United Solar Systems Corporation

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Craig N Vogeli

Prem Nath

Troy Glatfelter

Timothy J Barnard

Timothy D Laarman

Jon Call

Ginger Hammond

Kenneth Whelan

Bernard Kelly

A method of severing a thin film semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having a first electrode region formed thereon, a semiconductor body formed of layers of thin film semiconductor alloy material disposed upon the base electrode, a transparent, electrically conductive second electrode deposited atop the semiconductor body, and a containment layer of polymeric material associated with the first or second electrode in at least one region to permit subsequent severing of the device into a plurality of devices through said containment layer region.

Method of severing a thin film semiconductor device

A light directing element for a photovoltaic device and method of manufacture. The light directing element is in the form of an encapsulating cover which fits onto the top of the underlying photovoltaic cell. A bottom surface of the encapsulating cover is provided with V-shaped grooves which are in registry with the underlying grid lines of the photovoltaic cell. Preferably, the side walls of the grooves are coated with a reflective coating. Incident light, falling on the reflective side walls will be reflected onto adjacent portions of the photovoltaic cell, thereby minimizing shading effects caused by the grid lines. In a particularly preferred embodiment, each groove in the cover is filled with a conductive carbon paste, and conductive wires are embedded therein. This conductive wires serve as the current collecting network of the solar cell and are in electrical communication with the top electrode thereof by means of the conductive carbon paste. This embodiment has the desirable combination of decreased shading, and lower electrical resistance of the current collecting network.

Light directing element for photovoltaic device and method of manufacture

A dual discharge photovoltaic module responsive to high and low loads. The module includes a first plurality of series connected, high short circuit current cells, and a second plurality of series connected, low short circuit current cells connected in series with the first plurality. A diode is connected in parallel with the second plurality of cells such that current flow through the module when the module is under low load reverse biases the diode so that the module discharges at a low current. When the module is under high load, current flow through the module forward biases the diode and bypasses the second plurality of cells so that the module discharges at a high rate. The module is particularly useful for starting and running an electric motor.

Dual discharge photovoltaic module

A composite laminate specifically adapted to protect the light incident surface of a photovoltaic module from cuts which could create a short circuit includes a plurality of stacked layer pairs. The first layer of each pair is a glass fiber material and the second layer is a thermoplastic. The layers are disposed in a mutually interpenetrating relationship and topped with a thin transparent protective layer, such as a layer of a fluoropolymer. this combination of layer pairs has been demonstrated to provide sufficient protection to meet Underwriters Laboratories specifications (UL 1703 Section 23. Cut Test) for flat plate photovoltaic modules and panels.

Cut resistant laminate for the light incident surface of a photovoltaic

Photovoltaic devices comprised of one or more encapsulated slabs of photovoltaic material are prepared by a process wherein a large area body of photovoltaic material is divided into a plurality of slabs. A photoactive area is defined within each slab, and defects therein passivated. Current collecting structures are affixed to each slab, and if the device includes a plurality of slabs, they are electrically interconnected. The front surfaces of the slabs are laminated with a transparent protective material, and the rear surfaces are bonded to a support plate. Also disclosed herein is a particular configuration of bus bar tape for interconnecting the slabs and an apparatus for preparing the current collecting wires.

Photovoltaic module fabrication process

A photovoltaic device which is resistant to shunt and short circuit defects developing between the opposed electrodes thereof. The photovoltaic device comprises an electrically conductive substrate, a semiconductor body including a photogenerative region, a layer of transparent conductive material, and means for collecting photogenerated current. In particular, a layer of low-conductivity material is operatively positioned between the layer of transparent conductive material and the collecting means, thereby resistively restricting the flow of electric current through short circuit portions. A method of fabricating such a shunt-resistant photovoltaic device is also disclosed.

Photovoltaic device including shunt preventing layer and method for the

A wireless, monolithic photovoltaic module. The module includes top and bottom, rectangular electrodes with a photovoltaic body and an adjacent insulating strip sandwiched in between the electrodes, the insulating strip being disposed proximate the edge of the bottom electrode. A bus bar overlies the insulating strip, but not the photovoltaic body, and is connected to a net of current carrying grid lines which overlie the photovoltaic body to form a current collector. A top encapsulating layer has diffractive grooves formed therein which overlie the grid lines to minimize shading effects otherwise caused by shadows from the grid lines.

Wireless monolithic photovoltaic module

A photovoltaic cell having a light-directing optical element integrally formed in an encapsulant layer thereof. The optical element redirects light to increase the internal absorption of light incident on the photovoltaic device.

Photovoltaic device with increased light absorption and method for its

An improved photovoltaic device in which an electrically conductive adhesive is employed to affix the grid structure to the upper electrode thereof. By appropriately selecting the resistivity of the conductive adhesive, normal photogenerated current flow is readily accommodated, while shunted current flow, through patent or latent defects is substantially eliminated.

Photovoltaic device having an improved collector grid

A light transmissive power generating photovoltaic device (14) includes a power generating film having a substrate (30), a plurality of semiconductor layers (30, 32, 34) and a transparent conductive oxide layer (37) with a grid adhered on the top surface thereof. Apertures (42) pass through the opaque semiconductive layers to let light pass through. The power generating film is laminated onto a transparent glass sheet (24, 26) on each side to form the photovoltaic device.

Translucent photovoltaic sheet material and panels

Large area, thin-film body of photovoltaic material is subdivided into a plurality of small area devices. Through a selective etching process, a portion of the bottom electrode of each small area device is exposed. A metallic contact member is deposited upon the exposed portion of the electrode and a series connection between adjoining cells is established by interconnecting the metallic contact member of a first cell with the top electrode of an adjoining cell, so as to provide a large-area photovoltaic device including a plurality of interconnected sub-cells.

Monolithic solar cell array and method for its manufacturing

A photovoltaic cell includes a light-directing optical element integrally formed in an encapsulant layer thereof in the region of opaque current-collecting gridlines.The optical element redirects light which would be absorbed by the opaque structure to other regions of the photovoltaic device, thereby decreasing shading effects.

Photovoltaic device with decreased gridline shading and method for its

An electronic device of the type including a thin film body having a superposed metallic electrode has short circuit defects therein passivated by a conversion process in which the electrical resistivity of the metallic electrode material is increased proximate the defect regions. Conversion is accomplished by exposing the metallic electrode material to a conversion reagent and activating the reagent proximate the defect regions. The process may be utilized for a variety of differently configured devices, and may be readily adapted for use in a roll-to-roll device fabrication process.

Conversion process for passivating short circuit current paths in

A large area, high current, low voltage photovoltaic module including a common bottom electrode upon which a means adapted to collect and transport photogenerated current is disposed. By electrically interconnecting a plurality of said large area modules in series, the voltage obtained therefrom can be added so as to obtain any desired voltage output therefrom.

Large area, low voltage, high current photovoltaic modules and method of

An electronic device of the type including a thin film body having a superposed electrode has short circuit defects therein passivated by a conversion process in which the electrical resistivity of the electrode material is increased proximate the defect regions. Conversion is accomplished by exposing the electrode material to a conversion reagent and activating the reagent proximate the defect regions. The process may be utilized for a variety of differently configured devices, and may be readily adapted for use in a roll-to-roll device fabrication process.

Growing community of inventors

New Baltimore, MI, United States of America

Craig N Vogeli