JP3174012B2 - Method for manufacturing photovoltaic device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serial connection of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements composed of a surface electrode, a semiconductor layer, a back electrode, a flexible insulating substrate, and a back electrode in this order from the light incident side. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional reverse type through-hole contact photovoltaic device is shown in FIG. 3 in a perspective view, FIG. 4A in a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. A description will be given with reference to FIG. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a flexible insulating film substrate, and 2 denotes a plurality of holes formed at the front end and rear end of the substrate 1 by mechanical means such as a punch and a drill. Is formed at the position. Reference numeral 3 denotes a back electrode formed on the light incident side of the substrate 1, that is, on the surface, and a part of the back electrode 3 is attached to the inner surface and the peripheral portion of the hole 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes a plurality of holes penetrating through the back electrode 3 and the central portion of the substrate 1 and formed by mechanical means such as a punch or a drill. .

[0005] Reference numeral 5 denotes a semiconductor layer formed by being stacked on the back electrode 3, and 6 denotes a surface electrode formed by being formed substantially at the center of the semiconductor layer 5. The portion is attached to the inner surface and the peripheral portion of the hole 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes a plurality of divided grooves formed from the front electrode 6 to the back electrode 3, and 8 denotes a back electrode formed on the side opposite to the light incident side of the substrate 1, that is, on the back. Figure 4
4A, the back electrode 8 and the surface electrode 6 make contact at the periphery of the hole 4 as shown in FIG. 4B, and the respective electrodes become electrically conductive. I have.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a plurality of division grooves formed in the back electrode 8, and the device is divided into a plurality of regions by the two division grooves 7, 9. Reference numeral 10 denotes a photoelectric conversion element formed in each region, which is composed of a surface electrode 6, a semiconductor layer 5, a back electrode 3, a substrate 1, and a back electrode 8 in this order from the light incident side.

[0005]

In the case of the above-mentioned conventional device, the hole 4 connecting the back electrode 8 and the front electrode 6 is formed by mechanical means to the center of the substrate 1 on which the back electrode 3 is formed. Since it is formed by penetrating by mechanical means, burrs may be generated around holes formed in the back electrode 3. Then, when the semiconductor layer 5 and the surface electrode 6 are laminated on the back electrode 3 on which the burrs are formed, the semiconductor layer 5 has a thickness of 5 mm.
Since the thin film has a thickness of about 000 °, burrs penetrate through the semiconductor layer 5 and come into contact with the surface electrode 6 to cause a short circuit. Therefore, there is a problem that the photovoltaic characteristics are deteriorated and the yield is reduced.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device capable of improving the yield of manufacturing while keeping the above points in mind.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising: a front electrode, a semiconductor layer, a back electrode, In the method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements configured in the order of an insulating substrate and a back electrode are connected in series, the back electrode, the substrate, and the back electrode are formed before the front electrode is formed. And forming a hole in the semiconductor layer that is broken through by mechanical means from the back electrode side, then forming the surface electrode on the semiconductor layer, and connecting the surface electrode to the back electrode through the hole. It was made.

Therefore, before the front surface electrode is formed, holes are formed in the back electrode, the substrate, the back electrode and the semiconductor layer by mechanical means from the back electrode side. The burrs generated in the step do not penetrate through the semiconductor layer, thereby preventing a short circuit and improving the production yield.

Further, in the manufacturing method according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the back electrode formed of a metal foil and the insulating substrate are bonded, when the hole is formed, a part of the back electrode extends. Located on the inner surface of the hole, the connection between the back electrode and the surface electrode can be easily performed.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG.
The description will be given with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, a back electrode 11 made of metal foil is adhered to the back surface of the flexible insulating film substrate 1, and then the back electrode 3 is formed on the front surface of the substrate 1, The removal portion 12 is formed on the electrode 3 by a laser or the like, and the back surface electrode 3 is formed in a predetermined pattern.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the semiconductor layer 5
Is formed by burying the removal portion 12 on the back surface electrode 3 and before forming the front surface electrode 6, as shown in FIG. A hole 14 is formed in the electrode 11, the substrate 1, the back electrode 3, and the semiconductor layer 5.

At this time, the peripheral portion 15 at the upper end of the hole 14 rises from the upper surface of the semiconductor layer 5 by the needle 13 and the back electrode 11
Are extended and located on the inner surface of the hole 14.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, a surface electrode 6 is formed on the semiconductor layer 5 by sputtering.

At this time, a part of the surface electrode 6 adheres to the peripheral portion 15 at the upper end of the hole 14, and the surface electrode 6 and the back electrode 11 are connected at the peripheral portion of the hole 14.

The substrate 1 is made of a heat-resistant material such as polyimide, and has a thickness of 10 μm to 20 μm, a thickness of the back electrode 11 of 100 μm to 50 μm, and a diameter of the hole 14 of 50 μm.
３００300 μm.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the hole 14 is formed after the formation of the semiconductor layer 5, the hole 14 is formed as in the prior art.
The burrs of the back electrode 3 due to the formation of the semiconductor layer 5 do not penetrate the semiconductor layer 5 and come into contact with the front electrode 6, so that the yield is reduced to 85
% To 98%.

Further, the needle 13 is used for forming the hole 14, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a punch, a drill, or the like may be used.

[0018]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. In the method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device according to claim 1 of the present invention, before forming the front surface electrode 6, the back electrode 11, the substrate 1, the back surface electrode 3, and the semiconductor layer 5 are mechanically applied from the back electrode 11 side. As a result, the burrs generated on the back surface electrode do not penetrate the semiconductor layer 5 as in the related art, preventing a short circuit and improving the manufacturing yield.

In the manufacturing method according to the second aspect of the present invention, the back electrode 11 formed of a metal foil and the insulating substrate 1 are bonded to each other. The portion extends and is located on the inner surface of the hole 14, and the connection between the back electrode 11 and the surface electrode 6 can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are explanatory diagrams of the manufacturing process of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional example.

4A is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, FIG. 4B is a plan view of A, and FIG.
Is a cross-sectional view of another part of FIG. 3, and D is a plan view of C.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insulating substrate 3 Back electrode 5 Semiconductor layer 6 Front electrode 10 Photoelectric conversion element 11 Back electrode 14 Hole

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 31/04-31/078

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are sequentially connected in order of a front electrode, a semiconductor layer, a back electrode, a flexible insulating substrate, and a back electrode from the light incident side. In the above, before the formation of the front surface electrode, holes are formed in the back electrode, the substrate, the back electrode, and the semiconductor layer by mechanical means from the back electrode side, and thereafter, the holes are formed on the semiconductor layer. A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising: forming the surface electrode; and connecting the surface electrode to the back electrode through the hole. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the back electrode is formed of a metal foil, and the back electrode is bonded to an insulating substrate.
A method for manufacturing the photovoltaic device according to the above.