JP2015153982A - Solar battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solar battery which improves a degree of freedom in size and is capable of suppressing the cost of manufacture.SOLUTION: A stacking type solar battery includes, on an insulation substrate, a plurality of first electrode layers which are separated from each other by a plurality of parallel separating grooves, photoelectric conversion layers filling the separating grooves and formed on the first electrode layers, and second electrode layers formed on the photoelectric conversion layers. An opening groove reaching the first electrode layer from the second electrode layer is formed at a position different from the separating groove in parallel with the separating groove, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion cells are formed in parallel with each other by connecting the second electrode layers and the first electrode layers in series. The solar battery includes an electrode for taking out electric output that is obtained by the plurality of photoelectric conversion cells, over the second electrode layers of at least two photoelectric conversion cells.

Description

  The present invention relates to an integrated solar cell having an electrode for taking out generated electrical output, and more particularly to a solar cell having a high degree of freedom in size and capable of suppressing manufacturing costs.

  The thin film solar cell can obtain an electrical output proportional to its light receiving area. However, since the electric resistance in the surface direction of the transparent conductive film used as the light-receiving side electrode cannot be ignored, the expected electric output cannot be obtained only with a large area. Therefore, one large-area photoelectric conversion cell is divided into a plurality of elongated cells parallel to each other and electrically connected in series, that is, integrated to reduce the output loss due to the resistance of the transparent electrode, and the light receiving area. Generally, a design that obtains an electrical output suitable for the above is used.

For example, FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional integrated solar cell 100 in which an extraction electrode 112 electrically connected from the transparent conductive layer 110 is provided on the right end, and an extraction electrode 112 electrically connected to the back electrode 106 is provided on the left end. A schematic cross-sectional view is shown.
In the conventional integrated solar cell 100, the back electrode 106 is formed on the insulating substrate 104, and the back electrode 106 is separated by the separation groove G1. The photoelectric conversion layer 108 is formed on the back electrode 106 while filling the separation groove G1. A transparent conductive layer 110 is formed on the photoelectric conversion layer 108. The back surface electrode 106, the photoelectric conversion layer 108, and the transparent conductive layer 110 constitute the photoelectric conversion cell 102. Each photoelectric conversion cell 102 is separated by the opening groove G2. In the conventional integrated solar cell 100, both ends may actually be taken out from the transparent conductive layer 110, or may be taken out from the back electrode 106.

Each extraction electrode 112 (bus bar electrode) is provided with a conductor made of a metal foil such as a silver foil or a copper foil to which solder plating 114 is applied as a bus bar. The electrical output of the integrated solar cell 100 is taken out from each take-out electrode 112. Each extraction electrode 112 is attached to the integrated solar cell 100 using a soldering iron that oscillates ultrasonic waves.
Here, the region of the extraction electrode 112 generally has a certain width as a region to which the extraction electrode 112 (bus bar electrode) is attached. This is because the width of the extraction electrode 112 is 3 mm to 5 mm, and the area of the extraction electrode 112 needs to have an area larger than that.

  For example, in the thin film solar cell module of Patent Document 1, a plurality of cells are electrically connected in series with each other, and the first outermost cell located at the end of the plurality of cells has a (+) polarity, The two outermost cells have a (−) polarity. Ribbons are arranged in the first outermost cell and the second outermost cell, and the ribbon functions as an extraction electrode (bus bar electrode). In Patent Document 1, the first outermost cell and the second outermost cell are divided by a scribing line when the lowermost first electrode is formed, and the positions and sizes of the first outermost cell and the second outermost cell are as follows. It cannot be changed after the thin film solar cell module is formed.

  In an integrated structure solar cell, the electrode layers in each cell are separated, and the width is about 3 mm to 5 mm. Since it is difficult to form a bus bar in this region, and in Patent Document 1, it is common to provide a flat surface wider than the width of the bus bar in advance in the electrode region for extraction without providing an electrode opening groove. is there.

  On the other hand, in recent years, solar cells using a flexible substrate have been actively studied. A flexible solar cell is characterized in that it can be installed in a place with a curvature that cannot be installed by a solar cell using a rigid substrate. In addition, since it is a flexible substrate, it can be manufactured by a roll-to-roll process, and has an advantage for cost reduction as compared with a rigid substrate. Further, the roll-to-roll process has an advantage that the length of the long substrate can be freely determined.

