Atlantic Richfield Company

Gary B Turner

Don L Morel

Robert R Gay

Arvind T Halani

Dale E Tarrant

Cells of a thin film solar module having opposed upper and lower electrodes are connected in series by a plurality of discrete conductive regions extending between each upper electrode and the lower electrode of an adjoining cell. In a preferred embodiment, the opposite electrodes of adjoining cells overlap one another and one of the electrodes is a transparent conductive pad with a thickened metal-containing portion to aid in interconnection. In another embodiment, the conductive regions are formed by applying laser pulses to spaced locations along the areas of electrode overlap, after which a conductor may be deposited into cavities formed by the laser pulses.

Solar cell interconnection by discrete conductive regions

A photovoltaic device has a continuous thin film with a plurality of spaced photovoltaic regions thereon and front and back electrode portions substantially coextensive with each of the photovoltaic regions. Electrical connection between the regions is provided directly through the film itself, from each back electrode portion to the front electrode portion of an adjacent region. Thus, at least two of the photovoltaic regions are connected in series to increase the output voltage of the device.

Series connected solar cells and method of formation

A process for fabricating solar to electrical energy conversion units, includes the forming of arrays of parallel-connected strings of series connected solar cells selected from a number of different categories of cells. The categories are defined by different ranges of cell currents at a set cell voltage, a set level of incident cell face radiation and a set temperature. Each string of an array consists of cells from the same category; but strings of cells from different categories are used in the same array. A goal array current range for the arrays may be correlated with the average current of a group of cells at the set conditions, or with the estimated average for a group of cells to be manufactured, so that a selected number of strings for the arrays multiplied by such average falls within the range. According to a particular fabricating process, nine solar cell categories covering a total of approximately 0.9 amperes are established to form arrays of six parallel-connected strings of eleven series-connected solar cells having a goal array current range of 12.95 amperes plus or minus 2.2 percent. According to this particular process, hundreds of string combinations are possible, including combinations having strings from the lowest and highest categories.

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Canoga Park, CA, United States of America

Gary B Turner