KR20120082514A - Photovoltaic module and manufacturing method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A photovoltaic module and a manufacturing method thereof are provided to generate light from a light source part by using a current generated from the photovoltaic module itself. CONSTITUTION: A photovoltaic module comprises a substrate(100), a first electrode(110), a photoelectric conversion layer(120), A second electrode(130), a first protective layer(140), a light guide plate(150), a reflecting plate(160), a second protective layer(170), and a rear substrate(180). A light source part(190) is formed on a side of the light guide plate. A current generated from the photoelectric conversion layer is provided to the light source part. The light generated from the light source part enters the light guide plate. The light source part is formed on an entire edge region of the photovoltaic module at the side of the light guide plate. A power supply part(200) is a circuit for supplying the current generated from the photoelectric conversion layer to the light source part.

Description

Photovoltaic module and its manufacturing method {PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a photovoltaic module and a method of manufacturing the same.

Recently, as the depletion of existing energy resources such as oil or coal is predicted, there is a growing interest in alternative energy to replace them. Among them, solar energy is particularly attracting attention because it is rich in energy resources and has no problems with environmental pollution. Solar energy uses solar energy to generate steam required to rotate a turbine using solar heat, and solar energy to convert photons into electrical energy using properties of a semiconductor.

A photovoltaic module that converts sunlight into electrical energy has a junction structure of a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor, like a diode. The action produces negatively-charged electrons and positively-charged holes, which cause current to flow as they move.

This is called the photovoltaic effect. Among the p-type and n-type semiconductors constituting the photovoltaic module, electrons are attracted to the n-type semiconductor and holes are drawn to the p-type semiconductor, respectively. When the electrodes move to the bonded semiconductors and connect the electrodes with wires, electricity flows outward.

Such photovoltaic modules are used for power generation as well as construction. Building photovoltaic modules are mounted on roofs, walls or windows of buildings to generate power. Building photovoltaic modules should have a number of different characteristics compared to photovoltaic modules for power generation, so research on building photovoltaic modules has been actively conducted.

Research is also underway to apply architectural photovoltaic modules to windows of buildings, and there is a need to develop a technology that can visually feel aesthetic using conventional architectural photovoltaic modules.

The present invention is to provide a photovoltaic module that can produce a variety of colors without a separate lighting device by using a current generated in the photovoltaic module itself to emit light, and a manufacturing method thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a first electrode formed on a substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode formed on the photoelectric conversion layer, a light guide plate formed on the second electrode A photovoltaic module is provided that includes a light source unit disposed at a side of the light guide plate to emit light.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a photovoltaic module including a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode formed on a substrate, and further including a light source unit disposed on at least one side to emit light.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of sequentially forming a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, a second electrode formed on the substrate, forming a light guide plate on the second electrode, and the light on the light guide plate side A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module is provided, comprising disposing a light source unit that emits light.

According to the present invention, since the photovoltaic module emits light by using the current generated by itself, it is possible to produce various colors without providing a separate power consumption and a separate lighting device, and can provide visual aesthetics.

1 and 2 are a perspective view and a plan view showing the configuration of a photovoltaic module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a light source unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A to 4D are views illustrating a configuration of a power supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5A to 5N are views illustrating a manufacturing process of a photovoltaic module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Photovoltaic power  Overall configuration of the module

1 and 2 are a perspective view and a plan view showing the configuration of a photovoltaic module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the photovoltaic module of the present invention includes a substrate 100, a first electrode 110, a photoelectric conversion layer 120, a second electrode 130, and a first protective layer 140. ), The light guide plate 150, the reflective plate 160, the second protective layer 170, and the back substrate 180. Meanwhile, a light source unit 190 is further included in the side portion of the light guide plate 150.

In the photovoltaic module of the present invention, the current generated in the photoelectric conversion layer 120 is supplied to the light source unit 190. The light source unit 190 supplied with the current emits light. As the light source unit 190 is formed at the side of the light guide plate 150, the light emitted from the light source unit 190 is incident on the light guide plate 150.

1 and 2, the light source unit 190 may be formed at the side of the light guide plate 150 to be formed in the entire area of the edge of the photovoltaic module. Alternatively, a part of the edge of the photovoltaic module may be formed. For example, when the light guide plate 150 is formed in a quadrangular shape on a plan view, the light guide plate 150 may be formed only near two corners of four corners of the light guide plate 150. Since the light source unit 190 must be disposed at the side of the light guide plate 150 in the entire photovoltaic module, the light guide plate 150 may have a smaller area than other components as shown in FIG. 1. That is, a space for arranging the light source unit 190 may be provided at the side of the light guide plate 150.

