Solar cell design that minimizes weld attrition and gridline shadowing losses

US12100772B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• Philip T. Chiu · Los Angeles, US
• Peter Hebert · Glendale, US
• Uming T. Jeng · Rosemead, US
• Christopher M. Fetzer · Valencia, US
• Moran Haddad · Calabasas, US
• Dennis G. Hom · Deer Lake Highlands, US
• Joseph P. O'Day · El Segundo, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 4, 2019
• Grant date: Sep 24, 2024
• Expiry date: Oct 2, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/50

Abstract

A solar cell design includes fabricating one or more gridlines for extracting photo-current on a front surface of the solar cell, wherein each of the gridlines is a metal grid and a cap layer, and at least a portion of the metal grid is deposited on the cap layer; and controlling an alignment of the metal grid relative to the cap layer, and a width of the cap layer relative to a width of the metal grid, so that a minimum cap edge offset distance value is about 1 μm or more. The alignment of the metal grid relative to the cap layer and the width of the cap layer relative to the width of the metal grid are controlled at areas on the front surface of the solar cell opposite where welding occurs on a back-side of the solar cell. The alignments and widths of the metal grid relative to the cap layer are controlled by a photomask.