layer simultaneously by an electroplating method.