3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the light source unit 190. As shown in FIG. 3, the light source unit 190 may include a substrate 191 and one or more light emitting devices 192 formed on the substrate 191.

The substrate 191 may be a rectangular printed circuit board, and the light emitting device 192 may be formed on one surface of the substrate 191, and may be disposed in a length direction of the substrate 191. The plurality of light emitting devices 192 may emit the same color (eg, white), but may emit different colors. Accordingly, various colors may be formed by a combination of different colors emitted from the light emitting device 192. For example, the light emitting device 192 may be a light emitting diode (LED) that emits light of at least one color of blue, red, and green, but any device that emits light may be any light emitting device. Available at 192.

On the other hand, the light guide plate 150 emits light emitted from the light source unit 190 to the outside. As described above, the light source unit 190 may include a light emitting element 192 which is a point light source, and the point light source may be converted into a surface light source by the light guide plate 150. The light guide plate 150 emits light emitted from the light source unit 190 toward the substrate 100. The light guide plate 150 may be made of a transparent resin, and may be printed by ink jet, stamping, or silk screen printing. In addition, the light guide plate 150 may have a specific pattern for facilitating the diffusion and scattering of light. The pattern may also be formed by a V-cutting method or a laser printing method.

The reflective plate 160 may be coated with at least a portion of the surface of the reflective material. When the light emitted from the light source unit 190 is emitted to the outside through the light guide plate 150, the reflecting plate 160 reflects the light directed toward the back substrate 180 to be directed toward the substrate 100. That is, the reflector 160 performs a function of preventing the light from being directed toward the back substrate 180. The reflective plate 160 may be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, silver, or a PET film on which aluminum is deposited.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit 200 may further include a power supply unit 200 that transfers the current generated by the photoelectric conversion layer 120 to the light source unit 190. Hereinafter, the configuration of the power supply unit 200 will be described.

power Supplier

4A to 4D are views showing the configuration of the power supply unit 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The power supply unit 200 of the present invention is a circuit for supplying or blocking the current generated by the photoelectric conversion layer 120 to the light source unit 190. The first electrode 110 and the second electrode 130 are connected to the light source unit 190 through the first connection line 210 and the second connection line 220, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply unit 200 may be formed in the middle of the first connection line 210, or may be formed in the middle of the second connection line 220.

The power supply unit 200 may include a switch SW, a constant current meter 211, a storage battery 212, an illuminance sensor 213, and a resistor 214, as shown in FIG. 4A. The switch SW may be implemented as a mechanical switch as shown in the figure, but may also be implemented by other electrical switches or transistors. On / off control of the switch SW may be performed by a separate controller (not shown). For example, the controller may turn off the switch SW during the daytime and turn on the switch SW during the daytime, but the switch SW may be used to store the current generated during the daytime in the battery 212. ) Can be turned on. The constant ammeter 211 includes a feedback circuit for the output signal and performs a function of controlling the current supplied to the light source unit 190 constantly. The storage battery 212 stores a current generated in the photoelectric conversion layer 120 when the switch SW is turned on. Accordingly, even when there is no sunlight and no current is generated in the photoelectric conversion layer 120, the light source unit 190 may operate through the current stored in the storage battery 212. For example, the current generated by the photoelectric conversion layer 120 may be stored in the storage battery 212 during the day time, and the light source unit 190 may operate at night time by the current stored in the storage battery 212. On the other hand, the illumination sensor 213 performs a function of detecting the illumination of the current sunlight, it is possible to control the operation of the switch (SW) based on the illumination of the sunlight detected by the illumination sensor 213. For example, when the illuminance of a predetermined value or more is detected, it is not necessary to operate the light source unit 190. Therefore, the switch SW is turned off. The switch SW can be turned on. The resistor 214 may have a predetermined resistance value and may be selectively included in the power supply 200.

Meanwhile, the power supply unit 200 may include a switch SW, a constant current meter 221, a charging control unit 222, and a resistor 223 as shown in FIG. 4B. The charging control unit 222 functions to properly control the current supplied to the light source unit 190 and to prevent the entire apparatus from being overloaded.

The power supply unit 200 may include a switch SW, a constant current meter 231, a charging control unit 232, a storage battery 233, an illuminance sensor 234, and a resistor 235 as shown in FIG. 4C. . In this case, the charging control unit 232 may control the charging of the storage battery 233 and appropriately control at least one of an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the voltage value to be charged so as not to overload the entire apparatus.

