The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 12, 1978
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1978
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
The invention contemplates a solar-cell construction wherein plural spaced elongate unit cells of an array are formed from a parallel-grooved single wafer of substrate material of a first conductivity type, with adjacent sidewalls of adjacent units at each inter-unit groove formation. In the transverse succession of such groove formations, the sidewalls of every other groove are formed with regions of a second conductivity type, so that at or near the radiation-exposure surface of each unit there is but one junction between first and second conductivity types. In one general form, all grooves go all the way between upper and lower wafer surfaces, thus defining discrete single-cell units; in another general form, every other groove ends close to but short of the upper surface, thus defining discrete twin-cell units. The units are series-connected by making ohmic connection between the second conductivity-type region of one unit and a first conductivity-type region of an adjacent unit. The construction lends itself to a relatively simple and economical method of manufacture, which is also described.