Buried contact interconnected thin film and bulk photovoltaic ce

Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric – Photoelectric – Panel or array

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Details

136249, 136255, 136256, H01L 3105

Patent

active

055956076

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a semiconductor substrate material having a photovoltaic cell, a semiconductor substrate material having an integrated array of at least two photovoltaic cells in electrical series with one another, systems for the production of electricity, and methods for the production of electricity.


BACKGROUND ART

One proposed method for reducing the cost of photovoltaic energy conversion is to deposit the photovoltaic solar cells in the form of a thin sheet onto a supporting substrate such as glass. Such sheets can be deposited more or less continuously onto a moving substrate or by other methods. Techniques are then required to define individual cells within this deposited sheet and to provide for their electrical interconnection.
It would be advantageous at least from a manufacturing viewpoint if the individual cells in the substrate cell were such that they could be fabricated in a wide range of substrate materials, deposition conditions, and cell designs. It would also be advantageous if the inherent features of cells permitted relatively large area individual cells and large scale integrated arrays of cells to be fabricated.


OBJECTS OF INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a semiconductor substrate material having a photovoltaic cell, and, a semiconductor substrate material having an integrated array of at least two photovoltaic cells in electrical series with one another.
Other objects are to provide systems for the production of electricity and methods for the production of electricity.


DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to a first embodiment of this invention there is provided a semiconductor substrate material having a photovoltaic cells, dopant, the first type groove having a first conducting material in conducting electrical contact with the first type doped walls; conductivity type dopant, the second type groove having a second conducting material in conducting electrical contact with the second type doped walls; by at least one doped region of linking substrate material selected from the group consisting of a first conductivity type doped region of linking substrate material and a second conductivity type doped region of linking substrate material, thereby forming a photovoltaic junction where the doped linking substrate material forms a junction with doped substrate material of different type conductivity; and conductivity type dopant.
According to a second embodiment of this invention there is provided a semiconductor substrate material having an integrated array of n photovoltaic cells in electrical series with one another, series with one another, n being greater than or equal to 2, whereby an m.sub.j -1)th cell is electrically coupled to an m.sub.j th cell via a configuration selected from the group consisting of: an (m.sub.j -1)th cell is electrically coupled via interconnecting conducting material with the second conducting material of the second conductivity type groove of an m.sub.j th cell; and of the (m.sub.j -1)th cell is electrically coupled via interconnecting conducting material with the first conducting material of the first conductivity type groove of the m.sub.j th cell; m.sub.j is equal to j; and each photovoltaic cell in the substrate material are substantially electrically insulated from first type doped walls of first conductivity type grooves of other photovoltaic cells in the substrate material and second type doped walls of the second conductivity type groove of each photovoltaic cell in the substrate material are substantially electrically insulated from second type doped walls of second conductivity type grooves of other photovoltaic cells in the substrate material.
According to a third embodiment of this invention there is provided a system for the production of electricity, the system comprising: accordance with the first embodiment; and conducting material of the first conductivity type groove of the cell, and the second conducting material of the second conductivity type groove of the cell.
According to a f

REFERENCES:
patent: 3682708 (1972-08-01), Bennet
patent: 3994012 (1976-11-01), Warner, Jr.
patent: 4200472 (1980-04-01), Chappell et al.
patent: 4283589 (1981-08-01), Kaplow et al.
patent: 4295002 (1981-10-01), Chappell et al.
patent: 4595790 (1986-06-01), Basol
patent: 4933021 (1990-06-01), Swanson
patent: 5164019 (1992-11-01), Sinton
Abstract, Derwent Publications Ltd., EP 38-238, Oct. 21, 1981.

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