KR20190020509A - Solar cell panel and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a photovoltaic panel comprises: a plurality of photovoltaic cells including first and second photovoltaic cells; and a connection member positioned between the first and second photovoltaic cells at an overlapping portion of the first and second photovoltaic cells and electrically connecting the first and second photovoltaic cells. The first and second photovoltaic cells have a long axis and a short axis and the photovoltaic cells are arranged to have a curvature.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a solar cell panel,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar cell panel and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a solar cell panel improved in structure and process and a method of manufacturing the same.

With the recent depletion of existing energy sources such as oil and coal, interest in alternative energy to replace them is increasing. Among them, solar cells are attracting attention as a next-generation battery that converts solar energy into electric energy. In particular, a crystalline solar cell based on a crystalline semiconductor substrate has been applied to various fields due to its excellent electrical characteristics and efficiency.

A plurality of such solar cells are connected in series or in parallel, and are manufactured in the form of a solar cell panel by a packaging process for protecting a plurality of solar cells. However, since the crystalline solar cell has a flat shape and does not have a flexible characteristic, the solar cell panel including the crystalline solar cell has a planar structure of a flat shape. Accordingly, a solar cell panel including a crystalline solar cell can not implement various structures (for example, a structure having a curvature) other than a planar structure, and thus is not suitable for various fields.

The present invention provides a solar cell panel having excellent efficiency and power and curvature and a method of manufacturing the solar cell panel.

A solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of solar cells including a first solar cell and a second solar cell; And a connecting member located between the first solar cell and the second solar cell at an overlapping portion of the first solar cell and the second solar cell and electrically connecting the first solar cell and the second solar cell do. The first and second solar cells have a long axis and a short axis, and the plurality of solar cells are arranged so as to have a curvature.

A method of manufacturing a solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of connecting a plurality of solar cells including a first solar cell and a second solar cell, each having a long axis and a short axis, , Forming a plurality of solar cells having a curvature; Forming a laminated structure by laminating the plurality of solar cells, the sealing material, and the first and second cover members; And laminating the solar cell panel by applying heat and pressure to the laminate structure.

According to the present embodiment, a solar cell panel including a solar cell having a long axis and a short axis and having a high efficiency and an output and having a curvature can be easily formed.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a plurality of solar cells included in the solar cell panel shown in FIG. 1 and connected to each other by connecting members.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing two solar cells included in the solar cell panel shown in FIG. 1 and connected to each other by connecting members.
4 is a plan view showing the first solar cell and the second solar cell shown in Fig.
5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing a solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a connecting member of a solar cell panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified into various forms.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar parts throughout the specification. In the drawings, the thickness, the width, and the like are enlarged or reduced in order to make the description more clear, and the thickness, width, etc. of the present invention are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

Wherever certain parts of the specification are referred to as "comprising ", the description does not exclude other parts and may include other parts, unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, when a portion of a layer, film, region, plate, or the like is referred to as being "on" another portion, it also includes the case where another portion is located in the middle as well as the other portion. When a portion of a layer, film, region, plate, or the like is referred to as being "directly on" another portion, it means that no other portion is located in the middle.

Hereinafter, a solar cell panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a solar cell panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a solar cell 100 included in the solar cell panel 100 shown in FIG. 1, And is a plan view schematically showing a plurality of solar cells. The first and second electrodes 42 and 44 and the connecting member 142 are not shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity and simplicity.

1 and 2, a solar cell panel 100 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of solar cells 10 including a first solar cell 10a and a second solar cell 10b, 1, and a connecting member 142 located between the solar cell 10a and the overlapping portion OP of the second solar cell 10b to electrically connect the solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b. At this time, the first solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b each have a long axis and a short axis, and a plurality of solar cells 10 are arranged so as to have a curvature. For example, when the plurality of solar cells 10 is at least one solar cell other than the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b (for example, third to eighth solar cells 10c, 10d, 10e, and 10f The solar cell panel 100 includes a plurality of solar cells 10 and a sealing member 130 that surrounds and seals the connecting member 142, A first cover member 110 located on one side of the solar cell 10 on the sealing member 130 and a second cover member 120 located on the other side of the solar cell 10 on the sealing member 130, This will be described in more detail.

