Gtat Corporation

Merlin Solar Technologies, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Venkateswaran Subbaraman

Venkatesan Murali

Gopal Prabhu

David Tanner

Alejandro De La Fuente Vornbrock

Robert Brainard

Steve E Babayan

Arvind Chari

Dong Xu

Arthur Rudin

Steven M Zuniga

Virendra V S Rana

Derek G Aqui

Zhenhua Zhang

Kirk G Liebscher

John M Alexander

Steve Babayan

In embodiments, a photovoltaic cell has an expanded metal article configured as a mesh, a semiconductor material, and a front metallic article. The expanded metal article has a plurality of first segments intersecting a plurality of second segments thereby forming a plurality of openings, and has a plurality of cuts in the mesh. The expanded metal article is electrically coupled to a back surface of the semiconductor material. The front metallic article has a plurality of electroformed elements interconnected to form a unitary, free-standing piece comprising a continuous grid. The continuous grid of the front metallic article is electrically coupled to a front surface of the semiconductor material. The plurality of cuts of the expanded metal article is arranged on the photovoltaic cell to relieve stresses induced by the front metallic article on the front surface of the semiconductor material.

Photovoltaic cell having a coupled expanded metal article

Methods include providing an expanded metal article configured as a mesh. The expanded metal article has a plurality of cuts in the mesh and has a surface comprising a plurality of solder pads. A semiconductor material is provided, having a back surface comprising a plurality of silver pads. A front surface of the semiconductor material serves as a light-incident surface of the photovoltaic cell. A front metallic article is provided, the front metallic article comprising a plurality of electroformed elements interconnected to form a unitary, free-standing piece comprising a continuous grid. The continuous grid of the front metallic article is electrically coupled with the front surface of the semiconductor material. The plurality of cuts of the expanded metal article is arranged to relieve stresses induced by the front metallic article on the front surface of the semiconductor material.

A method comprises providing an expanded metal article having a plurality of first segments intersecting a plurality of second segments thereby forming a plurality of openings. The expanded metal article has a surface comprising a plurality of solder pads. A semiconductor material with a top surface and a bottom surface is provided, the bottom surface having a plurality of silver pads and the top surface serving as a light-incident surface of the photovoltaic cell. At a plurality of soldering locations, a majority of the plurality of solder pads on the surface of the expanded metal article is electrically coupled with the plurality of silver pads on the bottom surface of the semiconductor material. Also disclosed is a photovoltaic cell resulting from this method.

A method of applying solder includes providing a first roller and a second roller, where at least one of the first and second rollers has an outer surface comprising a solder wicking material. A metallic article is provided, the metallic article having a first side and a second side, and having an opening extending from the first side to the second side. The metallic article is dipped in solder, where the dipping forms an initial coating of solder on the metallic article. After the dipping, the metallic article is fed between the first and second rollers. The wicking material removes solder from the metallic article, such that a solder thickness of the initial coating on the metallic article is reduced after exiting the first and second rollers.

Solder application method and apparatus

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

An apparatus and method for processing the solar cell substrates is provided. In one embodiment, a laser firing chamber for processing solar cell substrates placed in a carrier, comprising a laser module located at a side of the carrier, the laser module being adapted to generate and direct multiple laser beams over an entire surface of a plurality of solar cell substrates, and a transport adapted to convey the carrier through an outputting region of the laser beams.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Venkateswaran Subbaraman