| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20100062560 | APPLICATION SPECIFIC SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE USING THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC MATERIALS - A method for manufacture of application specific solar cells includes providing and processing custom design information to determine at least a cell size and a cell shape. The method includes providing a transparent substrate having a back surface region, a front surface region, and one or more grid-line regions overlying the front side surface region. The one or more grid regions provide one or more unit cells having the cell size and the cell shape. The method further includes forming a layered structure including photovoltaic materials overlying the front surface region. Additionally, the method includes aligning a laser beam from the back surface region to illuminate a first region within the one or more grid-line regions, subjecting a first portion of the layered structure overlying the first region to the laser beam to separate the first portion of the layered structure from the first region, and scanning the laser beam along the one or more grid-line regions to cause formation of one or more unit cells having the cell size and cell shape. The method further includes transferring the one or more unit cells. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100180927 | AFFIXING METHOD AND SOLAR DECAL DEVICE USING A THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC AND INTERCONNECT STRUCTURES - A solar device includes a substrate structure having a surface region, a flexible and conformal material comprising a polymer material affixing the surface region. Additionally, the solar device includes one or more solar cells spatially provided by one or more films of materials characterized by a thickness dimension of 25 microns and less and mechanically coupled to the flexible and conformal material, the one or more solar cells having a flexible characteristic that maintains each of the solar cells substantially free from any damage or breakage. The solar device further includes an interconnect structure configured to couple one or more of the solar cells. The interconnect structure includes at least a first contact region and a second contact region within the flexible and conformal material. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100229921 | TANDEM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL AND METHOD USING THREE GLASS SUBSTRATE CONFIGURATION - A tandem photovoltaic cell device. The device includes a lower cell configured for substantial independent operation of an upper cell. In a preferred embodiment, the lower cell has a lower glass substrate material and a lower electrode layer made of a reflective material overlying the glass material. The lower cell also has a lower absorber layer overlying the lower electrode layer. In a preferred embodiment, the absorber layer made of a first semiconductor material has a first band gap energy in a range of Eg=0.7 to 1.1 eV. The lower cell includes a lower window layer overlying the lower absorber layer, a lower transparent conductive oxide layer overlying the lower window layer, and a first optical coupling material comprising first ethylene vinyl acetate overlying the lower transparent conductive oxide layer. In a specific embodiment, the device also has the upper cell coupled to the lower cell. The upper cell has an intermediary glass substrate material, which has a thickness, a lower surface and an upper surface. In a specific embodiment, the thickness is about 1.1 millimeter and less. The lower surface is overlying the optical coupling material. The upper cell also has a first upper transparent conductor layer overlying the upper surface of the intermediary glass substrate material and an upper p type absorber layer overlying the first upper transparent conductor layer. The p type conductor layer is made of a second semiconductor material having a second band gap energy in a range of Eg=1.5 to 1.9 eV. The upper cell also has an upper n type window layer overlying the upper p type absorber layer. The upper cell has a second upper transparent conductive oxide layer overlying the upper n type window layer. The upper cell has a second optical coupling material comprising first ethylene vinyl acetate overlying the second upper transparent conductive oxide layer. The upper cell has an upper glass material overlying the upper transparent conductive oxide layer. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20110017257 | MULTI-JUNCTION SOLAR MODULE AND METHOD FOR CURRENT MATCHING BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF FIRST PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES AND SECOND PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - A multi-junction solar module apparatus. The apparatus has a substrate member. The apparatus has a plurality of first photovoltaic devices arranged in a first spatial configuration, which is preferably disposed on a first planar region. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of first photovoltaic devices are numbered from 1 through N, where N is an integer greater than 1. Each of the plurality of first solar cells has a first bandgap characteristic. The apparatus has a plurality of second photovoltaic devices arranged in a second spatial configuration, which is preferably disposed in a second planar region. The plurality of second photovoltaic devices are numbered from 1 through M, where M is an integer greater than 1. In a preferred embodiment, N is not equal to M. Each of the second solar cells has a second band gap characteristic. In a specific embodiment, a first connector interconnects the plurality of first solar cells in a serial configuration. The first connector has a first terminal end and a second terminal end. A second connector interconnects the plurality of second solar cells in a serial configuration. The second connector has a first terminal end and a second terminal end. In a specific embodiment, a third connector connecting the second terminal end of the first connector and the first terminal end of the second connector. In a specific embodiment, a Vss node is coupled to the first terminal end of the first connector. In a specific embodiment, a Vdd node is coupled to the second terminal end of the second connector. In a preferred embodiment, N and M are selected to match a first current through the plurality of first solar cells and a second current through the plurality of second solar cells. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110071659 | Application Specific Solar Cell and Method for Manufacture Using Thin Film Photovoltaic Materials - A method for manufacture of application specific solar cells includes providing and processing custom design information to determine at least a cell size and a cell shape. The method includes providing a transparent substrate having a back surface region, a front surface region, and one or more grid-line regions overlying the front side surface region. The one or more grid regions provide one or more unit cells having the cell size and the cell shape. The method further includes forming a layered structure including photovoltaic materials overlying the front surface region. Additionally, the method includes aligning a laser beam from the back surface region to illuminate a first region within the one or more grid-line regions, subjecting a first portion of the layered structure overlying the first region to the laser beam to separate the first portion of the layered structure from the first region, and scanning the laser beam along the one or more grid-line regions to cause formation of one or more unit cells having the cell size and cell shape. The method further includes transferring the one or more unit cells. | 03-24-2011 |
