WO2016169595A1 - Procédé pour la fabrication d'un panneau photovoltaïque comprenant une pluralité de cellules photovoltaïques en couches minces connectées en série - Google Patents

Procédé pour la fabrication d'un panneau photovoltaïque comprenant une pluralité de cellules photovoltaïques en couches minces connectées en série Download PDF

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WO2016169595A1
WO2016169595A1 PCT/EP2015/058740 EP2015058740W WO2016169595A1 WO 2016169595 A1 WO2016169595 A1 WO 2016169595A1 EP 2015058740 W EP2015058740 W EP 2015058740W WO 2016169595 A1 WO2016169595 A1 WO 2016169595A1
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cells
electrical
product
semi
distribution
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PCT/EP2015/058740
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Josu GOIKOETXEA
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Fundación Tekniker
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Priority to PCT/EP2015/058740 priority Critical patent/WO2016169595A1/fr
Priority to CN201580079028.1A priority patent/CN107636843A/zh
Publication of WO2016169595A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016169595A1/fr

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L31/186—Particular post-treatment for the devices, e.g. annealing, impurity gettering, short-circuit elimination, recrystallisation
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
    • G01J1/00—Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter
    • G01J1/02—Details
    • G01J1/08—Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for photometry standard sources, also using luminescent or radioactive material
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/0248—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
    • H01L31/0352—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their shape or by the shapes, relative sizes or disposition of the semiconductor regions
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/0248—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
    • H01L31/036—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
    • H01L31/0392—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate
    • H01L31/03926—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate comprising a flexible substrate
    • H01L31/03928—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate comprising a flexible substrate including AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CIS, CIGS deposited on metal or polymer foils
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • H01L31/0445—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells including thin film solar cells, e.g. single thin film a-Si, CIS or CdTe solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • H01L31/0445—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells including thin film solar cells, e.g. single thin film a-Si, CIS or CdTe solar cells
    • H01L31/046—PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers
    • H01L31/072—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
    • H01L31/0749—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type including a AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CdS/CulnSe2 [CIS] heterojunction solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
    • G01J5/00—Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry
    • G01J2005/0077—Imaging
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
    • H02S50/00—Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
    • H02S50/10—Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/541—CuInSe2 material PV cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

  • the present invention belongs to the field of the manufacture of photovoltaic panels wherein materials with high capacity for light absorption arranged in 1 or 2 microns thick layers are used, so they can be applied as thin film layers on a neutral carrier substrate. Specifically, the present invention is related to how to perform the power balancing of such cells when they are connected in series.
  • a photovoltaic cell is basically created by arranging a PN junction formed by two semiconductor materials or high purity semiconductor material with two different doping levels or types, located between two electrodes that collect the current; one of them metallic, and the other one transparent to most of the light while conducting electricity well enough.
  • the transparent electrode is usually manufactured mainly with a Transparent Conducting Oxide (TCO), which plays an important role in the cell behaviour, but while in the CdTe this TCO is the first element that is deposited on the substrate, in CIGS technology usually the first element deposited is the metallic electrode element.
  • TCO Transparent Conducting Oxide
  • the configurations are known as “substrate” (the usual in CIGS, since when operatively installed the module is such that the substrate remains below the cell) or “superstate “(usual in CdTe, since the substrate is placed above the cell when installed).
  • substrate the usual in CIGS, since when operatively installed the module is such that the substrate remains below the cell
  • superstate (usual in CdTe, since the substrate is placed above the cell when installed).
  • the substrate for the deposition of the solar cell must be transparent to allow the passage of light, and is usually made of glass.
  • the invention described is applicable to thin film photovoltaic cells of both kinds of configurations, with the respective change in roles of the transparent and metallic electrodes, but from now on the explanations will be related to cells in "substrate" configuration, for which the CIGS is currently the most widely used material, but that includes also the CdTe itself when it is used in the alternative to the usual configuration, or the kesterites, which keep a close relationship with the CIGS.
  • Photovoltaic cells generate electrical current from the light impinging on them, but the voltage generated is very low, in the vicinity of 0'5-0'8 V, so that it is difficult to directly use that electricity to power other electric devices.
  • To facilitate this adaptation it is usual to connect in series a number of cells, so that the voltage generated by them is added up to a level that facilitates adaptation to the intended application.
