Nanosolar, Inc.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Other

Intelleflex Corporation

Aeris Capital Sustainable IP Ltd.

Nanosolor, Inc.

Chimei Innolux Corporation

James R Sheats

Martin R Roscheisen

Sam Kao

Daniel Bernardo Roitman

Ronald L Moon

Homer Antoniadis

Craig Leidholm

Mark R Hueschen

Brent Bollman

Tue H Nguyen

Paul Martin Adriani

Gregory A Miller

Hoyle Curtis

Philip Capps

Brian M Sager

Matthew R Robinson

Jeroen K J Van Duren

Karen L Seaward

George Andrew Briggs

Fereidoun Pourmirzaie

Michelle Lee Renak

Werner Dumanski

Guillermo Bazan

Methods and devices are provided for high-efficiency solar cells. In one embodiment, an assembly is provided comprising of a plurality of solar cells each having at least one transparent conductor, a photovoltaic layer, at least one bottom electrode, a plurality of emitter wrap through (EWT) vias containing a conductive material, and a plurality of series interconnect vias containing a conductive material. The assembly may also include a backside support coupled to the solar cells, wherein the backside support is patterned to have electrically conductive areas and electrically nonconductive areas that create a series interconnect between solar cells electrically coupled by the support and prevents parallel connections between the solar cells. The cells may have a via insulating layer in each via separating the conductive material in each via from any side walls of the bottom electrode.

High-throughput assembly of series interconnected solar cells

Methods and devices are provided for improved photovoltaic devices. Non-vacuum deposition of transparent conductive electrodes in a roll-to-roll manufacturing environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method is provided for forming a photovoltaic device. The method comprises processing a precursor layer in one or more steps to form a photovoltaic absorber layer; depositing a smoothing layer to fill gaps and depression in the absorber layer to reduce a roughness of the absorber layer; adding an insulating layer over the smooth layer; and forming a web-like layer of conductive material over the insulating layer. By way of nonlimiting example, the web-like layer of conductive material comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes. In some embodiments, the absorber layer is a group IB-IIIA-VIA absorber layer.

Roll-to-roll non-vacuum deposition of transparent conductive electrodes

Methods and devices are provided for absorber layers formed on foil substrate. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing photovoltaic devices may be comprised of providing a substrate comprising of at least one electrically conductive aluminum foil substrate, at least one electrically conductive diffusion barrier layer, and at least one electrically conductive electrode layer above the diffusion barrier layer. The diffusion barrier layer may prevent chemical interaction between the aluminum foil substrate and the electrode layer. An absorber layer may be formed on the substrate. In one embodiment, the absorber layer may be a non-silicon absorber layer. In another embodiment, the absorber layer may be an amorphous silicon (doped or undoped) absorber layer. Optionally, the absorber layer may be based on organic and/or inorganic materials.

Formation of solar cells with conductive barrier layers and foil substrates

Optoelectronic device modules, arrays optoelectronic device modules and methods for fabricating optoelectronic device modules are disclosed. The device modules are made using a starting substrate having an insulator layer sandwiched between a bottom electrode made of a flexible bulk conductor and a conductive back plane. An active layer is disposed between the bottom electrode and a transparent conducting layer. One or more electrical contacts between the transparent conducting layer and the back plane are formed through the transparent conducting layer, the active layer, the flexible bulk conductor and the insulating layer. The electrical contacts are electrically isolated from the active layer, the bottom electrode and the insulating layer.

Optoelectronic architecture having compound conducting substrate

Photovoltaic devices with conductive barrier layers and foil substrates

Methods and devices are provided for improved roofing devices. In one embodiment of the present invention, a photovoltaic roofing assembly is provided that comprises of a roofing membrane and a plurality of photovoltaic cells supported by the roofing membrane. The photovoltaic cells may be lightweight, flexible cells formed on a lightweight foil and disposed as a layer on top of the roofing membrane. The roofing assembly may include at least one flexible encapsulant film that protects the plurality of photovoltaic cells from environmental exposure damage, wherein the encapsulant film is formed using a non-vacuum process. Optionally, the process may be a lamination process. In other embodiments, the process is a non-vacuum, non-lamination process. The resulting roofing membrane and the photovoltaic cells are constructed to be rolled up in lengths suitable for being transported to a building site for unrolling and being affixed to a roof structure.

Barrier films and high throughput manufacturing processes for photovoltaic devices

Methods and devices are provided for improved environmental protection for photovoltaic devices and assemblies. In one embodiment, the device comprises of an individually encapsulated solar cell, wherein the encapsulated solar cell includes at least one protective layer coupled to at least one surface of the solar cell. The protective layer has a chemical composition that prevents moisture from entering the solar cell and wherein light passes through the protective layer to reach an absorber layer in the solar cell.

Individually encapsulated solar cells and solar cell strings

A semiconductor chip packaging on a flexible substrate is disclosed. The chip and the flexible substrate are provided with corresponding raised and indented micron-scale contact pads with the indented contact pads partially filled with a liquid amalgam. After low temperature amalgam curing, the chip and the substrate form a flexible substrate IC packaging with high conductivity, controllable interface layer thickness, micron-scale contact density and low process temperature. Adhesion between the chip and the substrate can be further enhanced by coating other areas with non-conducting adhesive.

Method of packaging and interconnection of integrated circuits

A method is disclosed for packaging semiconductor chips on a flexible substrate employing thin film transfer. The semiconductor chips are placed on a temporary adhesive substrate, then covered by a permanent flexible substrate with a casting layer for planarizingly embedding the chips on the permanent substrate before removing the temporary substrate. With the surface of the chips coplanar with the surface of the complete structure without any gaps, interconnect metal lines can be easily placed on the uninterrupted surface, connecting the chips and other components.

Series interconnection of optoelectronic device modules is disclosed. Each device module includes an active layer disposed between a bottom electrode and a transparent conducting layer. An insulating layer is disposed between the bottom electrode of a first device module and a backside top electrode of the first device module. One or more vias are formed through the active layer, transparent conducting layer and insulating layer of the first device module. Sidewalls of the vias are coated with an insulating material such that a channel is formed through the insulating material to the backside top electrode of the first device module. The channel is at least partially filled with an electrically conductive material to form a plug that makes electrical contact between the transparent conducting layer and the backside top electrode of the first device module. Portions of the backside top electrode and insulating layer of a second device module are cut back to expose a portion of the bottom electrode of the second device module. The first and second device modules are attached to an insulating carrier substrate. Electrical contact is made between the backside top electrode of the first device module and the exposed portion of the bottom electrode of the second device module.

Series interconnected optoelectronic device module assembly

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

James R Sheats