Patent · US Expired

Photovoltaic module fabrication process

US5457057A · kind A · utility

99Cited by
8References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 1994
Grant dateOct 10, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 28, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P70/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Photovoltaic devices comprised of one or more encapsulated slabs of photovoltaic material are prepared by a process wherein a large area body of photovoltaic material is divided into a plurality of slabs. A photoactive area is defined within each slab, and defects therein passivated. Current collecting structures are affixed to each slab, and if the device includes a plurality of slabs, they are electrically interconnected. The front surfaces of the slabs are laminated with a transparent protective material, and the rear surfaces are bonded to a support plate. Also disclosed herein is a particular configuration of bus bar tape for interconnecting the slabs and an apparatus for preparing the current collecting wires.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.