In addition, the power supply unit 200 may include a switch (SW), a constant ammeter 241, an illuminance sensor 242, a resistor 243, as shown in FIG. 4D.

In the above, an example of the configuration of the power supply unit 200 has been described. However, as long as a circuit capable of supplying or blocking the current generated in the photoelectric conversion layer 120 to the light source unit 190 under appropriate control, the power supply unit 200 may be used as the power supply unit 200. Available. In addition, modification of the power supply unit 200 described above as an example (for example, a power supply unit consisting of a switch, a constant ammeter, a storage battery, and an illuminance sensor) can also be performed.

Hereinafter, a manufacturing process of a photovoltaic module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Photovoltaic power  Module manufacturing process

5A to 5N are process diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a photovoltaic module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a manufacturing process of a photovoltaic module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5N.

Referring to FIG. 5A, first, a substrate 100 is prepared. The substrate 100 may be an insulating transparent substrate. In addition, the substrate 100 may be an inflexible substrate such as glass or a flexible substrate such as a polymer or a metal foil. When the substrate 100 includes a metal foil, the substrate 100 may include an insulating layer (not shown) covering the metal foil.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the first electrode 110 is formed on the substrate 100. The first electrode 110 may be made of a conductive material such as transparent conductive oxide (TCO). For example, the first electrode 110 may be formed of a material including at least one of SnO ₂ : F, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, ITO, and TiO ₂ . The first electrode 110 may be formed by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method or a sputtering method. An embodiment of the present invention includes a process in which the first electrode 110 is formed, but the substrate 100 on which the first electrode 110 is formed may be prepared.

Referring to FIG. 5C, a scribe process of removing a part of the first electrode 110 by performing laser irradiation is performed. A portion of the first electrode 110 is removed by the scribing process to form the groove P1 of the first pattern. Accordingly, a short circuit between adjacent first electrodes 110 may be prevented.

Referring to FIG. 5D, the photoelectric conversion layer 120 is formed to cover the first electrode 110 and the groove P1 of the first pattern. The photoelectric conversion layer 120 may include one of an amorphous photoelectric conversion layer, a single crystal photoelectric conversion layer, a polycrystalline photoelectric conversion layer, a compound photoelectric conversion layer, and an organic photoelectric conversion layer. The single crystal photoelectric conversion layer includes monocrystalline silicon doped with an impurity, and the polycrystalline photoelectric conversion layer includes polycrystalline silicon doped with an impurity. The compound photoelectric conversion layer may include a group I-III-IV compound semiconductor, or a group III-V compound semiconductor. Hereinafter, the case where the photoelectric conversion layer 120 is an amorphous photoelectric conversion layer will be described as an example.

When the photoelectric conversion layer 120 is an amorphous photoelectric conversion layer, it may include a p-type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer sequentially formed, but the n-type semiconductor layer, the intrinsic semiconductor layer, formed in the reverse order, It may also include a p-type semiconductor layer. The photoelectric conversion layer 120 may be formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process.

When the photoelectric conversion layer 120 includes a p-type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer sequentially formed, light is incident through the substrate 100. Conversely, when the photoelectric conversion layer 120 includes an n-type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer sequentially formed, light is opposite to the substrate 100, that is, the side on which the second electrode 130 is formed. Incident through.

The p-type semiconductor layer may be formed by incorporating hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber together with a source gas containing silicon such as silane (SiH ₄ ) and a doping gas containing a group 3 element such as B ₂ H ₆ . The intrinsic semiconductor layer may be formed by introducing a source gas containing silicon and hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber. The n-type silicon layer may be formed by mixing a doping gas containing a Group 5 element such as PH ₃ , a source gas containing silicon, and hydrogen gas.

Referring to FIG. 5E, a scribing process of removing a part of the photoelectric conversion layer 120 by performing laser irradiation in the air is performed. A portion of the photoelectric conversion layer 120 is removed by the scribing process to form the grooves P2 of the second pattern.