The first cover member 110 is disposed on the seal member 130 (for example, the first seal member 131) to constitute one surface (e.g., a front surface) of the solar cell panel 100, 120 are positioned on the sealing member 130 (in this example, the second sealing member 132) to constitute the other surface (for example, the rear surface) of the solar cell 10. Each of the first cover member 110 and the second cover member 120 may be formed of an insulating material capable of protecting the solar cell 10 from external shock, moisture, ultraviolet rays, or the like. The first cover member 110 may be made of a light-transmitting material that can transmit light, and the second cover member 120 may be made of a sheet made of a light-transmitting material, a non-light-transmitting material, or a reflective material. For example, the first cover member 110 may be composed of a glass substrate having excellent durability and excellent insulation characteristics, and the second cover member 120 may be constituted of a film or a sheet. The second cover member 120 may have a TPT (Tedlar / PET / Tedlar) type or a polyvinylidene fluoride (PET) film formed on at least one side of a base film (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate PVDF) resin layer.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the first and second sealing members 131 and 132, the first cover member 110, or the second cover member 120 may include various materials other than those described above, and may have various shapes. For example, the first cover member 110 or the second cover member 120 may have various shapes (e.g., a substrate, film, sheet, etc.) or material.

The sealing member 130 includes a first sealing material 131 located on the front surface of the solar cell 10 connected by the connecting member 142 and a second sealing material 132 located on the rear surface of the solar cell 10 can do. The first sealing material 131 and the second sealing material 132 prevent moisture and oxygen from entering and chemically bind each element of the solar cell panel 100. The first and second sealing members 131 and 132 may be made of an insulating material having translucency and adhesiveness. For example, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin (EVA), a polyvinyl butyral, a silicon resin, an ester-based resin, an olefin-based resin, or the like may be used for the first sealant 131 and the second sealant 132. The second cover member 120, the second seal member 132, the solar cell 10, the first seal member 131, and the first cover member (the second cover member 120) by a lamination process using the first and second seal members 131 and 132 110 are integrated with each other to constitute the solar cell panel 100.

Here, the first cover member 110, the sealing member 130, and the second cover member 120 may have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells 10, which will be described later in more detail .

In this embodiment, two solar cells 10 adjacent to each other among the plurality of solar cells 10 are overlapped with each other to form an overlapping portion OP, and two solar cells 10 And the two solar cells 10 are electrically connected to each other. The plurality of solar cells 10 may be electrically connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel by the connecting member 142. For example, a plurality of solar cells 10 may be sequentially connected in series by a connecting member 142 to constitute a solar cell string composed of one row. In this embodiment, a plurality of solar cells 10 (or solar cell strings) constituting one row may be arranged so as to have a curvature. At this time, a plurality of solar cells 10 connected by the connecting member 142 may be cut from a mother solar cell to have a major axis and a minor axis. The solar cell 10 and the connecting member 142 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 together with FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

3 is a plan view of a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention in which two solar cells 10 included in the solar cell panel 100 shown in Fig. 1 and connected to each other by a connecting member 142 (i.e., a first solar cell 10a and a second solar cell 10b). ≪ / RTI > 4 is a plan view showing the first solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b shown in Fig. 4 (a) shows a second conductive type region 30 and a second electrode 44 positioned on the rear surface of the second solar cell 10b. In FIG. 4 (b), a first solar cell The first conductive type region 20 and the first electrode 42 located on the front side of the first conductive type region 10a.

Hereinafter, the structure of each solar cell 10 (that is, the structure of each of the first solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b) will be roughly described with reference to Fig. 3, and then to Figs. 1 to 4 A connection structure of the first solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b using the connecting member 142 and a plurality of solar cells 10 arranged so as to have a curvature will be described in more detail.

3, the solar cell 10 according to the present embodiment includes a semiconductor substrate 12, conductive regions 20 and 30 formed on the semiconductor substrate 12 or on the semiconductor substrate 12, And electrodes 42 and 44 connected to the conductive regions 20 and 30, respectively. That is, the solar cell 10 according to the present embodiment may be a crystalline solar cell based on the semiconductor substrate 12. For example, the conductive regions 20 and 30 may include a first conductive type region 20 and a second conductive type region 30 having different conductivity types, and the electrodes 42 and 44 may include first A first electrode 42 connected to the conductive type region 20 and a second electrode 44 connected to the second conductive type region 30.

The semiconductor substrate 12 may include a base region 14 having a first or second conductivity type including a first or second conductivity type dopant at a relatively low doping concentration. In one example, base region 14 may have a second conductivity type. The base region 14 may be comprised of a single crystalline semiconductor (e.g., a single single crystal or polycrystalline semiconductor, such as single crystal or polycrystalline silicon, particularly monocrystalline silicon) comprising a first or second conductivity type dopant. The solar cell 10 based on the base region 14 or the semiconductor substrate 12 having a high degree of crystallinity and having few defects is excellent in electrical characteristics. At this time, at least one of the front surface and the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate 12 may be provided with a texturing structure or an antireflection structure having irregularities such as a pyramid to minimize reflection.