  • the module In the case of modules made from crystalline silicon cells the module usually consists of at least forty cells connected in series, although the number may reach one hundred.
  • the electrical current supplied by the module is the same that passes through all the silicon cells and, like chains whose resistance is fixed by the weakest link, the current supplied by the module is fixed by the cell of lowest quality, so it is important that all cells are very similar, to prevent the presence of a single cell that can drastically reduce the efficiency of the whole module. Therefore, crystalline silicon cells are usually classified after production according to their performance and then are assembled to form modules based on cells with very similar characteristics.
  • thin film photovoltaic modules can facilitate the connection in series of the cells by interleaving several cutting steps (up to three) between successive stages of coating with different materials, so that finally the TCO itself performs the additional task of interconnecting the front face of a cell with the back face of the next one.
  • This is what is commonly known as monolithic integration and is described for example in the US4631351 patent.
  • the module is fabricated as a series of identical very narrow rectangular cells, elongated as the longer side of the module, which are connected laterally in series in the direction of the narrow side, as shown in Figure 1.
  • the CIGS is not the sole compound that may be formed.
  • Other binary compounds may be formed, as for example Cu2Se, which are seriously harmful for the photovoltaic effect, and thus, the absorber quality may have local gradients due to the presence of this binary compounds.
  • some of these compounds have X-ray diffraction lines virtually identical to those of the photovoltaic chalcopyrite, so that it is not easy to establish which are the exact compounds that have been created, unless more sophisticated analytical techniques like Raman scattering are used. All of this leads to some unpredictability in the result of the formation of CIGS photovoltaic absorber.
  • the present invention provides for a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic panel comprising a plurality of thin film photovoltaic cells connected in series, which comprises the following steps: a) Obtaining a layered semi-product by arranging on an electrically isolating substrate:
  • step c) is carried out such that the variation of electrical or optoelectronic properties inside each one of the cells is below a predetermined value. It will be advantageous for providing a higher efficiency of the panel to have in each cell a minimum degree of uniformity within the cell.
  • the electrical properties mapped on the uncut module are the open-circuit voltages, the optoelectronic properties and/or the efficiencies.
  • the method includes, between the steps a) and b), the sub-steps of determining the distribution of the shunts of the semi-product and cut them away from the layered semi-product.
  • the major defects such as shunts, that are easily detected, are removed from the semi-product.
  • the method includes, in step b) determining the shunts or remaining shunts, and a subsequent sub-step of cutting away said shunts determined in step b).
  • step b) is carried out using imaging characterization techniques such as electroluminescence, photoluminescence, dark lock-in thermography or illuminated lock-in thermography.
  • step c) is carried out by modelling the photovoltaic panel (PV) by using a finite element method and the electrical properties determined in step b).
  • step c) could also be carried out by directly using the distribution of one of the electrical properties determined in step b) or the distribution of a combination of the electrical properties determined in step b).
  • Figure 1 shows a typical prior art arrangement of elongated rectangular cells, arranged adjacent to form a PV panel.
  • Figure 2 shows the electrical components to simulate a cell or a portion of a cell.
  • Figure 3 shows the modelling of a cell or portion of cell with a 2D arrangement.
  • Figure 4 shows the modelling of a cell or portion of cell with a 3D arrangement.
  • Figures 5A to 5D and 6A to 6D shows the steps of cutting the layers of a semiproduct to obtain two cells connected in series.
  • Figure 7 shows a typical prior art pattern, wherein the irregular distribution of optoelectrical characteristics has not been taken into account.
  • Figure 8 shows an example of a non-uniform cutting pattern according to the invention.
  • Figures 9A to 9E shows the steps for obtaining a solar panel with rectangular cells, according to a prior art uniform distribution.
  • Figure 9F shows the steps of figures 9 A to 9E, but with a cut possibly obtained with the inventive method.
  • Fig. 10 shows still another way of performing the connection between the cells.
  • the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic panel PV comprising a plurality of thin film photovoltaic cells 1 connected in series, which comprises the following steps: a) Obtaining a layered semi-product by arranging on an electrically isolating substrate 2:
  • step c) is carried out such that the variation of electrical or optoelectronic properties inside each one of the cells is below a predetermined value.
