Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100313935 | PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING TANDEM SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER STACKS - A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an insulating substrate and a lower electrode above the substrate. The method also includes a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the lower electrode, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, and an upper electrode above the upper stack. The upper and lower stacks of silicon layers have different energy band gaps. The module also includes a built-in bypass diode vertically extending in the upper and lower stacks of silicon layers from the lower electrode to the upper electrode. The built-in bypass diode includes portions of the lower and upper stacks that have a greater crystalline portion than a remainder of the lower and upper stacks. | 12-16-2010 |
20100313952 | PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING MULTIPLE SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER STACKS - A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an electrically insulating substrate, a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the substrate, a middle stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the middle stack, and a light transmissive cover layer above the upper stack. An energy band gap of each of the lower, middle and upper stacks differs from one another such that a different spectrum of incident light is absorbed by each of the lower, middle and upper stacks. | 12-16-2010 |
20110114156 | PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING A BUILT-IN BYPASS DIODE AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING A BUILT-IN BYPASS DIODE - A photovoltaic device includes: a substrate; lower and upper electrode layers disposed above the substrate; and a semiconductor layer disposed between the lower and upper electrode layers, the semiconductor layer absorbing incident light to excite electrons from the semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a built-in bypass diode extending between and coupled with the lower and upper electrode layers, the bypass diode permitting electric current to flow through the bypass diode when a reverse bias is applied across the lower and upper electrode layers. | 05-19-2011 |
20110189811 | PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - A photovoltaic device includes a supporting layer, a semiconductor layer stack, and a conductive and light transmissive layer. The supporting layer is proximate to a bottom surface of the device. The semiconductor layer stack includes first and second semiconductor sub-layers, with the second sub-layer having a crystalline fraction of at least approximately 85%. A conductive and light transmissive layer between the supporting layer and the semiconductor layer stack, where an Ohmic contact exists between the first semiconductor sub-layer and the conductive and light transmissive layer. | 08-04-2011 |
20130014800 | PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SCRIBING A PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICEAANM Stephens; JasonAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP Stephens; Jason Mountain View CA USAANM Girotra; KunalAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP Girotra; Kunal Mountain View CA USAANM Hussen; GuleidAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP Hussen; Guleid Mountain View CA US - A photovoltaic device includes first and second photovoltaic cells, with each of the first and second photovoltaic cells having a substrate, a lower electrode disposed above the substrate along a deposition axis and that includes a conductive light transmissive layer, one or more semiconductor layers disposed above the substrate along the deposition axis, and an upper electrode disposed above the one or more semiconductor layers along the deposition axis. The semiconductor layers convert incident light into an electric current. The first and second photovoltaic cells are separated by first and second separation gaps. The first separation gap extend along the deposition axis through the lower electrode from the substrate and the second separation gap extends from a deposition surface of the light transmissive layer of the lower electrode and through a remainder of the lower electrode and the one or more semiconductor layers along the deposition axis. | 01-17-2013 |