Referring to FIG. 5F, the second electrode 130 is formed to cover the photoelectric conversion layer 120 and the groove P2 of the second pattern. The second electrode 130 may be a transparent electrode made of a transparent material or a metal conductive electrode made of an opaque material. In the case where the second electrode 130 is made of a light-transmissive material, since the light-transmitting material is itself present, a photovoltaic module showing light transparency without a separate process may be obtained. On the other hand, when the second electrode 130 is formed of an opaque metal conductive electrode, the overall performance may be improved due to the high reflectance of the second electrode 130. However, in this case, a process of forming a light-transmitting opening in the second electrode 130 is essential to apply the light transmittance to the entire photovoltaic module to apply to the window of the building. On the other hand, as described later, even when the second electrode 130 is made of a light-transmissive material, a light-transmitting opening may be formed once again to further increase light transmittance. When the second electrode 130 is made of a light-transmissive material, a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), for example, SnO ₂ : F, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, ITO, TiO ₂ , and carbon nanotubes ( Carbon nano tube (CNT) may be made of a material, and when the second electrode 130 is made of a metal conductive electrode of opaque material, it may be made of a material such as silver or aluminum.

Referring to FIG. 5G, a scribe process of removing a portion of the photoelectric conversion layer 120 and the second electrode 130 by performing laser irradiation in the air is performed. Accordingly, the third pattern of the grooves P3 penetrating the photoelectric conversion layer 120 and the second electrode 130 is formed. In this way, a plurality of unit cells including the first electrode 110, the photoelectric conversion layer 120, and the second electrode 130 formed on the substrate 100 and connected in series with each other are formed. The direction in which the unit cells are connected in series will be referred to as an integration direction.

Referring to FIG. 5H, a scribe process may be additionally performed to remove a portion of the first electrode 110, the photoelectric conversion layer 120, and the second electrode 130 by irradiating the laser once more in the atmosphere. As a result, a fourth pattern groove P4 penetrating the first electrode 110, the photoelectric conversion layer 120, and the second electrode 130 is formed. The groove P2 of the second pattern is for series connection of unit cells, and the groove P3 of the third pattern is for formation of unit cells. In addition, the groove P4 of the fourth pattern is for preventing an electric shock from occurring through a frame (not shown) surrounding the edge of the substrate 100. When the frame is made of an insulating material such as wood or polymer, the groove P4 of the fourth pattern may not be formed. That is, the process described with reference to FIG. 5H may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 5I, a light transmissive opening 131 penetrating at least a portion of the second electrode 130 is formed. The transmissive opening 131 is for imparting or further improving light transmittance to the entire photovoltaic module. This process is essential when the second electrode 130 is made of a metal conductive electrode of opaque material. However, when the second electrode 130 is formed of a light transmitting material, the process of FIG. 5I may be omitted. However, even in this case, if the process of FIG. 5I is performed, the light transmittance of the photovoltaic module may be further improved.

The light transmissive opening 131 may be formed at a predetermined position on the second electrode 130, but may be formed in a linear direction for ease of processing. The light transmissive opening 131 may be formed in a direction parallel to the integration direction, or in a direction having a predetermined angle of inclination with respect to the integration direction. The transparent openings 131 may be formed in one or more, and each of the transparent openings 131 may be formed spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the integration direction. The transparent opening 131 may be formed in a form in which at least a portion of the second electrode 130 is removed, but preferably in a form in which at least a portion of the second electrode 130 and the photoelectric conversion layer 120 are removed. do. That is, the light transmissive opening 131 may penetrate the second electrode 130 to expose the photoelectric conversion layer 120, but penetrate both the second electrode 130 and the photoelectric conversion layer 120 to allow the first electrode ( 110) may be exposed.

The transparent opening 131 may be formed through a predetermined etching method. As an etching method, an etching method or a chemical etching method using a laser may be used. Specifically, the light emitting opening 131 is formed by covering the second electrode 130 using an uncovered film having a region corresponding to the light transmitting opening 131 to be formed, and then performing an etching process. As the shielding film, a mask or a tape or the like can be used.

Meanwhile, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the transparent opening 131 may be formed together when the second electrode 130 is formed in the process described with reference to FIG. 5F. Specifically, the second electrode 130 having the light transmissive opening 131 may be formed to cover the photoelectric conversion layer 120 and the groove P2 of the second pattern by using a printer method or a sputtering method. . As described above, according to the method of forming the transmissive openings 131 together when forming the second electrode 130, the process illustrated in FIG. 5I may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 5J, the first protective layer 140 may be formed on the second electrode 130 to cover the unit cells, and the light guide plate 150 may be disposed thereon. The first passivation layer 140 may be made of at least one or more materials of polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyvinylfloride (PVF), or polyvinyl butyral (PVB) sheet, and is a bonding material between the second electrode 130 and the light guide plate 150. Can function. The first protective layer 140 may be omitted in the configuration of the entire photovoltaic module.