Each of the conductive regions 20 and 30 includes a first conductive type region 20 located on one side (e.g., a front side) of the semiconductor substrate 12 and having a first conductive type, And a second conductive type region 30 located on the other side (e.g., the other side) and having a second conductive type. The conductive regions 20 and 30 may have a different conductivity type than the base region 14 or may have a higher doping concentration than the base region 14. In this embodiment, the first and second conductivity type regions 20 and 30 are constituted by a doped region constituting a part of the semiconductor substrate 12, so that the junction characteristics with the base region 14 can be improved. At this time, the first conductive type region 20 or the second conductive type region 30 may have a homogeneous structure, a selective structure, or a local structure.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and at least one of the first and second conductivity type regions 20 and 30 may be formed separately from the semiconductor substrate 12 on the semiconductor substrate 12. In this case, a semiconductor layer (for example, an amorphous semiconductor layer, an amorphous semiconductor layer, or the like) having a crystal structure different from that of the semiconductor substrate 12 may be formed so that the first or second conductivity type regions 20 and 30 can be easily formed on the semiconductor substrate 12, A microcrystalline semiconductor layer, or a polycrystalline semiconductor layer, for example, an amorphous silicon layer, a microcrystalline silicon layer, or a polycrystalline silicon layer).

One of the first and second conductivity type regions 20 and 30 having a conductivity type different from that of the base region 14 constitutes at least a part of the emitter region. The other of the first and second conductivity type regions 20 and 30 having the same conductivity type as the base region 14 constitutes at least a part of a surface field region. For example, in this embodiment, the base region 14 and the second conductivity type region 30 may have a second conductivity type and an n-type, and the first conductivity type region 20 may have a p-type. Then, the base region 14 and the first conductive type region 20 form a pn junction. When the pn junction is irradiated with light, the electrons generated by the photoelectric effect move toward the rear side of the semiconductor substrate 12 and are collected by the second electrode 44, and the holes move toward the front side of the semiconductor substrate 12 1 electrode 42. In this case, Thereby, electric energy is generated. Then, holes having a slower moving speed than electrons can be moved to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate 12, not the rear surface thereof, thereby improving the efficiency. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is also possible that the base region 14 and the second conductivity type region 30 have the p-type and the first conductivity type region 20 has the n-type. The base region 14 may have the same conductivity type as that of the second conductivity type region 30 and opposite to the first conductivity type region 20.

The first or second conductivity type dopant may be n-type or p-type. As the p-type dopant, a group III element such as boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), or indium (In) can be used. In the case of the n-type, Group 5 elements such as phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), bismuth (Bi) and antimony (Sb) can be used. For example, the p-type dopant may be boron (B) and the n-type dopant may be phosphorus (P).

The first passivation film 22 and / or the antireflection film 22 are formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate 12 (more precisely, on the first conductive type region 20 formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate 12) (For example, contact). A second passivation film 32 which is a second insulating film is formed on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate 12 (more precisely on the second conductive type region 30 formed on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate 12) , Contact). The first passivation film 22, the antireflection film 24, and the second passivation film 32 may be formed of various insulating materials. In one example, the first passivation film 22, the anti-reflection film 24 or the passivation film 32 is a silicon nitride film, a silicon nitride film containing hydrogen, silicon oxide, silicon nitride oxide, aluminum oxide film, a silicon carbide film, MgF _2, ZnS , TiO _2, and CeO ₂ , or a multi-layer structure in which two or more films are combined. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The first electrode 42 is electrically connected to the first conductivity type region 20 through the opening passing through the first insulating film and the second electrode 44 is electrically connected to the first conductive type region 20 through the second insulating film. (For example, by contact formation) to the second conductivity type region 30 through the opening. The first and second electrodes 42 and 44 are made of various conductive materials (for example, metal) and may have various shapes.

For example, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first electrode 42 may include a plurality of first finger electrodes 42a spaced apart from each other with a predetermined pitch. In FIG. 4, the first finger electrodes 42a extend in the minor axis direction and are parallel to each other and parallel to one edge of the semiconductor substrate 12.

