Gtat Corporation

Merlin Solar Technologies, Inc.

Dong Xu

Gopal Prabhu

Robert Brainard

Venkatesan Murali

David Tanner

Venkateswaran Subbaraman

Steve E Babayan

Arvind Chari

Alejandro De La Fuente Vornbrock

Arthur Rudin

Steve Babayan

A photovoltaic cell and method of forming the cell includes providing an electroformed metallic article having a plurality of electroformed elements that form a free-standing, unitary piece. The metallic article has gridlines that are spaced apart at a pitch P. A semiconductor substrate has a top surface with a plurality of silver, where at least one of the silver patterns comprises pattern segments spaced apart at a pitch P. The pattern segments have a length Ldefined by the equation L=P&#x2212;k*P/2, k being a value from 1.0 to 1.4. The metallic article is coupled to the semiconductor substrate, in which a first electroformed element in the plurality of electroformed elements is coupled to a first silver pattern in the plurality of silver patterns.

Semiconductor with silver patterns having pattern segments

A free-standing metallic article, and method of making, is disclosed in which the metallic article is electroformed on an electrically conductive mandrel. The mandrel has an outer surface with a preformed pattern, wherein at least a portion of the metallic article is formed in the preformed pattern. The metallic article is separated from the electrically conductive mandrel, which forms a free-standing metallic article that may be coupled with the surface of a semiconductor material for a photovoltaic cell.

Free-standing metallic article for semiconductors

A free-standing metallic article, and method of making, is disclosed in which the metallic article is electroformed on an electrically conductive mandrel. The metallic article has a plurality of electroformed elements that are configured to serve as an electrical conduit for a photovoltaic cell. A first electroformed element has at least one of: a) a non-uniform width along a first length of the first element, b) a change in conduit direction along the first length of the first element, c) an expansion segment along the first length of the first element, d) a first width that is different from a second width of a second element in the plurality of electroformed elements, e) a first height that is different from a second height of the second element in the plurality of electroformed elements, and f) a top surface that is textured.

Adaptable free-standing metallic article for semiconductors

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Dong Xu