JP2013-089963A

  However, when a flexible substrate is used, as described above, if the position and size of the bus bar electrode region, the first outermost cell and the second outermost cell in which the ribbon is arranged in Patent Document 1, are set in advance. Since the length in the longitudinal direction is fixed, the advantage that the length in the longitudinal direction of the long substrate can be freely determined is hindered. In addition, since the extraction electrode region (bus bar electrode region) is a non-power generation portion, providing the extraction electrode region in advance leads to an increase in cost.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell that solves the above-described problems based on the prior art, has a high degree of freedom in size, and can suppress manufacturing costs.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of first electrode layers separated from each other by a plurality of parallel separation grooves on the insulating substrate, filling each separation groove, and on the first electrode layer. And a second electrode layer formed on each photoelectric conversion layer, and the opening groove reaching the first electrode layer from the second electrode layer is different from the separation groove. An integrated solar cell in which a plurality of parallel photoelectric conversion cells are formed, wherein the second electrode layer and the first electrode layer are connected in series. An object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell characterized in that an electrode for taking out an electrical output obtained by a plurality of photoelectric conversion cells is provided across the second electrode layers of two photoelectric conversion cells.

An electrode for taking out the electrical output obtained by the plurality of photoelectric conversion cells to the outside may be provided over at least two first electrode layers.
The insulating substrate is preferably flexible.
For example, each separation groove and each opening groove are formed in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the insulating substrate.
For example, the second electrode layer electrode is provided via a conductive paste.
The solar cell can be in the form of a superstrate structure. In this case, light is incident from the insulating substrate side, and the insulating substrate and the first electrode layer transmit light. Also, the solar cell can be configured in a substrate structure. In this case, light is incident from the second electrode side, and the second electrode layer transmits light.

  According to the present invention, solar cells of various sizes can be easily provided and can be obtained at a low manufacturing cost.

It is typical sectional drawing which shows the solar cell of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a top view which shows the solar cell of the 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is another example of arrangement | positioning of the photoelectric conversion cell of the solar cell of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the solar cell of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the conventional integrated solar cell.

Below, based on the preferred embodiment shown in an accompanying drawing, the solar cell of this invention is demonstrated in detail.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig.2 (a) is a top view which shows the solar cell of the 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is another arrangement | positioning of the photoelectric conversion cell of the solar cell of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows an example.

  The solar cell 10 shown in FIG. 1 is generally called a superstrate structure, and sunlight L enters from the back surface 20b side of the insulating substrate 20. For this reason, the insulating substrate 20 transmits sunlight L, and is formed of a so-called transparent substrate.

In the solar cell 10, transparent conductive layers 22 (first electrode layers) separated from each other by a plurality of separation grooves G <b> 1 parallel to each other are formed on the surface 20 a of the insulating substrate 20. The transparent conductive layer 22 is provided in a discrete manner in the arrangement direction of the separation groove G1, in FIG. 1, in the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20. A photoelectric conversion layer 24 is formed on the transparent conductive layer 22 while filling the separation groove G. A back electrode layer 26 (second electrode layer) is formed on the photoelectric conversion layer 24. In the arrangement direction of the separation groove G1, in FIG. 1, in the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20, a plurality of opening grooves G2 reaching the transparent conductive layer 22 from the back electrode layer 26 are arranged at positions different from the separation groove G1. It is formed at predetermined intervals in the direction. A plurality of photoelectric conversion cells 12 that are photoelectric conversion elements are formed by the transparent conductive layer 22, the photoelectric conversion layer 24, and the back electrode layer 26 by the opening groove G2.
The plurality of opening grooves G2 and the plurality of separation grooves G1 are formed in a direction parallel to each other, and each separation groove G1 and each opening groove G2 are in a direction W (FIG. 2 (a) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20). ))).

In the photoelectric conversion cell 12 separated by the opening groove G <b> 2, the back electrode layer 26 and the transparent conductive layer 22 are connected in series, and are electrically connected in series in the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20. As shown in FIG. 2A, the photoelectric conversion cells 12 are formed in parallel to each other, and are elongated in the direction W perpendicular to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20. As shown in FIG. 2A, the photoelectric conversion cell 12 is not limited to the one extending in the direction W orthogonal to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20, but as shown in FIG. The structure may extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20.
When the insulating substrate 20 is a flexible substrate (flexible substrate), the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20 can be used in a roll-to-roll process, but coincides with the transport direction in that case. The photoelectric conversion cell 12 may have a configuration extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction or a configuration extending in a direction parallel to the transport direction.