Referring to FIG. 5K, the light guide plate 150 is formed on the first protective layer 140, and the light source unit 190 is disposed on the side of the light guide plate 150. As described above, the area of the light guide plate 150 may be smaller than the first passivation layer 140 in order to secure a space for arranging the light source unit 190 at the side. The side portion of the light guide plate 150 and the light source unit 190 may be in contact with each other, but may be spaced a certain distance apart.

Referring to FIG. 5L, the reflective plate 160 is formed on the light guide plate 150.

Referring to FIG. 5M, a second passivation layer 170 and a back substrate 180 are formed on the reflective plate 160. The second protective layer 170 may include at least one of glass, EVA, PVF, PVB sheet, or back sheet. The second protective layer 170 may function as a bonding material between the reflecting plate 160 and the back substrate 180. The second passivation layer 170 may be formed of the same material as the first passivation layer 140 or may be formed of different materials. The second protective layer 170 may be omitted in the configuration of the entire photovoltaic module. Meanwhile, the back substrate 180 may be formed of a glass having a predetermined color, and may be coated with at least one of a material such as SiO ₂ or TiO ₂ .

Referring to FIG. 5N, the first electrode 110, the second electrode 130, and the light source unit 190 are electrically connected to each other. This connection may be made through the first connection wiring 210 and the second connection wiring 220. The power supply unit 200 may be additionally included in the first connection line 210.

In the above description, the light guide plate 150 is formed on the second electrode 130 of the photovoltaic module and the light source unit 190 is disposed on the side thereof as an example, but a modified embodiment thereof may also be implemented. For example, the reflective plate 160 may be excluded, and without the light guide plate 150, the light source unit 190 may be disposed on the side of another component (eg, the protective layers 140 and 170 or the back substrate 180). It may be arranged.

The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope of equivalents thereof should be construed as being included in the present invention.

100: substrate
110: first electrode
120: photoelectric conversion layer
130: second electrode
140: first protective layer
150: light guide plate
160: reflector
170: second protective layer
180: back side substrate
190: light source unit
200: power supply

Claims (18)

A first electrode formed on the substrate;
A photoelectric conversion layer formed on the first electrode;
A second electrode formed on the photoelectric conversion layer;
A light guide plate formed on the second electrode; And
And a light source unit disposed at the side of the light guide plate to emit light. The method of claim 1,
And a reflector plate formed on the light guide plate to reflect light emitted to the upper light guide plate. The method of claim 1,
And a back substrate formed on the light guide plate. The method of claim 3,
And at least one of a first passivation layer formed between the second electrode and the light guide plate, or a second passivation layer formed between the light guide plate and the back substrate. The method of claim 4, wherein
The first protective layer is a photovoltaic module consisting of at least one material of polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyvinylfloride (PVF), or polyvinyl butyral (PVB) sheet. The method of claim 4, wherein
The second protective layer is a photovoltaic module made of at least one material of polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyvinylfloride (PVF), polyvinyl butyral (PVB) sheet, or back sheet. The method of claim 1,
The light source unit includes:
Board; And
A photovoltaic module comprising one or more light emitting elements formed on the substrate. The method of claim 1,
First and second connection wires electrically connecting the first and second electrodes to the light source; And
And a power supply unit configured to switch a current flowing in the first connection line or the second connection line. The method of claim 8,
The power supply unit photovoltaic module comprising a switch element. 10. The method of claim 9,
The power supply unit,
A photovoltaic module further comprising at least one of a constant current meter, a charging control unit, a storage battery, an illuminance sensor, and a resistor connected in series with the switch element. A first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode formed on the substrate;
A photovoltaic module further comprising a light source unit disposed on at least one side to emit light. The method of claim 11,
And a light source unit formed on the second electrode to emit light emitted from the light source unit to the outside. The method of claim 11,
The photovoltaic module further comprising a back substrate formed on the second electrode. Sequentially forming a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode formed on the substrate; And
Forming a light guide plate on the second electrode and disposing a light source unit emitting light at the side of the light guide plate; 15. The method of claim 14,
The method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module further comprising the step of forming a reflecting plate on the light guide plate. 16. The method of claim 15,
The method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module further comprising the step of forming a back substrate on the light guide plate. The method of claim 16,
And forming a protective layer between at least one of the second electrode and the light guide plate or between the light guide plate and the back substrate. 15. The method of claim 14,
And forming a first connection wire and a second connection wire electrically connecting the first electrode and the second electrode to the light source unit.

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