The first electrode 42 is connected to the first bus bar electrode 42b extending in the major axis direction (y axis direction) intersecting (for example, orthogonal to) the minor axis direction while connecting the end of the first finger electrode 42a. ). The first bus bar electrode 42b is located in the overlapping portion OP overlapping another solar cell 10 and is a portion where the connecting member 142 connecting the neighboring solar cells 10 is directly located. At this time, the width of the first bus bar electrode 42b may be larger than the width of the first finger electrode 42a, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, the width of the first bus bar electrode 42b may be equal to or less than the width of the first finger electrode 42a.

The first finger electrode 42a and the first bus bar electrode 42b of the first electrode 42 may all be formed through the first insulating film. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As another example, the first finger electrode 42a of the first electrode 42 may be formed through the first insulating film, and the first bus bar electrode 42b may be formed on the first insulating film.

Similarly, the second electrode 44 may include a plurality of second finger electrodes 44a, and may include a second bus bar electrode 44b connecting the ends of the plurality of second electrodes 44a . The content of the first insulating film related to the first electrode 42 can be applied to the second electrode 44 in relation to the second electrode 44. [ And can be directly applied to the second insulating film. The width and the pitch of the first finger electrode 42a and the first bus bar electrode 42b of the first electrode 42 are the same as the width and pitch of the second finger electrode 44a and the second bus bar 42b of the second electrode 44, The width, the pitch, and the like of the electrode 44b, or may be different from each other.

In this embodiment, one bus bar electrode 42b is provided at one end of the first finger electrode 42a and a second bus bar electrode 44b is provided at the other end of the second finger electrode 44a One is provided. More specifically, the first bus bar electrode 42b is elongated along the major axis direction (y axis direction in the figure) of the semiconductor substrate 12 at one side in the minor axis direction of the semiconductor substrate 12, and the second bus bar electrode 44b may be extended along the major axis direction of the semiconductor substrate 12 on the other side in the minor axis direction of the semiconductor substrate 12. [

When the solar cell 10 is connected, the first bus bar electrode 42b located on one side of one solar cell 10 and the second bus bar 42b located on the other side of the neighboring solar cell 10, The electrodes 44b are positioned adjacent to each other at the overlapping portion OP so that the neighboring solar cells 10 can be stably connected by joining them with the connecting member 142. [ In addition, the first and second bus bar electrodes 42b and 44b may be formed only on one side to reduce the material cost of the first and second electrodes 42 and 44 and to simplify the manufacturing process.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, it is possible to form electrodes having different shapes from those of the first and second finger electrodes 42a and 44a, which do not include the first and second bus bar electrodes 42b and 44b. In addition, unlike the above, it is also possible that the planar shapes of the first electrode 42 and the second electrode 44 are completely different from each other or have no similarity, and various other modifications are possible.

In this embodiment, a single solar cell is cut to manufacture a plurality of solar cells 10 having a major axis and a minor axis, and this is used as a unit solar cell. When the plurality of solar cells 10 thus cut are connected to manufacture the solar cell panel 100, the cell to module loss (CTM loss) of the solar cell panel 100 can be reduced.

More specifically, the output loss has a value obtained by multiplying the square of the current by the resistance of each solar cell, and the output loss of the solar cell panel including a plurality of solar cells is expressed by the square of the current of each solar cell The value multiplied by the resistance multiplied by the number of solar cells. However, there is a current generated by the solar cell area itself in the current of each solar cell. When the area of the solar cell is increased, the corresponding current is also increased, and when the area of the solar cell is decreased, the corresponding current is also decreased.

Therefore, when the solar cell panel 100 is formed by using the solar cell 10 manufactured by cutting the parent solar cell and having the long axis and the short axis, the current of the solar cell 10 is reduced in proportion to the area, ) Increases inversely. For example, when there are four solar cells 10 manufactured from the parent solar cell, the current in each solar cell 10 is reduced to one quarter of the current of the parent solar cell, The number of solar cells is four times as large. Since the current is reflected in square and the number is reflected as it is, the output loss value is reduced to one quarter. Accordingly, the output loss of the solar cell panel 100 according to the present embodiment can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the parent solar cell is manufactured and then cut to form the solar cell 10. According to this, the solar cell 10 can be manufactured by manufacturing the solar cell using the existing equipment and the optimized design as it is, and then cutting it. As a result, facility burden and process cost burden are minimized. On the other hand, if the size of the solar cell itself is reduced, it is necessary to replace the used equipment or change the setting.