The insulating substrate 20 supports each element of the photoelectric conversion cell 12. For the insulating substrate 20, glass is mainly used, and an imide resin such as polyimide can also be used. The configuration of the insulating substrate 20 is not particularly limited as long as it has electrical insulation and can transmit sunlight L. When a flexible substrate such as polyimide is used, the photoelectric conversion cell 12 can be manufactured by the roll-to-roll process as described above.
For the transparent conductive layer 22, for example, an oxide having conductivity and light transmittance such as ITO, ZnO, or SnO ₂ is used.

For example, the photoelectric conversion layer 24 has a structure in which p-layer, i-layer, and n-layer semiconductor thin films are sequentially stacked. These can typically be amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon, or a combination of these.
For the back electrode layer 26, for example, a layer made of a conductive oxide such as ZnO is typically used.

In the solar cell 10, for example, an extraction electrode 30 is provided across the back electrode layer 26 of the two photoelectric conversion cells 12. An extraction electrode 30 is provided across the two transparent conductive layers 22. The extraction electrode 30 is for extracting the electric output generated by the solar cell 10 to the outside.
Although two extraction electrodes 30 are provided, the polarity of each extraction electrode 30 is not particularly limited because it varies depending on the configuration of the solar cell 10.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the extraction electrode 30 is provided along the transparent conductive layer 22 and the back electrode layer 26, and the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 20 is the same as the photoelectric conversion cell 12. It extends to W. In the solar cell 10, a dedicated region for providing the extraction electrode 30 is not provided in advance.

The extraction electrode 30 is made of a metal conductor and is a strip-shaped member having a width of about 3 mm to 5 mm. For example, silver, a silver alloy, or copper is used as the metal. The extraction electrode 30 is provided using, for example, a conductive layer 32 of solder or conductive paste.
The extraction electrode 30 can also be made of, for example, a conductor made of a metal foil such as a silver foil or a copper foil plated with solder. The extraction electrode 30 can be attached to the back electrode layer 26 and the transparent conductive layer 22 using a soldering iron that oscillates ultrasonic waves.
In addition, as the conductive paste, a paste obtained by mixing a binder with a powder of a metal such as gold, silver, copper, nickel, or an alloy thereof, or a powder of a conductive material such as graphite can be used. . As the binder, a resin, an adhesive, an organic solvent, or the like can be used.
The extraction electrode 30 is not necessarily a conductor made of a metal foil, and may be made of a conductive polymer material. Further, the extraction electrode 30 made of a metal foil can be bonded to the back electrode layer 26 and the transparent conductive layer 22 by a conductive resin tape in addition to solder.

  In the solar cell 10, when sunlight L enters from the back surface 20 b side of the insulating substrate 20, the sunlight L passes through the insulating substrate 20 and the transparent conductive layer 22, and an electromotive force is generated in the photoelectric conversion layer 24. The electromotive force generated in each photoelectric conversion cell 12 is extracted from the left extraction electrode 30 and the right extraction electrode 30 to the outside of the solar cell 10 as an electrical output of the solar cell 10 in FIG.

Next, a method for manufacturing the solar cell 10 will be described.
The configuration of the solar cell 10 is the same as that of a known integrated solar cell except for the configuration of the extraction electrode 30. For this reason, the manufacturing method other than the extraction electrode 30 can also be manufactured by a known integrated solar cell manufacturing method. As described above, the extraction electrode 30 can be provided using a soldering iron that oscillates ultrasonic waves or a conductive resin tape.
When the extraction electrode 30 is provided on the transparent conductive layer 22, the photoelectric conversion layer 24 and the back electrode layer 26 are originally formed on the transparent conductive layer 22 on the right end. Thus, the photoelectric conversion layer 24 and the back electrode layer 26 are removed, and the transparent conductive layer 22 is exposed. For this reason, the layer 25 constituting the photoelectric conversion layer 24 remains in the separation groove G <b> 1 between the transparent conductive layers 22. An extraction electrode 30 is provided on the exposed transparent conductive layer 22 using, for example, solder, a soldering iron that oscillates ultrasonic waves, or a conductive resin tape via a conductive layer 32 of a conductive paste. Even in this case, the photoelectric conversion layer 24 and the back electrode layer 26 are removed, but the area dedicated to the extraction electrode 30 is not provided.

