A thin-film solar module with a substrate and a layer structure applied thereon that comprises a rear electrode layer, a front electrode layer, and an absorber layer arranged between the back electrode layer and the front electrode layer. Serially connected solar cells are formed in the layer structure by patterning zones, wherein each patterning zone comprises a first patterning line for subdividing at least the rear electrode layer, a second patterning line for subdividing at least the absorber layer, and at least one third patterning line for subdividing at least the front electrode layer. At least one patterning zone has one or more optically transparent zones in a zone region reduced by the first patterning line, which are in each case rear-electrode-layer-free, wherein the one or more optically transparent zones are implemented such that the rear electrode layer is continuous in the zone region.

A vertically selective liftoff scribing process is provided. One application is the fabrication of solar cells and solar modules. The basis of this technology is absorption of an indirectly focused laser beam in the front electrode material of the device, which enables removal of this layer (e.g., a P1 scribe) or removal of layers above the front electrode while leaving the front electrode intact (e.g., a P2 or P3 scribe). The laser fluence can be selected to choose between these alternatives, and further fine tuning is possible depending on details of the device structure.

A vertically selective liftoff scribing process is provided. One application is the fabrication of solar cells and solar modules. The basis of this technology is absorption of an indirectly focused laser beam in the front electrode material of the device, which enables removal of this layer (e.g., a P1 scribe) or removal of layers above the front electrode while leaving the front electrode intact (e.g., a P2 or P3 scribe). The laser fluence can be selected to choose between these alternatives, and further fine tuning is possible depending on details of the device structure.

A thin film photovoltaic structure has a substrate, a first conductive layer, a photovoltaic layer, a second conductive layer, multiple serial connection conductive layers and multiple first insulating areas. By using the serial connection conductive layer, each width between each adjacent serially connected photovoltaic structures is reduced, and an effective area of the thin film photovoltaic structure for collecting optic energy is increased, thus enhancing a geometry fill factor of the thin film photovoltaic structure. Further, by using the serial connection conductive layer and the first insulating area to form contact overlap areas in an overlapping arrangement, it can effectively protect conductive areas in the first conductive layer when etching the second conductive layer during the manufacturing process, which prevents the conductive areas from being damaged to not act as electrodes, and efficiently increases a manufacture yielding rate of the thin film photovoltaic structure.

A thin film photovoltaic structure has a substrate, a first conductive layer, a photovoltaic layer, a second conductive layer, multiple serial connection conductive layers and multiple first insulating areas. By using the serial connection conductive layer, each width between each adjacent serially connected photovoltaic structures is reduced, and an effective area of the thin film photovoltaic structure for collecting optic energy is increased, thus enhancing a geometry fill factor of the thin film photovoltaic structure. Further, by using the serial connection conductive layer and the first insulating area to form contact overlap areas in an overlapping arrangement, it can effectively protect conductive areas in the first conductive layer when etching the second conductive layer during the manufacturing process, which prevents the conductive areas from being damaged to not act as electrodes, and efficiently increases a manufacture yielding rate of the thin film photovoltaic structure.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module, comprising at least two electrically connected photovoltaic cells, said module comprising an insulating substrate covered with a layer of a first conductive material. The method comprises: a) forming a groove defining a first and second lower electrode; and b) forming, on each lower electrode, a stack comprising an upper electrode and a photo-active layer. The method further comprises, between steps a) and b), forming: a first insulating step on the groove; then a conductive strip partially covering said first insulating strip; then a second insulating strip partially covering said conductive strip.

An imaging device includes a first substrate including a photoelectric conversion layer that includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type and in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units are provided; a second substrate that is joined to the first substrate and in which a readout circuit substrate that outputs a signal based on information detected by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units is provided; and an element isolation portion defined by a first opening provided so as to penetrate the second substrate and at least one of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units is separated from each other by the element isolation portion.

A thin-film photovoltaic device is proposed having an optimized layout for one of the electrical contacts. The device comprises a substrate. A first thin film forming a first electrical contact of the photovoltaic device is arranged on the substrate. An absorber is arranged on the first electrical contact. A second thin film forming a second electrical contact of the photovoltaic device is arranged on the substrate. A transparent conductive layer is arranged on the absorber. In addition, the second electrical contact is spaced apart from the first electrical contact, and the transparent conductive layer is in contact with the absorber and the second electrical contact.

A thin-film photovoltaic device is proposed having an optimized layout for one of the electrical contacts. The device comprises a substrate. A first thin film forming a first electrical contact of the photovoltaic device is arranged on the substrate. An absorber is arranged on the first electrical contact. A second thin film forming a second electrical contact of the photovoltaic device is arranged on the substrate. A transparent conductive layer is arranged on the absorber. In addition, the second electrical contact is spaced apart from the first electrical contact, and the transparent conductive layer is in contact with the absorber and the second electrical contact.

A targeted-annealing system can automatically cure a conductive paste that may bind cascaded strips of a string together without damaging the strips. The targeted-annealing system can process strings of cascaded strips on a supporting surface, and can anneal conductive paste between overlapping strips by blowing heated air on the overlapping sections of the strips. An air nozzle shaped to target the overlapping sections may provide the heated air. The supporting surface may include a porous material that allows a vacuum to pull on the cascaded strips from below the surface during the annealing process.