More specifically, the parent solar cell or semiconductor substrate thereof may be fabricated from an approximate circular shaped ingot and may be formed in two directions (e. G., Finger electrodes 42a and 44a) that are circular, square, And the direction in which the bus bar electrodes 42b and 44b extend) are the same or substantially similar to each other. For example, the semiconductor substrate of the parent solar cell may have an octagonal shape having oblique sides at four corner portions in an approximate square shape. With such a shape, a semiconductor substrate having the largest area from the same ingot can be obtained. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is also possible that the semiconductor substrate or the parent solar cell has a square shape and does not have an inclined side. For reference, four solar cells 10 adjacent to each other in order from the left in Fig. 2 may be manufactured in one parent solar cell. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of solar cells 10 manufactured in one solar cell may be variously modified.

As described above, the parent solar cell has a symmetrical shape and has the same distance between the maximum lateral width (the width across the center of the semiconductor substrate) and the maximum vertical width (the vertical width across the center of the semiconductor substrate).

The solar cell 10 formed by cutting the parent solar cell along a cutting line extending in one direction (e.g., the y-axis direction in the drawing) has a shape having a major axis and a minor axis.

The plurality of solar cells 10 thus manufactured are electrically connected to each other using the connecting member 142. That is, the connecting member 142 is positioned (for example, in contact with) between the first electrode 42 of the first solar cell 10a and the second electrode 44 of the second solar cell 10b, Connect physically. For simplicity, only the connecting member 142 located between the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b is shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the other side in the minor axis direction of the first solar cell 10a and the other side in the minor axis direction of the second solar cell 10b are overlapped to form the overlapping portion OP, 1 and the second bus bar electrode 42b or along the major axis direction of the solar cell 10, as shown in Fig. The connecting member 142 is positioned between the first and second bus bar electrodes 42b and 44b located in the overlapping portion OP to electrically connect the two solar cells 10. [ Then, the solar cells 10 having the short axis and the long axis can be connected in the long axis direction, and the connection area can be sufficiently secured to stably connect the solar cells. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The connection member 142 may be connected to the first or second finger electrode 42a or 44a instead of the first or second bus bar electrode 42b or 44b to electrically connect the solar cell 10 to the first or second bus bar electrode 42b or 44b. Various other variations are possible.

At this time, as described above, when the plurality of solar cells 10 are connected to at least one solar cell other than the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b (for example, third to eighth solar cells 10c and 10d , 10e, 10f, 10g, 10h)). The connection structure of the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b may be successively repeated in two solar cells adjacent to each other so that a solar cell string composed of a plurality of solar cells 10 can be formed. That is, the description of the connection structure of the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b described above is applicable to the second and third solar cells 10b and 10c, the third and fourth solar cells 10c and 10d, The fourth and fifth solar cells 10d and 10e, the fifth and sixth solar cells 10e and 10f, the sixth and seventh solar cells 10f and 10g, and the seventh and eighth solar cells 10g, 10h). Although the first to eighth solar cells 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g and 10h are shown as a plurality of solar cells 10 in the drawing, The number may vary.

At this time, in this embodiment, as described above, a plurality of solar cells 10 having long and short axes are arranged so as to have a curvature. More specifically, a plurality of solar cells 10 are connected to each other at one edge in the minor axis direction to constitute a solar cell string, and a plurality of solar cells 10 or a solar cell string has a curvature in a plane perpendicular to the major axis direction. Lt; / RTI >

Here, the plurality of solar cells 10 have a curvature is a virtual circle formed by a base surface BS formed by extending a curve formed by a plurality of solar cells 10, or a long axis radius of an ellipse, When the short axis radius is b, the eccentricity e may be equal to or greater than zero and less than one. For example, the base surface BS may refer to a line connecting one edge of a plurality of solar cells 10 viewed from a plane perpendicular to the major axis direction (xz plane in the figure). The eccentricity can be defined by the following equation.

[Mathematical Expression]

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the base surface BS formed by extending the curved lines formed by the plurality of solar cells 10 may have a shape other than a circle or an ellipse.

More specifically, the semiconductor substrate 12 of each of the plurality of solar cells 10 including the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b has a flat shape, and the minor axis directions thereof are inclined to each other to form a plurality The solar cell 10 may have a curvature. Since the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b have a width shorter than the length in the minor axis direction, they can be arranged so as to have a constant curvature when viewed in a plan view. As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of solar cells 10 formed of crystalline solar cells and having a flat shape are formed so as to have a short axis and a long axis, and these short axis directions are inclined relative to each other, (100) can be easily formed. Accordingly, it is possible to easily form the solar cell panel 100 having the curvature while having excellent efficiency and power including the solar cell 10 having the short axis and the long axis.