In the solar cell 10 of the present embodiment, the region where the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) is not provided is provided in advance, and the photoelectric conversion cell 12 serving as a power generation unit is formed over the entire region, and is separated into small portions by the opening groove G2 for integration. The extraction electrode 30 is provided so as to cover a plurality of the 12 photoelectric conversion cells.
Conventionally, the area where the extraction electrode 30 is formed is generally larger in area than other power generation areas, so that the extraction electrode 30 having a width of 3 mm to 5 mm is easily formed. However, the extraction electrode 30 is formed so as to cover the back electrode layer 26 of the plurality of photoelectric conversion cells 12. Alternatively, the back electrode layer 26 and the photoelectric conversion layer 24 in the region where the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) is to be formed are removed, and the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) is formed across the plurality of transparent conductive layers 22.

In the solar cell 10, the region where the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) is provided and the power generation region are not distinguished in advance, so that the solar cell material is stacked on the substrate and separated into 12 photoelectric conversion cells for integration. Also, the final dimensions of the solar cell 10 can be determined.
When a rigid substrate such as a glass substrate is used, the substrate size that can be used for the film formation process and the integration process is determined in advance. Therefore, it is very troublesome to manufacture solar cells of various sizes. It takes. However, the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) of the present embodiment has an advantage that the load at the time of the process change is small because the process is changed only when the final extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) is formed. For this reason, even when manufacturing solar cells of various sizes, the manufacturing cost can be kept low.

When a flexible substrate such as a polyimide substrate is used, a roll-to-roll process is suitable for reducing the cost. One advantage of the roll-to-roll process is that the length of the long substrate in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) can be freely determined.
However, if a region is set in advance for the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode), the length in the longitudinal direction is fixed, and the advantage of freely determining the length is hindered. In the case of the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode), the formation position of the extraction electrode 30 can be determined even after separation into the photoelectric conversion cell 12 for integration. Dimensions can be determined. For this reason, the length in the longitudinal direction is not fixed. For this reason, in the present invention, the degree of freedom of the size of the solar cell 10 can be increased. In addition, as described above, since the size of the solar cell 10 only needs to be changed in the position where the extraction electrode 30 is formed, the manufacturing cost can be kept low.

  Furthermore, when connecting the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) using solder or conductive paste, for example, in the conventional solar cell 100 shown in FIG. 4, the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar) is connected to the back electrode 106 and the transparent electrode 110. In addition to the region where the metal foil to be the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) is bonded, solder or the like flows out to the photoelectric conversion cell 102 in the power generation region. There were times when it was a defective part that did not generate electricity. However, when the extraction electrode 30 (bus bar electrode) extends over the plurality of photoelectric conversion cells 12, excess solder and conductive paste are absorbed in the opening grooves G2 for integration. The resulting defect does not occur.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the same components as those of the solar cell 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The solar cell 40 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is different from the solar cell 10 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 1) in that it is generally called a substrate-type structure. Since it is the structure similar to the solar cell 10 (refer FIG. 1) of 1st Embodiment, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.
Since the solar cell 40 shown in FIG. 3 has a substrate structure, sunlight L is incident from the surface 42a side of the insulating substrate 42.

The solar cell 40 is separated from each other by a plurality of separation grooves G1 parallel to each other on the surface 42a of the insulating substrate 42 to form a back electrode layer 44 (first electrode layer). The back electrode layer 44 is provided in a discrete manner in the arrangement direction of the separation groove G1, in FIG. 3, in the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 42. The photoelectric conversion layer 24 is formed on the back electrode layer 44 while filling the separation groove G. A transparent conductive layer 46 (second electrode layer) is formed on the photoelectric conversion layer 24. In the arrangement direction of the separation groove G1, in FIG. 3, in the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 42, a plurality of opening grooves G2 reaching the back electrode layer 44 from the transparent conductive layer 46 are arranged at positions different from the separation groove G1. It is formed at predetermined intervals in the direction. A plurality of photoelectric conversion cells 12 are formed by the back electrode layer 44, the photoelectric conversion layer 24, and the transparent conductive layer 46 by the opening groove G2.
The plurality of opening grooves G2 and the plurality of separation grooves G1 are formed in a direction parallel to each other, and each separation groove G1 and each opening groove G2 are in a direction W (FIG. 2 (a) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 42). ))).

