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.

Two-terminal electronic devices, such as photodetectors, photovoltaic devices and electroluminescent devices, are provided. The devices include a first electrode residing on a substrate, wherein the first electrode comprises a layer of metal; an I-layer comprising an inorganic insulating or broad band semiconducting material residing on top of the first electrode, and aligned with the first electrode, wherein the inorganic insulating or broad band semiconducting material is a compound of the metal of the first electrode; a semiconductor layer, preferably comprising a p-type semiconductor, residing over the I-layer; and a second electrode residing over the semiconductor layer, the electrode comprising a layer of a conductive material. The band gap of the material of the semiconductor layer, is preferably smaller than the band gap of the I-layer material. The band gap of the material of the I-layer is preferably greater than 2.5 eV.

Two-terminal electronic devices, such as photodetectors, photovoltaic devices and electroluminescent devices, are provided. The devices include a first electrode residing on a substrate, wherein the first electrode comprises a layer of metal; an I-layer comprising an inorganic insulating or broad band semiconducting material residing on top of the first electrode, and aligned with the first electrode, wherein the inorganic insulating or broad band semiconducting material is a compound of the metal of the first electrode; a semiconductor layer, preferably comprising a p-type semiconductor, residing over the I-layer; and a second electrode residing over the semiconductor layer, the electrode comprising a layer of a conductive material. The band gap of the material of the semiconductor layer, is preferably smaller than the band gap of the I-layer material. The band gap of the material of the I-layer is preferably greater than 2.5 eV.

Flat top beam laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, back surface field formation, selective doping, and metal ablation. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films.

A method for producing a rear-side contact system for a silicon thin-film solar cell having pn junction formed from a silicon absorber layer and an emitter layer includes applying an organic insulation layer to the emitter layer; producing contact holes in the insulation layer as far as the absorber layer and the emitter layer; subsequently insulating the contact holes; subsequently applying a low-melting metal layer to form n and p contacts in the contact holes; separating the metal layer into n-contacting and p-contacting regions by laser-cutting; before applying the organic insulation layer to the emitter layer, applying a TCO layer; producing holes for contacts for the silicon absorber layer in the organic insulation; and subsequently selectively doping the produced holes for the contacts as far as the silicon absorber layer.

Solar cell element with a carrier (14), a thin film layer structure on a surface of the carrier, the thin film layer structure comprises a transparent first electrode layer (20), active layers (22, 23) in which a portion of the energy of the incident light is absorbed and a second electrode layer (24), the thin film layer structure has a light reflecting rear boundary surface, and the surface of said carrier (14) comprises at least two planar surface regions that close and angle with and form continuation of each other so that between them a recess is formed, and a portion of light reflected from the rear boundary surface of a first surface region will pass through the recess to fall on the second surface region and generates additional charge carriers therein, and the thin film structure on the surface regions constitutes a uniform uninterrupted thin film structure, wherein the extent of absorption of the thin film structure in the visible spectral region of light is at most 90% of the energy of the incident light. A plurality of the solar cell elements forms a solar cell arrangement, in which the carrier (14) is common for all cell elements and a surface of the carrier (14) has a plurality of juxtaposed pyramid-like recesses on which the thin film layers are provided.

Solar cell element with a carrier (14), a thin film layer structure on a surface of the carrier, the thin film layer structure comprises a transparent first electrode layer (20), active layers (22, 23) in which a portion of the energy of the incident light is absorbed and a second electrode layer (24), the thin film layer structure has a light reflecting rear boundary surface, and the surface of said carrier (14) comprises at least two planar surface regions that close and angle with and form continuation of each other so that between them a recess is formed, and a portion of light reflected from the rear boundary surface of a first surface region will pass through the recess to fall on the second surface region and generates additional charge carriers therein, and the thin film structure on the surface regions constitutes a uniform uninterrupted thin film structure, wherein the extent of absorption of the thin film structure in the visible spectral region of light is at most 90% of the energy of the incident light. A plurality of the solar cell elements forms a solar cell arrangement, in which the carrier (14) is common for all cell elements and a surface of the carrier (14) has a plurality of juxtaposed pyramid-like recesses on which the thin film layers are provided.

A solar energy device includes a solar panel array including a plurality of solar panels, each of the solar panels being divided into solar sub-panels. The solar sub-panels have unequal shapes but equal areas. Wires electrically connect the solar sub-panels and connect the solar panels. The solar panels are secured on a base which is formed with cutouts to receive the wires. The wires are fixed to the solar sub-panels but are free to move with respect to the base.

A method for producing an intermediate product for obtaining a photovoltaic module comprising a plurality of solar cells, said method comprising the following steps: (a) localized deposition on a substrate (4) of a layer of metal (8) so as to cover at least one portion (401) of the substrate, (b) deposition on this localized layer (8) of a layer (41) of conductive material, said layer coating the localized layer (8).

A method for producing an intermediate product for obtaining a photovoltaic module comprising a plurality of solar cells, said method comprising the following steps: (a) localized deposition on a substrate (4) of a layer of metal (8) so as to cover at least one portion (401) of the substrate, (b) deposition on this localized layer (8) of a layer (41) of conductive material, said layer coating the localized layer (8).