At this time, the inclination angles of the two neighboring solar cells 10 (i.e., the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b, the second and third solar cells 10b and 10c, The fourth and fifth solar cells 10d and 10e, the fifth and sixth solar cells 10e and 10f, the sixth and seventh solar cells 10f and 10g, and the seventh and eighth solar cells 10c and 10d, (Tilt angles between the solar cells 10g and 10h) (A) may be acute angles. As a result, a plurality of solar cells 10 arranged at an inclination can be stably connected. For example, in a plurality of solar cells 10 having three or more solar cells 10, a plurality of inclination angles A (i.e., inclination between the first solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b) The inclination angle A between the second and third solar cells 10b and 10c, the inclination angle A between the third and fourth solar cells 10c and 10d, the fourth and fifth The inclination angle A between the solar cells 10d and 10e and the inclination angle A between the fifth and sixth solar cells 10e and 10f and the inclination angle A between the sixth and seventh solar cells 10f and 10g The angle A and the inclination angle A between the seventh and eighth solar cells 10g and 10h may have the same value. That is, a plurality of solar cells 10 having three or more solar cells 10 can be connected with the same inclination angle A. Then, a plurality of solar cells 10 can be connected more stably. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the drawing, a plurality of solar cells 10 (that is, first to eighth solar cells 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, and 10h) And are disposed with different slopes from the reference plane. More specifically, from the one side (the left side of the figure) of the plurality of solar cells 10 (the right side of the drawing) (that is, the first solar cell 10a from the direction away from the first solar cell 10a) The first solar cell 10a and the other solar cells 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, and 10h have different angles. That is, the inclination degree between the first solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b, the inclination between the first solar cell 10a and the third solar cell 10c, the inclination angle between the first solar cell 10a and the fourth solar cell 10b, The inclination between the first solar cell 10a and the fifth solar cell 10e and the inclination between the first solar cell 10a and the sixth solar cell 10f, The inclination degree between the first solar cell 10a and the eighth solar cell 10g may gradually increase in the order of the inclination between the battery 10a and the seventh solar cell 10f and the inclination between the first solar cell 10a and the eighth solar cell 10g.

Then, the plurality of solar cells 10 may be formed to have a convex shape or a concave shape as a whole. For example, in the drawing, a plurality of solar cells 10 have a convex shape toward the front. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the plurality of solar cells 10 may have a concave shape (that is, a convex shape toward the rear surface) toward the front surface. Alternatively, the plurality of solar cells 10 may have a convex shape or a concave shape, or may have various other shapes. Various other variations are possible.

Here, the major axis directions of the plurality of solar cells 10 including the first and second solar cells 10a and 10b may be parallel to each other. Accordingly, it can be formed without having a curvature in the major axis direction and a curvature only in the plane perpendicular to the major axis direction. This is because it is not preferable that the plurality of solar cells 10 have a relatively long length in the major axis direction and have a curvature.

In this embodiment, the connecting member 142 located between neighboring solar cells 10 has an inclined portion, and the neighboring solar cell 10 can be stably arranged. For example, in the connecting member 142, the first surface S1 adjacent to the first solar cell 10a and the second surface S2 adjacent to the second solar cell 10b are formed to be inclined with respect to each other, Accordingly, the first solar cell 10a and the second solar cell 10b can be kept tilted. For example, the connecting member 142 has a greater thickness at the other side than the thickness at one side in the minor axis direction of the first or second solar cell 10a, 10b, and gradually increases in thickness from the one side toward the other side . Accordingly, the connecting member 142 may have a triangular or trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

In this embodiment, the connecting member 142 may be composed of an adhesive material member 1422 composed of an adhesive material. For example, the connecting member 142 may be composed of a single adhesive material member 1422. As the adhesive material constituting the connecting member 142 or the adhesive material member 1422, various materials capable of electrically and physically connecting the two solar cells 10 can be used. For example, the connecting member 142 or the adhesive material member 1422 may be formed of a conductive adhesive layer, a solder, or the like. The shape of the connecting member 142 may be formed by inclining when the two solar cells 10 are connected to each other. Alternatively, the connecting member 142 having such a shape may be prepared and connected to the two solar cells 10 As shown in Fig.

In the above description, it has been illustrated that the entire plurality of solar cells 10 constituting one solar cell string are arranged so as to form a curvature. However, only a part of the plurality of solar cells 10 constituting one solar cell string may be arranged so as to have a curvature, and a plurality of solar cells 10 constituting one solar cell string may have portions having different curvatures . Various other variations are possible.