  In the photoelectric conversion cell 12 separated by the opening groove G <b> 2, the transparent conductive layer 46 and the back electrode layer 44 are connected in series, and are electrically connected in series in the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 42. Each photoelectric conversion cell 12 is elongated in the direction W perpendicular to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 42 as in the first embodiment, and is parallel to each other (see FIG. 2A). The arrangement direction of the photoelectric conversion cells 12 is not particularly limited, and may be configured to extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 42 (see FIG. 2B).

Also in the solar cell 40, for example, the extraction electrode 30 is provided across the transparent conductive layers 46 of the two photoelectric conversion cells 12. Further, the extraction electrode 30 is provided across the two back electrode layers 44. Similarly to the photoelectric conversion cell 12, the extraction electrode 30 is provided along the back electrode layer 44 and the transparent conductive layer 46, and extends in a direction W orthogonal to the longitudinal direction H of the insulating substrate 42 (FIG. 2A )reference).
In the solar cell 40, the sunlight L is incident from the front surface 42a side of the insulating substrate 42. Therefore, the insulating substrate 42 and the back electrode layer 44 do not need to transmit the sunlight L, and need to be configured with a so-called transparent material. There is no.

The insulating substrate 42 is not particularly limited as long as it has electrical insulation. For example, it can be composed of glass or an imide resin such as polyimide. In addition, a substrate with an insulating layer in which an insulating layer such as Al ₂ O ₃ or SiO ₂ is formed on the surface of the metal substrate can be used as the insulating substrate 42. These insulating layers can be formed by an anodic oxidation method, a sol-gel method, or a vacuum film formation method.
As the metal substrate, aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), or an alloy thereof is used. . From the viewpoint of cost and characteristics required for the photoelectric conversion cell 12, aluminum is most preferable. In this case, an anodized aluminum plate is used for the insulating substrate 42.

As the metal substrate, a metal substrate such as an Al substrate or a SUS substrate, or a composite metal substrate such as a composite Al substrate made of a composite material of Al and another metal such as SUS can be used. In any configuration, the electrical insulating layer may be formed on at least one surface. The substrate with an insulating layer on which the electrical insulating layer is formed has flexibility by setting the thickness to, for example, about 5 μm to 200 μm.
When a polyimide substrate or a substrate with an insulating layer in which an electrical insulating layer is formed is used as the insulating substrate 42, these are flexible substrates, and the solar cell 40 can also be manufactured by a roll-to-roll process.

  The back electrode layer 44 is made of, for example, molybdenum. In addition to this, for example, chromium and tungsten can be used for the back electrode layer 44, and further, a combination of molybdenum, chromium, and tungsten can be used. The back electrode layer 44 may have a single layer structure or a laminated structure such as a two-layer structure.

In the present embodiment, the photoelectric conversion layer 24 is not formed using p-layer, i-layer, and n-layer semiconductor thin films, but is composed of a chalcopyrite semiconductor. For example, the photoelectric conversion layer 24 is made of Cu (In, Ga) Se ₂ . If the photoelectric conversion layer 24 was composed of _{Cu (In, Ga) Se 2} , in order to form a pn junction, a photoelectric conversion layer 24 Cu (In, Ga) buffer composed of CdS or ZnOS etc. Se ₂ layer on It is common to form a layer (not shown).

  The transparent conductive layer 46 functions as an electrode through which sunlight L is taken into the photoelectric conversion layer 24 and the current generated in the photoelectric conversion layer 24 flows in a pair with the back electrode layer 44. For the transparent conductive layer 46, for example, ZnO to which impurities such as aluminum, gallium, and boron are added in order to impart conductivity is used. A window layer (not shown) may be provided between the buffer layer (not shown) and the transparent conductive layer 46. This window layer is composed of, for example, a ZnO layer having a thickness of about 10 nm.

