Thin-film solar module

US6274804A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Angewandte Solarenergie-Ase GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Walter Psyk · Munich, DE
• Peter Lechner · Vaterstetten, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 19, 1999
• Grant date: Aug 14, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 19, 2019

Classification

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

Abstract

A thin-film solar module consists of a number of solar cells tandem mounted and series-connected on a common substrate and a number of diodes disposed antiparallel and adjacent thereto. Overlap zones are formed by a projecting edge area of an electrode layer of a solar cell or diode engaging a recess of the corresponding electrode layer of the adjacent diode or solar cell. Each diode is connected in the reverse direction with the adjacent solar cell in at least two overlap zones, the front electrode layer of the diode with the back electrode layer of the solar cell in at least one of said overlap zones, and the back electrode layer of the diode with the front electrode layer of the solar cell in at least one other overlap zone. The photovoltaically active layer sequence is additionally separated by grooves in areas of the grooves of the back electrode layer.