  • the method includes, between the steps a) and b), the sub-steps of determining the distribution of the shunts of the semi-product and cut them away from the layered semi-product.
  • the starting point is an insulating substrate 2 on which the indispensable layers for the formation of the cell 1 have already been deposited, namely, the metallic electrode 3, the semiconductor 4 forming the PN junction and the transparent electrode 5, on the whole area which will be then used to make the module without any cut in the layers 3, 4, 5.
  • the substrate 2 with the layers 3, 4, 5 deposited thereon has been obtained, its characterization is carried out, including at least a process of characterization for providing a mapping of the entire area of the module, from which information about the spatial distribution of Voc, the efficiency or other optoelectronic characteristics of each point is obtained.
  • This mapping may be carried out using techniques such as electroluminescence, photoluminescence, dark lock-in Thermography or illuminated lock-in thermography, as described, for example, in the paper Imaging characterization techniques applied to Cu(ln,Ga)Se-2 solar cells del JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCI ENCE & TECHNOLOGY A, Vol. 28, pag. 665-670.
  • the mapping is an optoelectronic response, from which a mapping of the open circuit voltage, or of the energetic efficiency, can be obtained, under certain assumptions.
  • Each of these sets represents the vertical flow in the cell from the transparent electrode to the metal electrode in a small region of the cell, which is connected with the adjacent through a resistance RTCO representing the finite resistance of the transparent electrode (TCO, transparent Conducting Oxide), and through a direct electrical contact at the bottom, which corresponds to the metal electrode whose resistance is negligibly small in most cases.
  • RTCO the finite resistance of the transparent electrode
  • the values of these four components can be different, such that it is possible to simulate the local behaviour of the cell at a certain point and, similarly, the ensemble of all the diode-source connected in parallel, with different values of these elements in each point, allows to simulate the heterogeneous distribution of electrical characteristics over the entire surface of the cell or the appearance of located "shunts".
  • a model describing the entire surface is obtained, with its heterogeneities, which can be treated mathematically using thousands of these simplified models of solar cells, all connected in parallel as in the figure 3 through a finite resistance RTCO corresponding to the resistance of the transparent electrode, and a direct electrical contact for the connection through the metallic electrode.
  • the central idea of the invention is to perform such a mathematical description of each of the substrates covered with a big photoelectric cell (a panel), using at least a series of point measurements of the characteristics of the cells that may lead to performing a mapping of it, and then use that mapping and the mathematical description derived therefrom in order to decide which is the best cut of that panel into smaller cells connected in series so that the generated electric power is maximum. To this end, it must be ensured that none of the cells created after cutting and interconnecting is significantly different from the others, and in particular that the generated current in all of them is substantially equal.
  • the measurement of the current density generated by each small area of the module would be the easiest way to manage that goal of cutting the module in such a way so as to equalize the intensity generated by all the cells in the module, but there is no analytical technique nowadays that can measure directly that data, so the best approach is to carry out a series of mappings that can lead to a meaningful mathematical model of the module that can let us guess the current generation capability of each small area.
  • FIG. 5A shows an electrically insulating substrate with the three main layers applied
  • step shown in figure 5B a cut through the three layers has been made, which exposes the substrate in the bottom of the cut, so that now there are two separate solar cells, electrically insulated from each other. This cut can be performed preferably by laser.
  • step shown in figure 5C a new cut has been performed selectively for removing the last two layers (PN junction and transparent electrode) in a region adjacent to the first cut such that the metallic electrode area is exposed, which in the case of CIGS cells is molybdenum.
  • step shown in figure 5D a metal microwire is used to make electrical connections between the exposed area of the metal electrode and the top of the adjacent cell.
  • microwire adheres both to the Molybdenum and the TCO (transparent electrode) using an electrical conductor means, for example using silver adhesive pastes or soldering with Indium.
  • electrical conductor means for example using silver adhesive pastes or soldering with Indium.
  • the removal of the two top functional layers (PN junction and transparent electrode) in a localized region is done, for example using photolithography, whereby a photosensitive mask is applied, UV hardened, across the entire surface of the panel except in the areas where it is necessary to remove the two mentioned layers, so that a selective attack to remove these layers is performed but that is safe for the metal electrode so that after the attack (or more sequential attacks, one for each stratigraphic component of the two upper layers) the metal electrode (Molybdenum in the case of CIGS cells) is exposed in the area of interest.