  In the solar cell 40, when sunlight L is incident from the surface 42 a side of the insulating substrate 42, the sunlight L passes through the transparent conductive layer 46 and an electromotive force is generated in the photoelectric conversion layer 24. The electromotive force generated in each photoelectric conversion cell 12 is extracted from the left extraction electrode 30 and the right extraction electrode 30 to the outside of the solar cell 40 as the electrical output of the solar cell 40 in FIG.

It is generally known that when an alkali metal, particularly Na, is diffused into the photoelectric conversion layer 24 composed of Cu (In, Ga) Se ₂ , the photoelectric conversion efficiency is increased. The alkali supply method is not particularly limited, and a method of adding before, during, or after the formation of the photoelectric conversion layer 24 (Cu (In, Ga) Se ₂ layer) can be used. As the alkali supply material, various materials mainly containing a compound containing an alkali metal (a composition containing an alkali metal compound) such as NaO ₂ , Na ₂ S, Na ₂ Se, NaCl, NaF, and sodium molybdate are used. Is possible. As an alkali supply method, for example, in the solar cell 40 of the present embodiment, an alkali supply layer is formed between the insulating substrate 42 and the back electrode layer 44.

Next, the manufacturing method of the solar cell 40 is demonstrated.
The configuration of the solar cell 40 is the same as that of a known integrated solar cell using a chalcopyrite semiconductor except for the configuration of the extraction electrode 30. For this reason, the manufacturing method other than the extraction electrode 30 can also be manufactured by a known integrated solar cell manufacturing method. As described above, the extraction electrode 30 can be provided using a soldering iron that oscillates ultrasonic waves or a conductive resin tape.

  The solar cell 40 of this embodiment is the same structure except the point from which the direction which receives sunlight L differs from the solar cell 10 of 1st Embodiment as mentioned above. For this reason, the solar cell 40 of this embodiment can also obtain the same effect as the solar cell 10 of 1st Embodiment.

The photoelectric conversion layer 24 is not limited to the one using the p-layer, i-layer and n-layer semiconductor thin films of the first embodiment, and the one using the chalcopyrite semiconductor of the second embodiment. Absent. For example, II-VI compounds such as ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdS, CdSe, and CdTe can be used, and organic photoelectric conversion materials can be used in addition to these.
The photoelectric conversion layer 24 of the first embodiment may be composed of a chalcopyrite semiconductor, and the photoelectric conversion layer 24 of the second embodiment may be composed of p-layer, i-layer, and n-layer semiconductor thin films. Of course.

  The present invention is basically configured as described above. As mentioned above, although the solar cell of this invention was demonstrated in detail, of course, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, in the range which does not deviate from the main point of this invention, you may make a various improvement or change. .

10, 40, 100 Solar cell 12 Photoelectric conversion cell 20, 42 Insulating substrate 22 Transparent conductive layer 24 Photoelectric conversion layer 26 Back electrode layer 30 Extraction electrode 32 Conductive layer 44 Back electrode layer 46 Transparent conductive layer

Claims (9)

A plurality of first electrode layers separated from each other by a plurality of parallel separation grooves on the insulating substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer filling each of the separation grooves and formed on the first electrode layer, and A second electrode layer formed on each photoelectric conversion layer, and an opening groove reaching the first electrode layer from the second electrode layer is in a position different from the separation groove and parallel to the separation groove An integrated solar cell in which a plurality of parallel photoelectric conversion cells are formed in which the second electrode layer and the first electrode layer are connected in series,
A solar cell, wherein an electrode for taking out an electrical output obtained by a plurality of the photoelectric conversion cells is provided over a second electrode layer of at least two of the photoelectric conversion cells.   The solar cell of Claim 1 which has an electrode which takes out the electrical output obtained by several photoelectric conversion cell outside over at least 2 1st electrode layers.   The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the insulating substrate has flexibility.   The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein each of the separation grooves and each of the opening grooves is formed in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the insulating substrate.   The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is provided via a conductive paste.   The solar cell of any one of Claims 1-5 which has a superstrate structure.   The solar cell of any one of Claims 1-5 which has a substrate structure.   The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein light is incident from the insulating substrate side, and the insulating substrate and the first electrode layer transmit the light.   The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein light is incident from the second electrode layer side, and the second electrode layer transmits the light.

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