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| 20100071756 | ISOLATED METALLIC FLEXIBLE BACK SHEET FOR SOLAR MODULE ENCAPSULATION - Provided are novel back sheets for solar module encapsulation. According to various embodiments, the back sheets are ungrounded and flexible. In certain embodiments, the back sheets include an integrated flexible and electrically isolated moisture barrier and a seal around the edge of the moisture barrier. The electrically isolated moisture barrier may be a thin metallic sheet, e.g., an aluminum foil. The electrically isolated, flexible moisture barrier eliminates the need for grounding. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100071757 | ISOLATED METALLIC FLEXIBLE BACK SHEET FOR SOLAR MODULE ENCAPSULATION - Provided are novel back sheets for solar module encapsulation. According to various embodiments, the back sheets are ungrounded and flexible. In certain embodiments, the back sheets include an integrated flexible and electrically isolated moisture barrier. The electrically isolated moisture barrier may be a thin metallic sheet, e.g., an aluminum foil. The electrically isolated, flexible moisture barrier eliminates the need for grounding. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100282276 | REMOVING DEFECTS FROM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL METALLIC SUBSTRATES WITH FIXED-ABRASIVE FILAMENT ROLLER BRUSHES - Provided are methods and apparatuses for processing photovoltaic cell metallic substrates to remove various surface defects. In certain embodiments, a thin stainless steel foil is polished using a proposed method leading to a substantial, e.g., twice or more, increase in its surface gloss. In certain embodiments, a method in accordance with the present invention involves contacting a substrate surface with a fixed-abrasive filament roller brush. The brush may be a close-wound coil brush. The brush includes filaments carrying 5-20 micrometer abrasive particles that are permanently fixed in the brush filaments, for example a polymer base material, such as nylon. The particles may be made of silicon carbide and/or other abrasive materials. In certain embodiments, a substrate surface is polished using a series of roller brushes, at least two of which rotate in different directions with respect to that surface. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100326498 | EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS FOR SOLAR MODULES - Provided are low profile, water-resistant and touch safe safe electrical connectors for solar modules. According to various embodiments, the electrical connectors include a low-profile conductive stud, a low-profile sheath that surrounds the stud, and a socket to mate with the stud. According to various embodiments, the sheath and socket mate via keyed inter-engageable features. Also according to certain embodiments, the socket is fastened to the stud and/or sheath via snap fastening. | 12-30-2010 |
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| 20100043863 | INTERCONNECT ASSEMBLY - An interconnect assembly. The interconnect assembly includes a trace that includes a plurality of electrically conductive portions. The plurality of electrically conductive portions is configured both to collect current from a first solar cell and to interconnect electrically to a second solar cell. In addition, the plurality of electrically conductive portions is configured such that solar-cell efficiency is substantially undiminished in an event that any one of the plurality of electrically conductive portions is conductively impaired. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100258185 | TEXTURED SUBSTRATE FOR THIN-FILM SOLAR CELL - Provided herein are textured substrates for thin-film solar cells. According to various embodiments, the textured substrates are characterized by substrate patterns exhibiting low-frequency roughness or flatness and long range order. The substrates may be metallic or non-metallic substrates, and in certain embodiments are stainless steel foils. According to various embodiments, the substrates may be provided in the form of a web, ready for deposition of thin-film photovoltaic stacks. Also provided are textured back contact thin films. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100258542 | LASER POLISHING OF A BACK CONTACT OF A SOLAR CELL - Provided herein are methods of polishing, cleaning and texturing back contacts of thin-film solar cells. According to various embodiments, the methods involve irradiating sites on the back contact with laser beams to remove contaminants and/or smooth the surface of the back contact. The back contact, e.g., a molybdenum, copper, or niobium thin-film, is smoothed prior to deposition of the absorber and other thin-films of the photovoltaic stack. In certain embodiments, laser polishing of the back contact is used to enhance the diffusion barrier characteristics of the back contact layer, with all or a surface layer of the back contact becoming essentially amorphous. In certain embodiments, the adhesion of the absorber layer is enhanced by the textured back contact and by the presence of the amorphous metal at the deposition surface. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100258982 | LASER POLISHING OF A SOLAR CELL SUBSTRATE - Provided herein are methods of polishing and texturing surfaces thin-film photovoltaic cell substrates. The methods involve laser irradiation of a surface having a high frequency roughness in an area of 5-200 microns to form a shallow and rapidly expanding melt pool, followed by rapid cooling of the material surface. The minimization of surface tension causes the surface to re-solidify in a locally smooth surface. the high frequency roughness drops over the surface with a lower frequency bump or texture pattern remaining from the re-solidification. | 10-14-2010 |