  • photolithography whereby a photosensitive mask is applied, UV hardened, across the entire surface of the panel except in the areas where it is necessary to remove the two mentioned layers, so that a selective attack to remove these layers is performed but that is safe for the metal electrode so that after the attack (or more sequential attacks, one for each stratigraphic component of the two upper layers) the metal electrode (Molybdenum in the case of CIGS cells) is exposed in the area of interest.
  • Fig. 10 shows still another way of performing the connection between the cells, making use of the capabilities of the digital printers.
  • an insulating material (G) can be deposited in the laser cut to make sure that there is no accidental electrical contact between the cells, and after that, a silver paste (R) is deposited on top of this as well as onto the metallic contact and the TCO of the adjacent cells, so as to create an electrical connection between the lower part of one of the cells and the upper part of the following one.
  • Figure 9A shows a top view of a panel, having applied to its surface a metal electrode layer 3, the pn junction and the transparent electrode 5.
  • Figure 9B represents the front panel, wherein the last two layers have been selectively removed from the side edges, exposing the metal electrode 3, Molybdenum in the case of CIGS cells.
  • Figure 9C represents a subsequent step in which five cuts were made through all layers applied to the substrate, such that six independent cells are defined, with contact electrodes at its outer portion. This cut is made using preferably a laser.
  • Figure 9D represents the application of an insulation 6 on the edge of the active area of the module, covering the area where the cut is made in an oblique direction. Such insulator may be preferably applied as a paste which solidifies over time.
  • Figure E is the end step, where the connection is made with microwire 7 or alternatively a silver paste, deposited above the insulating paste, from the upper face of a cell to the nearest metallic electrode, which, by the way of making the cuts in an oblique way, is to be electrically connected to the bottom of the next cell, so that it results in that all cells are connected in series.
  • Figure 9F is a representation of a non-regular shape in which the cuts could be made as a result of the heterogeneous distribution of efficiencies and the localization of shunts in the panel, which would have been detected with the mapping of the surface of the panel and that would have been introduced as data in a computer program designed to calculate the distribution of cuts that would offer maximum electric power generation.
  • a simplified method of the invention would involve the steps of mapping the open circuit voltages of the panel, cutting away the shunts and then cutting in cells the panel such that the areas of the cells, taking account of the removed shunts, are the same.
  • the pattern for cutting it is not unique, and therefore it would be better to cut the cells such that the variation within each cell is minimum.
  • the method is flexible and adaptable to the unique characteristics of each of the panels produced so using this flexibility on the interconnection of the cells, we can compensate for the defects present on the panel, and thus the invention somewhat reduces the very strict manufacturing homogeneity requirements that are inherent to conventional monolithic integration, and thus the cost savings does not only come from a better use of the power that can offer each panel, but above all, because it allows for a simplified and cheaper manufacturing process.

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  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé pour la fabrication d'un panneau photovoltaïque (PV) comprenant une pluralité de cellules photovoltaïques en couches minces (1) connectées en série, qui comprend les étapes consistant : à obtenir un semi-produit en couches par disposition sur un substrat électriquement isolant (2), une couche métallique (3) destinée à former l'électrode inférieure des cellules (1), une couche de jonction PN (4) destinée à la production d'électricité et une couche conductrice transparente (5) destinée à former l'électrode supérieure des cellules ; à obtenir la distribution de surface de propriétés électriques du semi-produit, à partir de la distribution de surface ; à déterminer une division de la surface du semi-produit en une pluralité de zones (1), de façon telle que la capacité de production d'électricité des zones (1) diffère d'un pourcentage maximal défini entre des zones (1) ; à couper les couches (3, 4, 5) disposées sur le substrat (2) selon la division de la surface obtenue, ce qui permet d'obtenir une pluralité de cellules (1) ; et à connecter en série les cellules (1), de façon telle qu'une puissance de sortie maximale est obtenue.
PCT/EP2015/058740 2015-04-22 2015-04-22 Procédé pour la fabrication d'un panneau photovoltaïque comprenant une pluralité de cellules photovoltaïques en couches minces connectées en série WO2016169595A1 (fr)

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