Metallization of semiconductor substrates using a laser beam, and the resulting structures, e.g., micro-electronic devices, semiconductor substrates and/or solar cells, solar cell circuit, solar cell strings, and solar cell arrays are described. A solar cell string can include a plurality of solar cells. The plurality of solar cells can include a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor regions disposed in or above the substrate. A plurality of conductive contact structures is electrically connected to the plurality semiconductor regions. Each conductive contact structure includes a locally deposited metal portion disposed in contact with a corresponding one of the semiconductor regions.

The present disclosure provides a method of reducing the thermomechanical stress in the silicon solar cells induced in the interconnection process. The front and rear metal electrodes of the solar cell are provided in such a way that the outermost bonding point between the front metal electrodes and the front interconnects (ribbons or wires) is aligned to the outermost bonding point between the rear metal electrodes and the rear interconnects. The method is applicable to busbar-based interconnection using stringing/tabbing process and wire-based interconnection such as Multi-Busbar and smart wire connection technology. The method can be applied to both mono-facial and bifacial solar cells. The reduced-area busbar end in the busbar-based interconnection increases the tolerance of misalignment of the outermost bonding points introduced by the manufacturing processes.

A solar cell assembly having a flexible circuit is described. The solar cell assembly includes a solar cell having a solar-facing surface and a non-solar-facing surface, the solar cell comprising a cell corner. The solar cell assembly further includes a flexible circuit coupled to the non-solar-facing surface of the solar. The flexible circuit is substantially coextensive with the solar cell. The flexible circuit includes a flexible insulator including a plurality of edges aligned with the solar cell, a flexible corner extending past the cell corner, and a flexible tab extending from an edge of the plurality of edges. The flexible circuit includes a circuit substantially embedded in the flexible insulator. The circuit comprises a first electric contact exposed at a solar-facing side of the flexible corner, and a second electric contact exposed at a solar-facing side of the flexible tab.

Provided are a photovoltaic module, comprising a solar cell string having a plurality of solar cells arranged in sequence, adjacent solar cells being connected by solder strips, the solder strip being connected to a front surface of one solar cell and to a back surface of the other solar cell, a long-side dimension of the solar cell being within a range of 150 mm to 220 mm; two protective adhesive layers respectively covering front and back surfaces of the solar cell string, a dimensional difference between thicknesses of one protective adhesive layer and the solder strip being defined as first thickness, a ratio of the first thickness to the thickness of one protective adhesive layer being not less than 0 and not greater than 20%; a transparent plate covering the protective adhesive layer on the front surface; and a back plate covering the protective adhesive layer on the back surface.

Solar devices and methods for producing solar devices are disclosed. In some examples, a solar device includes solar cells arranged in a shingled manner such that adjacent long edges of adjacent ones of the solar cells overlap. The adjacent long edges have a non-linear shape that has protruding portions. The solar device includes contact pads arranged in the protruding portions of the adjacent long edges such that the contact pads of the adjacent ones of the solar cells are electrically connected.

A solar module and a method for fabricating a solar module comprising a plurality of rear contact solar cells are described. Rear contact solar cells (1) are provided with a large size of e.g. 156×156 mm.sup.2. Soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) applied on emitter contacts (5) and base contacts (7) are provided with one or more soldering pads (9, 11) arranged linearly. The soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis (17). Each solar cell (1) is then separated into first and second cell portions (19, 21) along a line (23) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (17). Due to such cell separation and the asymmetrical design of the soldering pad arrangements (13, 15), the first and second cell portions (19, 21) may then be arranged alternately along a line with each second cell portion (21) arranged in a 180°-orientation with respect to the first cell portions (19) and such that emitter soldering pad arrangements (13) of a first cell portion (19) are aligned with base soldering pad arrangements (15) of neighboring second cell portions (21), and vice versa. Simple linear ribbon-type connector strips (25) may be used for interconnecting the cell portions (19, 21) by soldering onto the underlying aligned emitter and base soldering pad arrangements (13, 15). The interconnection approach enables using standard ribbon-type connector strips (25) while reducing any bow as well as reducing series resistance losses.

A solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate, a conductive region disposed in or on the semiconductor substrate, and an electrode comprising a plurality of finger lines connected to the conductive region, and formed to extend in a first direction while being parallel, and 6 or more bus bar lines formed to extend in a second direction crossing the first direction.

A solar panel includes a silicon cells submodule of silicon based cells, a front transparent plate and a backsheet. The backsheet is arranged with at least a first conductive pattern that is connected to rear surface electrical contacts on each of the silicon cells. A thin film photovoltaic submodule is arranged between the front transparent plate and the silicon cells, and includes thin film cells in an arrangement with two photovoltaic submodule contacts that connect to a second conductive pattern on the backsheet. The backsheet is arranged for four-terminal wiring with the first pattern for the silicon cells and the second pattern for the thin film cells. The thin film cells are disposed in a first group of cells and in at least a second group of cells, each connected in series. The first group is connected in parallel with the second group, between the photovoltaic submodule contacts.

A solar system comprises at least one solar panel with a plurality of solar cells. The solar panels include first and second split-circuits to extract electrical energy from the solar panel. The first split-circuit includes solar panel wires that electrically connect, in series, the solar cells of the first split-circuit to extract electrical energy from the solar panel. Similarly, the second split-circuit includes solar panel wires that electrically connect, in series, the solar cells of the second split-circuit to extract electrical energy from the solar panel. The first and second split-circuits are configured to generate a voltage not to exceed a voltage specification, such as a voltage specification of 35 volts.

A solar module and a method for fabricating a solar module comprising a plurality of rear contact solar cells are described. Rear contact solar cells (1) are provided with a large size of e.g. 156×156 mm.sup.2. Soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) applied on emitter contacts (5) and base contacts (7) are provided with one or more soldering pads (9, 11) arranged linearly. The soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis (17). Each solar cell (1) is then separated into first and second cell portions (19, 21) along a line (23) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (17). Due to such cell separation and the asymmetrical design of the soldering pad arrangements (13, 15), the first and second cell portions (19, 21) may then be arranged alternately along a line with each second cell portion (21) arranged in a 180°-orientation with respect to the first cell portions (19) and such that emitter soldering pad arrangements (13) of a first cell portion (19) are aligned with base soldering pad arrangements (15) of neighboring second cell portions (21), and vice versa. Simple linear ribbon-type connector strips (25) may be used for interconnecting the cell portions (19, 21) by soldering onto the underlying aligned emitter and base soldering pad arrangements (13, 15). The interconnection approach enables using standard ribbon-type connector strips (25) while reducing any bow as well as reducing series resistance losses.