The first cover member 110, the second cover member 120 and the sealing material 130 may have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells 10 in this embodiment. Here, having a corresponding curvature means not only that the solar cells 10 have the same curvature as that of the plurality of solar cells 10, but also a plurality of solar cells 10 are sealed by the sealing material 130, And has a curvature enough to maintain the curvature in the battery panel 100 as it is.

At this time, the first cover member 110 may be prepared in a shape having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells 10 or the solar cell string, and the second cover member 120 and the seal member 130 may be prepared. Can be deformed to have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells 10 or solar cell string in the lamination process.

The solar cell panel 100 including a plurality of curved solar cells 10 may be formed by various methods. A method of manufacturing the solar cell panel 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5C will be described in detail.

5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing the solar cell panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, a plurality of solar cells 10 (or solar cell strings) having curvatures are formed by fixing a plurality of solar cells 10 having long and short axes to each other by inclining them using a connecting member 142. The plurality of curved solar cells 10 may be formed by various methods or apparatuses.

For example, as shown in Fig. 5A, a plurality of solar cells 10 having a curvature can be formed by using a tabletting apparatus 200 having a work table 202 having a curvature. That is, a process of positioning one solar cell 10 and the connecting member 142 on a work table 202 having a curvature corresponding to a plurality of solar cells 10, and fixing another solar cell 10 on the other solar cell 10 So that a plurality of solar cells 10 having a curvature can be manufactured. Accordingly, a plurality of solar cells 10 can be arranged so as to naturally have a curvature according to the curvature of the work table 202. Accordingly, a plurality of solar cells 10 having a curvature can be manufactured by a simple process.

For example, the work table 202 may be composed of a belt member moving in one direction by the moving roller 204, and a work table 20 composed of a belt member on which a plurality of guide rollers 206 are placed may have a curvature As shown in FIG. Thus, the upper portion of the work table 202, on which the plurality of solar cells 10 are located, can move with curvature. The heating portion 208a is positioned below the portion where the plurality of solar cells 10 are disposed to provide the heat so that the tableting process by the connecting member 142 can be performed. A variety of structures, systems, and the like known as the heating unit 208a can be applied. For example, the heating unit 208a may consist of a heating plate to uniformly provide heat.

In FIG. 5A, the heating unit 208a is positioned at a portion adjacent to a portion where a plurality of solar cells 10 are introduced, and a non-heating portion 208b is provided after a certain distance. The non-heating portion 208b can stably support the plurality of solar cells 100, and the number of the heating portions 208a can be reduced, thereby reducing the installation burden. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is possible not to include the non-heating portion 208b, and various other modifications are possible.

5B, a first cover member 110, a first seal member 131, a plurality of solar cells 10 having a curvature, a second seal member 132 and a second cover member 120, In this order. Thus, the laminated structure 100a composed of the first cover member 110, the plurality of solar cells 10, the sealing member 130, and the second cover member 120 can be formed.

At this time, the first cover member 110 composed of a substrate (for example, a glass substrate) may have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells 10, and the second seal member 132, The sealing member 131, the first cover member 110, and the like may be in a flat state without curvature. The first and second pressing members 210a and 210b may also have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells 10. 5B, a first cover member 110, a first seal member 131, a plurality of solar cells 10 having a curvature, a second seal member 132, and a second cover member 120 (not shown) are formed on a first pressing member 210a. And the second pressing member 210b is positioned thereon. When stacked in this manner, the first cover member 110a having a curvature can be stacked on the first pressing member 210a in a stable state. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Further, the laminated structure 100a may be moved between the first and second pressing members 210a and 210b after the first pressing member 210a and / or the second pressing member 210b are not formed . Various other variations are possible.

Next, as shown in Fig. 5C, the laminate structure (100a in Fig. 5B, the same applies hereinafter) is subjected to a lamination process of applying heat and pressure to manufacture the solar cell panel 100. [ The sealing material 130 is melted and hardened during the lamination process, so that the plurality of solar cells 10 can be sealed. At this time, the pressing members 210a and 210b applying heat and pressure to the laminated structure 100a are formed so as to have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells 10, And may have the same curvature as the cover member 110. Then, the sealing member 130 and the second cover member 120, which are made of resin or the like and have flexible characteristics, can stably have a desired curvature and an undesired impact is applied to the first cover member 110 during the lamination process .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the solar cell panel 100 having a curvature can be manufactured by a simple process.

