Mobil Solar Energy Corporation

Jacob Murad

Fritz Wald

An improved solar cell of the type including a semiconductor substrate having a shallow p-n junction adjacent its front surface, a rear electrode affixed in adherent mechanical and electrical contact with the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a front generally grid-shaped electrode including an array of narrow, elongate, parallel fingers and at least one bus bar extending at right angles to the fingers in electrical contact therewith affixed in mechanically adherent and low resistance electrical contact with the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The improvement includes the removal of the bus bar portion of the front grid-shaped electrode from intimate mechanical and electrical contact with the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The improvement increases the open circuit voltage and efficiency of the solar cell, and allows the bus bar portion of the grid shaped electrode to be formed of materials different from the finger portions of that electrode thereby providing cost advantages and design flexibility without detriment to solar cell efficiency. A method of making the improved solar cell also is disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Somerville, MA, United States of America

Jacob Murad