A solar cell unit having a semiconductor body formed as a solar cell, whereby the semiconductor body has a front side and a back side, and the solar cell unit has a carrier with a top side and a bottom side, whereby a first contact surface and a second contact surface are formed on the top side, and the first contact surface is spaced apart from the second contact surface and the contact surfaces are metallically conductive and the back side of the semiconductor body is non-positively connected to the top side of the carrier. The solar cell unit has a secondary optical element to guide light to the front side of the semiconductor body, whereby the secondary optical element has a bottom side and the bottom side is non-positively connected to the front side of the semiconductor body.

A display device provided with a polarising photovoltaic module includes (a) a plurality of polarisers; (b) a plurality of pixels which emit or transmit light referred to as image light; (c) a plurality of photovoltaic active zones and a plurality of openings, two adjacent photovoltaic active zones forming an opening and said photovoltaic active zones being arranged between the pixels and the polarisers; wherein said polarisers are semi-reflective and are made up of one or more surfaces selected among planar surfaces, which are concave or convex, and have parabolic, conical, pyramidal, tetrahedral, semi-cylindrical or cylindrical-parabolic shapes, said polarisers being arranged so as to concentrate, by reflection, a first linear polarised component of the ambient light onto said photovoltaic active zones, as well as to transmit, through the polarising photovoltaic module, a second linear polarised component of the ambient light or of the image light.

A display device provided with a polarising photovoltaic module includes (a) a plurality of polarisers; (b) a plurality of pixels which emit or transmit light referred to as image light; (c) a plurality of photovoltaic active zones and a plurality of openings, two adjacent photovoltaic active zones forming an opening and said photovoltaic active zones being arranged between the pixels and the polarisers; wherein said polarisers are semi-reflective and are made up of one or more surfaces selected among planar surfaces, which are concave or convex, and have parabolic, conical, pyramidal, tetrahedral, semi-cylindrical or cylindrical-parabolic shapes, said polarisers being arranged so as to concentrate, by reflection, a first linear polarised component of the ambient light onto said photovoltaic active zones, as well as to transmit, through the polarising photovoltaic module, a second linear polarised component of the ambient light or of the image light.

A solar cell according to the embodiment includes a plurality of back electrode patterns spaced apart from each other on a substrate; a light absorption layer including contact patterns to connect electrodes to each other and division patterns to divide cells into unit cells on the substrate formed with the back electrode patterns; top electrode patterns spaced apart from each other by the division patterns on the light absorption layer; and insulating patterns among the back electrode patterns or on the back electrode patterns. The top electrode patterns are filled in the contact patterns and electrically connected to the back electrode patterns.

A solar cell according to the embodiment includes a plurality of back electrode patterns spaced apart from each other on a substrate; a light absorption layer including contact patterns to connect electrodes to each other and division patterns to divide cells into unit cells on the substrate formed with the back electrode patterns; top electrode patterns spaced apart from each other by the division patterns on the light absorption layer; and insulating patterns among the back electrode patterns or on the back electrode patterns. The top electrode patterns are filled in the contact patterns and electrically connected to the back electrode patterns.

A solar panel includes a front portion. The front portion includes an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer coupled to the electrical insulation layer. The solar panel also includes a cell coupled to the front portion to produce a tile. The solar panel also includes a back portion coupled to the tile. The back portion includes a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer coupled to the honeycomb core layer.

A solar panel includes a front portion. The front portion includes an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer coupled to the electrical insulation layer. The solar panel also includes a cell coupled to the front portion to produce a tile. The solar panel also includes a back portion coupled to the tile. The back portion includes a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer coupled to the honeycomb core layer.

A photovoltaic (“PV”) module may comprise an array of freeform micro-optics and an array of PV cells. The PV module may be a flat panel with a nominal thickness smaller than the length and width of the flat panel. An array of lenses may be embedded in an array substrate. The lenses may be coupled to light pipes. The lenses may concentrate light through the light pipes to multi-junction cells. Diffuse light may be transferred through the array substrate to a silicon cell. The lenses and light pipes may be manufactured using a molding and drawing process.

A photovoltaic (“PV”) module may comprise an array of freeform micro-optics and an array of PV cells. The PV module may be a flat panel with a nominal thickness smaller than the length and width of the flat panel. An array of lenses may be embedded in an array substrate. The lenses may be coupled to light pipes. The lenses may concentrate light through the light pipes to multi-junction cells. Diffuse light may be transferred through the array substrate to a silicon cell. The lenses and light pipes may be manufactured using a molding and drawing process.

A method for forming a solar cell including steps of (1) providing a semiconductor wafer having an upper surface; (2) applying an electrical contact material to the upper surface, the electrical contact material forming an electrically conductive grid that includes grid lines extending from a bus bar; (3) forming an isolation channel in the semiconductor wafer to define a solar cell portion and a wing portion, wherein the wing portion is electrically isolated from the solar cell portion, and wherein the wing portion is substantially free of the electrical contact material; (4) submerging the semiconductor wafer in a solvent, wherein formation of metal dendrites on the grid lines of the electrically conductive grid is inhibited; and (5) separating the solar cell portion from the wing portion.