Hereinafter, a solar cell panel according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Detailed descriptions will be omitted for the same or extremely similar parts as those described above, and only different parts will be described in detail. It is also within the scope of the present invention to combine the above-described embodiments or variations thereof with the following embodiments or modifications thereof.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a connecting member of a solar cell panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the connecting member 142 includes a support 1424 having an inclined portion and an adhesive material member 1422 located on the surface of the support 1424 and including an adhesive material. The support 1424 includes a metal so that the connecting member 142 has a stable shape. In this embodiment, the adhesive material member 1422 may be positioned entirely on the surface of the support 1424 and have a uniform thickness.

According to this embodiment, after the connection member 142 having the inclined portion is prepared and prepared, neighboring solar cells (reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1, hereinafter the same) are connected so as to be inclined with respect to each other. As a result, the solar cells 10 can be stably arranged with respect to each other. At this time, the plurality of solar cells 10 can be connected to each other by using the tabletting apparatus 200 having the structure as shown in FIG. 5A. Alternatively, a plurality of solar cells 10 may be formed using a conventional tableting apparatus having a flat working table. This is because the conventional solar cell 10 having the flat work table can be stably connected to the neighboring solar cells 10 by the connecting member 142 having the inclined portion.

Features, structures, effects and the like according to the above-described embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to only one embodiment. Further, the features, structures, effects, and the like illustrated in the embodiments may be combined or modified in other embodiments by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments belong. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to these combinations and modifications.

100: Solar panel
10: Solar cell
12: semiconductor substrate
14: base area
20: first conductivity type region
30: second conductivity type region
42: first electrode
44: Second electrode
142:

Claims (20)

A plurality of solar cells including a first solar cell and a second solar cell; And
And a connecting member for electrically connecting the first solar cell and the second solar cell, which are located between the first solar cell and the second solar cell at the overlapping portion of the first solar cell and the second solar cell,
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the first and second solar cells have a long axis and a short axis,
Wherein the plurality of solar cells are arranged so as to have a curvature. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first and second solar cells are connected to each other at one edge in the minor axis direction and the plurality of solar cells have a curvature at a plane perpendicular to the major axis direction. 3. The method of claim 2,
One side in the minor axis direction of the first solar cell overlaps the other side in the minor axis direction of the second solar cell to form the overlapping portion,
Wherein the overlapping portion is elongated in the major axis direction. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the semiconductor substrate of each of the first and second solar cells has a flat shape,
Wherein a minor axis direction of the first solar cell and a minor axis direction of the second solar cell are inclined to form the curvature. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the plurality of solar cells further include at least one solar cell other than the first and second solar cells,
Wherein the plurality of solar cells are inclined at the same inclination angle with respect to each other. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the plurality of solar cells gradually increase in inclination of the first solar cell and other solar cells from the first solar cell toward the direction away from the first solar cell. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the long axis direction of the first solar cell and the long axis direction of the second solar cell are parallel to each other. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the inclination angle between the first and second solar cells is an acute angle. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the connection member between the first and second solar cells has an inclined portion, and the first solar cell and the second solar cell are arranged to be inclined. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the connecting member is composed of a contact material member composed of an adhesive material. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the connecting member includes a support having the inclined portion and an adhesive material layer including an adhesive material positioned on a surface of the support. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the support comprises a metal. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of solar cells have a convex shape or a concave shape as a whole. The method according to claim 1,
A sealing material sealing the plurality of solar cells;
A first cover member located on one side of the solar cell on the sealing material; And
A second cover member located on the other surface of the solar cell on the sealing material,
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the first cover member, the second cover member, and the sealing member have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first and second solar cells are crystalline solar cells including a semiconductor substrate. Forming a plurality of solar cells having a curvature by connecting a plurality of solar cells each including a first solar cell and a second solar cell each having a major axis and a minor axis by inclining the minor axis direction to each other using a connecting member;
Forming a laminated structure by laminating the plurality of solar cells, the sealing material, and the first and second cover members; And
A lamination step for producing a solar cell panel by applying heat and pressure to the laminated structure,
Wherein the solar cell panel comprises a plurality of solar cells. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the forming of the plurality of solar cells having the curvature is performed by using a tabletting apparatus having a work table having a curvature. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the curvature member applying heat and pressure to the laminated structure in the lamination step has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells. 17. The method of claim 16,
In the step of forming the laminated structure, the first cover member has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of solar cells,
And the second cover member and the sealing material have a flat shape. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the first cover member comprises a glass substrate.

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