Optically-thin, quantum-structured solar cells incorporating III-V quantum wells or quantum dots have the potential to revolutionize the performance of photovoltaic devices. Enhanced spectral response characteristics have been widely demonstrated in both quantum well and quantum dot solar cells using a variety of different III-V materials. To fully leverage the extended spectral response of quantum-structured solar cells, new device designs are disclosed that can both maximize the current generating capability of the limited volume of narrow band gap material and minimize the unwanted carrier recombination that degrades the voltage output.

In various embodiments, a photovoltaic module is provided. The photovoltaic module may include a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells. The photovoltaic cell may include a substrate with a front-side and a rear-side, and a metallization on the rear-side of the substrate. At least some of the plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells are at least partially bifacial photovoltaic cells. The photovoltaic module may further include an encapsulation of the plurality of photovoltaic cells. A first transparent cover may be arranged over the encapsulation, and a second transparent cover may be arranged over the encapsulation. A diffuse rear-side reflector may be arranged over the encapsulation where the diffuse rear-side reflector is disposed at a distance from the second transparent cover in the range from approximately 0.5 cm to 20 cm from the rear-side surface of the second transparent cover.

A light-receiving device includes: a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in a row on a main surface of a substrate and a first reflection surface and a second reflection surface formed on the substrate to extend in the arrangement direction with the row of the plurality of light-receiving elements interposed therebetween. Each of the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface includes an inclined surface forming one flat surface formed from a main surface of the substrate on which each light-receiving element is formed to a back surface side of the substrate.

A solar cell, and methods of fabricating said solar cell, are disclosed. The solar cell can include a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. The solar cell can include a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type disposed on a first dielectric layer, wherein the first dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate. The solar cell can also include a second semiconductor region of a second, different, conductivity type disposed on a second dielectric layer, where a portion of the second thin dielectric layer is disposed between the first and second semiconductor regions. The solar cell can include a third dielectric layer disposed on the second semiconductor region. The solar cell can include a first conductive contact disposed over the first semiconductor region but not the third dielectric layer. The solar cell can include a second conductive contact disposed over the second semiconductor region, where the second conductive contact is disposed over the third dielectric layer and second semiconductor region. In an embodiment, the third dielectric layer can be a dopant layer.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of processing a solar cell device. The method comprises detecting at least one inconsistency at a surface of a semiconductor substrate having a solar cell active region formed therein. A deposition pattern is determined based on the location of the at least one inconsistency. A material is selectively deposited on the substrate according to the deposition pattern.

Disclosed herein is an inclined thin film solar cell. The inclined thin film solar cell includes a substrate including at least one first surface having a surface inclined at a first angle with respect to the bottom surface of the substrate and at least one second surface located adjacent to the first surface and having a surface which is connected to a next inclined surface and inclined at a second angle, a first electrode famed on a surface of the substrate, a light absorbing layer famed on the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the light absorbing layer.

A microfabrication method is provided with which it is possible to easily form a fine periodic structure on a surface of any substrate. A glass precursor is applied to a substrate, and the glass precursor is irradiated with short-pulse laser light. By the irradiation with short-pulse laser light, the glass precursor is activated to undergo a thermal reaction, and a fine periodic structure can be easily formed on the surface. Furthermore, by oxidizing the substrate on which the fine periodic structure has been formed, the hue of the surface can be improved while maintaining the fine periodic structure.

A solar module includes solar cells that are encapsulated. A back layer is disposed towards back sides of the solar cells and a transparent layer is disposed towards front sides of the solar cells. A protection coating is formed on a surface of the solar cells. The protection coating can be continuous or have a pattern with cutouts that expose the surface of the solar cells.

Described herein is a photovoltaic module, which includes PV cells capable of converting light incoming from a front side and from a rear side (3) and a transparent rear side including a rear surface carrying a structured layer (9), where the lower surface of the structured layer (9) is the lower surface of the module, and where the surface of layer (9) is structured by parallel V-shaped grooves of depth h2 or less than h2, where the lateral faces of the grooves of depth less than h2 form a groove angle beta and adjacent faces of neighbouring grooves form a peak of apex angle alpha, characterized in that h2 is from the range 5 to 200 micrometer, and each pair of neighbouring grooves includes one groove of depth h2 and one groove of depth (h2−h1), where h1 ranges from 0.1 h2 to 0.9 h2.

The present invention relates to a photovoltaic element comprising: i. a light transmissive, coloured multilayer top sheet having an appearance that exhibits a colouration change depending on the viewing angle, the top sheet comprising: a. a textured transparent front cover sheet, and b. a pigmented top coating layer disposed on the backside of the top sheet with respect to the direction of the incandescent light; ii. a first encapsulant layer; iii. one or more photovoltaic cells, each comprising at least one photovoltaically active surface, and comprising two electrically-conductive electrode layers with a photovoltaic material disposed between them; iv. a second encapsulant layer, and v. a back cover sheet.