Adaptable free-standing metallic article for semiconductors

US8936709B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GTAT Corporation · US

Inventors

• Steve Babayan · Tecate Mission Road, US
• Robert Brainard · Sunnyvale, US
• Arvind Chari · Saratoga, US
• Alejandro de la Fuente Vornbrock · Redwood City, US
• Venkatesan Murali · San Jose, US
• Gopal Prabhu · San Jose, US
• Arthur Rudin · معلمی نژاد, US
• Venkateswaran Subbaraman · San Jose, US
• David Tanner · San Jose, US
• Dong Xu · Shanghai, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 13, 2013
• Grant date: Jan 20, 2015
• Expiry date: Nov 13, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/50
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

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.