JPH058685Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] "Industrial Application Field" The present invention relates to the structure of a thin film solar cell.

``Prior Art'' Conventionally, there is an example of a thin film solar cell as shown in FIG. 2, which has a plurality of photoelectric conversion units on the same substrate, each of which is connected in series.

In these conventional integrated solar cells, the electrical connection between the first photovoltaic power generation unit and the second photovoltaic power generation unit exists outside the semiconductor layer, and the shape of the connection is a line or a rectangle. It was worn out and had an unsightly structure.

``Problem that the invention aims to solve'' These thin-film solar cells are widely used in consumer electronic devices (e.g. calculators, radios, etc.), but they only have the function of a solar cell;
For general consumers, it gave only the impression that it was a "black board."

The purpose of this invention is to add new functionality to conventional thin-film solar cells.

"Means for Solving Problems" In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides an insulating layer, a first electrode, a non-single crystal semiconductor layer,
A plurality of photovoltaic units are formed by sequentially laminating second electrodes, and the first electrode of the first photovoltaic unit and the second electrode of the first photovoltaic unit are in contact with each other. In those connected in series,
The shape of the groove made in the non-single crystal semiconductor for connecting the first electrode of the first photovoltaic unit and the second electrode of the second photovoltaic unit can be expressed as a letter, figure, symbol, or It is characterized by having a shape in which these are combined.

``Function'' As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides the
Since the structure is such that a groove whose shape is a character, figure, symbol, or a combination thereof is provided in the non-single crystal semiconductor layer, the shape of the groove can be seen from the surface of the thin film solar cell. The structure is such that the first electrode of the first photovoltaic power generation unit and the second electrode of the second photovoltaic power generation unit are connected through this groove.

"Example 1" FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram and a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows. A transparent conductive film 2 on a glass substrate 1 (in this example,
After performing desired patterning 3 on the film (using a two-layer film of ITO and SnO ₂ ) by laser beam irradiation,
After forming the non-single-crystal semiconductor 4, grooves 5 (in this example, English letters) were formed in the non-single-crystal semiconductor 4 by laser beam irradiation. After this, the second
Aluminum was formed into a desired pattern 7 as the electrode 6 to obtain a thin film solar cell as shown in FIG.

In the case of this example, since metal was used as the electrode on the side opposite to the light incident side (in the case of this example, the first electrode 6), the characters on the open groove part of the almost black thin film solar cell were silver. It had a metallic luster and was extremely beautiful.

"Example 2" After forming the insulating layer 11 on the stainless steel substrate 10, a thin stainless steel film was formed as the first electrode 12 in a desired pattern. Thereafter, a non-single crystal semiconductor 14 was formed and irradiated with a laser beam. Thereafter, ITO was formed into a desired pattern as the second electrode 16 to obtain a thin film solar cell as shown in FIG.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

``Effects'' By adopting the structure of this invention, thin-film solar cells, which conventionally differed only in their external shapes, can now be
It is possible to differentiate a product from other products by being able to distinguish it from other products just by looking at it, and it is possible to add value to the product.

Further, the opening groove having a shape that is a character, figure, symbol, or a combination thereof connects the first electrode of the first photovoltaic power generation unit and the second electrode of the second photovoltaic power generation unit. Since the thin-film solar cell also serves as a part, only the patterning lines and grooves of the first and second electrodes can be seen from the surface of the thin-film solar cell, resulting in a very beautiful appearance.

It goes without saying that the thin-film solar cell of the present invention can be patterned by a laser beam processing method, a mask method, an etching method, or the like. But the characters,
When forming an open groove having the shape of a figure, a symbol, or a combination thereof, the laser beam processing method can form a finer open groove.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram and a sectional view of a thin film solar cell according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram and a cross-sectional view of a conventional thin film solar cell. FIG. 3 shows another embodiment according to the invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A first electrode provided on a substrate having an insulating surface, a non-single crystal semiconductor layer provided on the electrode, and a second electrode provided on the non-single crystal semiconductor layer. A thin film solar cell comprising a plurality of photovoltaic units connected in series, each of which has a first electrode of a first photovoltaic unit and a second photovoltaic unit. A thin film solar cell characterized in that the unit is connected to a second electrode through an open groove patterned in the shape of a character, figure, symbol, or a combination thereof.