A solar cell includes a solar cell substrate including a principal surface on which a p-type surface and an n-type surface are exposed, a p-side electrode formed on the p-type surface and including a first linear portion linearly extending in a first direction, and an n-side electrode formed on the n-type surface and including a second linear portion linearly extending in the first direction and arranged next to the first linear portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Corners of a tip end of at least one of the first and second linear portions are formed in a chamfered shape.

The invention relates to a device for interconnecting photovoltaic cells having contacts on their back side, comprising at least one layer of a woven produced from electrically insulating fibers, comprising at least one thread or tape section made of an electrically conductive material woven with said fibers and arranged so as to be flush with the surface of at least one region of the woven in order to form an electrical contact region intended to be connected to a contact pad located on the back side of a cell. The invention also relates to a module of interconnected photovoltaic cells having contacts on the back side, comprising an interconnecting device arranged along the back side of the cells, and a process for manufacturing such a module.

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, 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 crystalline semiconductor, including crystalline silicon.

A multijunction solar cell assembly of two or more spatially split solar cell subassemblies, each of which includes a respective monolithic semiconductor body composed of a tandem stack of solar subcells, where the subassemblies are interconnected electrically to one another so that a series electrical circuit is formed between groups of one or more subcells in each subassembly. In some cases, relatively high band gap semiconductor materials can be used for the upper subcells. The solar cell assemblies can be particularly advantageous for applications in space.

Disclosed herein is an integrated back-sheet for a back-contact solar cell module, which comprises: (i) a polymeric substrate having a back surface and a front surface; (ii) a tie layer comprising a back sub-layer and a front sub-layer, in which the back sub-layer is adhered to the front surface of the polymeric substrate, and in which the back sub-layer is comprised of one or more ethylene copolymers and the front sub-layer is comprised of a blend of one or more ethylene copolymers and one or more polyolefins at a weight ratio of about 3:97-60:40 or about 5:95-55:45; and (iii) electrically conductive metal circuits adhered to the front sub-layer of the tie layer. Also disclosed herein are processes for forming such an integrated back-sheet, back-contact solar cell modules made with such an integrated back-sheet, and processes for forming such back-contact solar cell modules

Laser foil trim approaches for foil-based metallization of solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described. For example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes attaching a metal foil sheet to a surface of a wafer to provide a unified pairing of the metal foil sheet and the wafer, wherein the wafer has a perimeter and the metal foil sheet has a portion overhanging the perimeter. The method also includes laser scribing the metal foil sheet along the perimeter of the wafer using a laser beam that overlaps the metal foil sheet outside of the perimeter of the wafer and at the same time overlaps a portion of the unified pairing of the metal foil sheet and the wafer inside the perimeter of the wafer to remove the portion of the metal foil sheet overhanging the perimeter and to provide a metal foil piece coupled to the surface of the wafer.

Disclosed is a solar cell that comprises a photoelectric conversion body, a first electrode including a first finger portion that is placed on one main surface of the photoelectric conversion body and extends in first direction, a second electrode including a second finger portion which is placed on the one main surface of the photoelectric conversion body to be adjacent to the first finger portion in second direction intersecting the first direction and extends in the first direction, a first insulating layer covering at least part of a tip end portion of the first finger portion, which tip end portion is located on first side in the first direction, and a second insulating layer covering at least part of a tip end portion of the second finger portion, which tip end portion is located on a second side in the first direction.

Methods of fabricating solar cells using a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer in foil-based metallization approaches, and the resulting solar cells, are described. For example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a plurality of semiconductor regions in or above a substrate. The method also includes forming a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer above the plurality of semiconductor regions. The method also includes forming a metal seed layer on the metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer. The method also includes forming a metal conductor layer on the metal seed layer. The method also includes laser welding the metal conductor layer to the metal seed layer. The metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer protects the plurality of semiconductor regions during the laser welding.

System and method of providing a photovoltaic (PV) cell having a cushion layer to alleviate stress impact between a front metal contact and a thin film PV layer. A cushion layer is disposed between an extraction electrode and a photovoltaic (PV) surface. The cushion layer is made of a nonconductive material and has a plurality of vias filled with a conductive material to provide electrical continuity between the bus bar and the PV layer. The cushion layer may be made of a flexible material preferably with rigidity that matches the substrate. Thus, the cushion layer can effectively protect the PV layer from physical damage due to tactile contact with the front metal contact.

Approaches for the foil-based metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the substrate. A conductive contact structure is disposed above the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The conductive contact structure includes a plurality of metal seed material regions providing a metal seed material region disposed on each of the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. A metal foil is disposed on the plurality of metal seed material regions, the metal foil having anodized portions isolating metal regions of the metal foil corresponding to the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions.