A method for fabricating a solar cell and the and the resulting structures, e.g., micro-electronic devices, semiconductor substrates and/or solar cells, are described. The method can include: providing a solar cell having metal foil having first regions that are electrically connected to semiconductor regions on a substrate at a plurality of conductive contact structures, and second regions; locating a carrier sheet over the second regions; bonding the carrier sheet to the second regions; and removing the carrier sheet from the substrate to selectively remove the second regions of the metal foil.

A concentrator photovoltaic module 1M includes a vessel-shaped housing 11 composed of a metal and a flexible printed wiring board 12 provided so as to be in contact with an inner surface of the housing 11. The flexible printed wiring board 12 includes an insulating layer 124, an insulating substrate 121a, a pattern 121b, a plurality of power generation elements 122, and an insulting layer 126. The insulating layer 124 is in contact with a bottom surface 11a of the housing 11. The insulating substrate 121a is provided on the insulating layer 124 and has flexibility. The pattern 121b is composed of a conductor and is provided on the insulating substrate 121a. The plurality of power generation elements 122 are mounted on the pattern 121b. The insulating layer 126 is provided so as to cover an entire surface of the pattern 121b except for portions where the power generation elements 122 are mounted.

A method for forming an organic thin film solar battery includes steps of: providing a substrate and an evaporating source; forming a first electrode on a surface of the substrate; spacing the evaporating source from the first electrode, and heating the carbon nanotube film structure to gasify the photoactive material and form a photoactive layer on a surface of the first electrode; and forming a second electrode on a surface of the photoactive layer.

Foil trim approaches for the foil-based metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. For example, a method involves attaching a metal foil sheet to a metallized surface of an underlying supported wafer to provide a unified pairing of the metal foil sheet and the wafer. Subsequent to attaching the metal foil sheet, a portion of the metal foil sheet is laser scribed from above to form a groove in the metal foil sheet. Subsequent to laser scribing the metal foil sheet, the unified pairing of the metal foil sheet and the wafer is rotated to provide the metal sheet below the wafer. Subsequent to the rotating, the unified pairing of the metal foil sheet and the wafer is placed on a chuck with the metal sheet below the wafer. The metal foil sheet is torn at least along the groove to trim the metal foil sheet.

A photovoltaic string includes a plurality of photovoltaic shingle and a metallic connector; the shingle being glued in pairs, forming a plurality of overlapping surfaces, each overlapping surface having an overlap width, the metallic connector being glued or welded to an end shingle forming a transfer surface, the transfer surface having a transfer width greater than or equal to each of the overlap widths, the active surface of the end shingle preferably being greater than or equal to the active surface of an intermediate shingle.

A solar cell is fabricated by etching one or more of its layers without substantially etching another layer of the solar cell. In one embodiment, a copper layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching a topmost metallic layer comprising tin. For example, an etchant comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide may be employed to etch the copper layer selective to the tin layer. A particular example of the aforementioned etchant is a Co-Bra Etch® etchant modified to comprise about 1% by volume of sulfuric acid, about 4% by volume of phosphoric acid, and about 2% by volume of stabilized hydrogen peroxide. In one embodiment, an aluminum layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching the tin layer. For example, an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide may be employed to etch the aluminum layer without substantially etching the tin layer.

A method for electrical testing of a back contact solar cell applies a first side of a temporary passivation sheet to a frontside of a back contact solar cell, the first side of the temporary passivation sheet comprising at least a transparent dielectric layer. The temporary passivation sheet having a second side opposite the first side and comprising at least a transparent conductive coating. A voltage is applied between the transparent conductive coating and base metallization of the back contact solar cell. The frontside of the back contact solar cell is illuminated through the transparent conductive coating and the transparent dielectric layer. Electrical testing is performed on the back contact solar cell. The temporary passivation sheet is removed from the frontside of the back contact solar cell.

A photovoltaic cell includes an edge; an interconnection conductive track extending parallel to the edge to within 1.3 mm; and a plurality of electrodes, called “collection fingers”, extending parallel to each other and electrically connected to the interconnection track; the interconnection conductive track including a plurality of spaced-apart closed-contour conductive patterns, each closed-contour conductive pattern including a closed contour surrounding a portion of the first face.

A photovoltaic assembly comprising: (a) at least two photovoltaic components that are adjacent to each other, each photovoltaic component comprising: (i) a partial connector channel in communication with a partial connector channel in an adjacent photovoltaic component and (ii) one or more connector receptors; (b) a connector located at least partially in the partial connector channel of the photovoltaic component and at least partially in the partial connector channel of the adjacent photovoltaic component so that the connector connects the photovoltaic component to the adjacent photovoltaic component, the connector comprising: a housing having: (1) a top housing and (2) a bottom housing, wherein the top housing and the bottom housing each include a first end and a second end; one or more flexible electrical conductors that extend from the first end to the second end; wherein the top housing and the bottom housing each include one or more mechanical flexing regions that allow the housing to mechanically flex.

The invention relates to a carrier body (1) for solar cells (2). According to the invention, in order to significantly improve the thermal resistivity of the connection between a solar cell (2) and the carrier body (1) or a cooling element, the carrier body (1) is made of a ceramic material having sintered metallization regions (3), at least one solar cell (2) is soldered or sintered onto the carrier body (1) and electrically connected to the metallization regions (3), and the carrier body (1) has ceramic cooling elements.