A solar cell receiver subassembly for use in a concentrating solar system which concentrates the solar energy onto a solar cell by a factor of 1000 or more for converting solar energy to electricity, including an optical element defining an optical channel, a solar cell receiver having a support; a solar cell mounted on the support adjacent to the optical element and in the optical path of the optical channel, the solar cell comprising one or more III-V compound semiconductor layers and capable of generating in excess of 20 watts of peak DC power; a diode mounted on the support and coupled in parallel with the solar cell; and first and second electrical contacts mounted on the support and coupled in parallel with the solar cell and the diode; and an encapsulant covering the support, the solar cell, the diode, and at least a portion of the exterior sides of the optical element.

A multijunction solar cell including interconnected first and second discrete semiconductor regions disposed adjacent and parallel to each other including first top solar subcell, second (and possibly third) lattice matched middle solar subcells; a graded interlayer adjacent to the last middle solar subcell; and a bottom solar subcell adjacent to said graded interlayer being lattice mismatched with respect to the last middle solar subcell; wherein an opening is provided from the bottom side of the semiconductor substrate to one or more of the solar subcells so as to allow a discrete electrical connector to be made extending in free space and to electrically connect contact pads on one or more of the solar subcells.

A substrate pad for soldering at least one self-aligning component thereon, wherein at least one edge of a body of the substrate pad is shaped to conform to a corresponding edge of a component pad, and the at least one edge of the body of the substrate pad further include a plurality of pad fingers leading away from the substrate pad. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

The present disclosure provides a solar cell module, comprising (a) a laminate substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, (b) a solar cell positioned on the first surface of the laminate substrate, (c) a first contact pad positioned on the first surface of the laminate substrate adjacent to the solar cell, (d) a second contact pad positioned on the second surface of the laminate substrate, (e) one or more vias positioned through the laminate substrate to electrically connect the first contact pad to the second contact pad, and (f) one or more interconnects extending from the solar cell and electrically coupling the solar cell to the first contact pad.

A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency. The solar cell module may comprise for example a series connected string of N greater than or equal to 25 rectangular or substantially rectangular solar cells having on average a breakdown voltage greater than about 10 volts, with the solar cells grouped into one or more super cells each of which comprises two or more of the solar cells arranged in line with long sides of adjacent solar cells overlapping and conductively bonded to each other, and with no single solar cell or group of <N solar cells in the string of solar cells individually electrically connected in parallel with a bypass diode.

Disclosed herein are solar cells comprising semiconductor substrates and Cu electrodes attached thereto, wherein, the Cu electrodes are derived from conductive pastes containing powder mixtures of Cu particles and crystalline Ge particles and glass frits dispersed in organic media.

A solar cell unit having a semiconductor body formed as a solar cell and having a front side and a back side, a carrier with a top side enclosed by at least four edges, a bottom side, and a first contact surface, formed on the top side and connected to the first terminal contact, and a second contact surface, connected to the second terminal contact and spaced apart from the first contact surface, and a secondary optical element. A back side of the semiconductor body is non-positively connected to a part of the top side of the carrier. The secondary optical element guides light to the front side of the semiconductor body and at least parts of the bottom side of the secondary optical element are non-positively connected to the front side of the semiconductor body and/or to the top side of the carrier by a polymer adhesive layer.

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 solar cell according to the embodiment includes a back electrode layer on a support substrate; a first through hole dividing the back electrode layer into a plurality of back electrodes; a first contact pattern in the back electrode layer; a light absorbing layer formed on the back electrode layer and including a second contact pattern on the first contact pattern; and a front electrode layer on the light absorbing layer.

The invention relates to a method for producing an optical module, comprising the following steps: a) providing a chip having an optical element integrated in the chip, wherein the optical element bas a first electrode and a second electrode, and wherein the chip has a first connection contact for the first electrode and a second connection contact for the second electrode, such that an operating voltage for the optical element can be applied between the first connection contact and the second connection contact, and wherein the chip has an optically active side, which is designed to emit and/or to receive radiation; b) connecting the chip to a film, such that the film completely covers the optically active side of the chip, wherein the film is a film made from acrylate, polyarylate, or polyurethane, wherein the film, at least in the region located above the optically active side, is transparent to radiation which. when operating voltage is applied, can be emitted or received by the optical element; c) contacting the first connection contact of the chip by means of a conducting track arranged on the film and contacting the second connection contact by means of an additional conducting track.