A solar cell comprising a semiconductor substrate, first semiconductor layers, second semiconductor layers, a band-like first base electrode stacked on the first semiconductor layer, a band-like second base electrode stacked on the second semiconductor layer, a first electrode insulation stacked on the first base electrodes, a second electrode insulation stacked on the second base electrodes, an intermediate insulation stacked on a region of the first semiconductor layer in which the first base electrode is not stacked, and a region of the second semiconductor layer in which the second base electrode is not stacked, a first current collector stacked to span the second electrode insulation and the intermediate insulation, and a second current collector stacked to span the first electrode insulation and the intermediate insulation.

An apparatus is disclosed for transferring a pattern of a composition containing particles of an electrically conductive material and a thermally activated adhesive from a surface of a flexible web to a surface of a substrate. The apparatus comprises: respective drive mechanisms for advancing the web and the substrate to a nip through which the web and the substrate pass at the same time and where a pressure roller acts to press the surfaces of the web and the substrate against one another, a heating station for heating at least one of the web and the substrate prior to, or during, passage through the nip, to a temperature at which the adhesive in the composition is activated, a cooling station for cooling the web after passage through the nip, and a separating device for peeling the web away from the substrate after passage through the cooling station, to leave the pattern of composition adhered to the surface of the substrate.

This specification describes automated reel processes for producing solar modules and solar module reels. In some examples, a method includes receiving a continuous feed of photovoltaic devices on a photovoltaic device sheet. The method includes locating and bypassing one or more defective photovoltaic devices on the photovoltaic device sheet. The method includes installing bussing for the photovoltaic devices on the photovoltaic device sheet. The method includes feeding the photovoltaic device sheet to an encapsulation system to output a photovoltaic module sheet.

Photovoltaic devices and methods for fabricating a photovoltaic devices. The method includes applying a coating layer that surrounds each of a plurality of silicon particles. The method also includes implanting the plurality of silicon particles into a substrate layer such that an exposed portion of each of the plurality of silicon particles extends away from a surface of the substrate layer. The method further includes removing a portion of the coating layer that is positioned around the exposed portion of each of the plurality of silicon particles. The method also includes placing an insulator layer on the surface of the substrate layer. The method further includes placing a selective carrier transport layer on the exposed portion of each of the plurality of silicon particles.

A method is disclosed for applying an electrical conductor to a solar cell, which comprises providing a flexible membrane with a pattern of groove formed on a first surface thereof, and loading the grooves with a composition comprising conductive particles. The composition is, or may be made, electrically conductive. Once the membrane is loaded, the grooved first surface of the membrane is brought into contact with a front or/and back of a solar cell. A pressure is then applied between the solar cell and the membrane(s) so that the composition loaded to the grooves adheres to the solar cell. The membrane(s) and the solar cell are separated and the composition in the groove is left on the solar cell surface. The electrically conductive particles in the composition are then sintered or otherwise fused to form a pattern of electrical conductor on the solar cell, the pattern corresponding to the pattern formed in the membrane(s).

A method for manufacturing high efficiency solar cells is disclosed. The method comprises providing a thin dielectric layer and a doped polysilicon layer on the back side of a silicon substrate. Subsequently, a high quality oxide layer and a wide band gap doped semiconductor layer can both be formed on the back and front sides of the silicon substrate. A metallization process to plate metal fingers onto the doped polysilicon layer through contact openings can then be performed. The plated metal fingers can form a first metal gridline. A second metal gridline can be formed by directly plating metal to an emitter region on the back side of the silicon substrate, eliminating the need for contact openings for the second metal gridline. Among the advantages, the method for manufacture provides decreased thermal processes, decreased etching steps, increased efficiency and a simplified procedure for the manufacture of high efficiency solar cells.

A visibly transparent planar structure using a CPA scheme to boost the absorption of a multi-layer thin-film configuration, requiring no surface patterning, to overcome the intrinsic absorption limitation of the absorbing material. This is achieved in a multi-layer absorbing Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity, namely a thin-film amorphous silicon solar cell. Omni-resonance is achieved across a bandwidth of 80 nm in the near-infrared (NIR), thus increasing the effective absorption of the material, without modifying the material itself, enhancing it beyond its intrinsic absorption over a considerable spectral range. The apparatus achieved an increased external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 90% of the photocurrent generated in the 80 nm NIR region from 660 to 740 nm as compared to a bare solar cell. over the spectral range of interest.

Disclosed is interdigitated back contact (IBC) photovoltaic devices and modules that are based on a silicon structured device which includes: a silicon-based substrate, an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer a-Si:H(i) situated on substrate a first patterned silicon layer, and a second patterned nano-crystalline silicon layer on the first patterned silicon layer. The second patterned layer is of the same type of doping than the first patterned silicon layer The first patterned layer and the second patterned layer form photovoltaic structures, of which at least one constitutes a fiducial mark having, in a predetermined wavelength range, a different optical reflectivity, than the reflectivity of the intrinsic amorphous silicon (a-Si:H(i)) layer portions interstices between the photovoltaic structures. Also disclosed are a photovoltaic device, photovoltaic modules and a method of fabrication of the photovoltaic device.

The present disclosure relates to a photodiode, a method for preparing the same, and an electronic device. The photodiode includes: a first electrode layer and a semiconductor structure that are stacked, a surface of the semiconductor structure away from the first electrode layer having a first concave-convex structure; and a second electrode layer arranged on a surface of the semiconductor structure away from the first electrode layer, a surface of the second electrode layer away from the first electrode layer having a second concave-convex structure.

A backside emitter solar cell structure having a heterojunction, and a method and a device for producing the same. A backside intrinsic layer is first formed on the back side of the substrate, then a frontside intrinsic layer and a frontside doping layer are formed on the front side of the substrate, and finally a backside doping layer is formed on the back side of the substrate.