Methods of scoring for fabricating interconnected photovoltaic cells
View Patent ↗The invention, in one embodiment, is directed to a method of scoring the coating of a first coated base material at a temperature sufficiently elevated to part the coating and melt at least a portion of the first base material. In a further embodiment, the invention is directed to a method of forming a photovoltaic module by scoring a coating of a first coated base material at a temperature sufficiently elevated to part the coating and melt at least a portion of the first base material; scoring a coating of a second coated base material at a temperature sufficiently elevated to part the coating and at least a portion of the second base material; and joining the first and second base materials to form a photovoltaic module.
1. A method of scoring, comprising:
providing an article containing a coating on a first base material; and
scoring the coating at a temperature sufficiently elevated to part the coating and melt at least a portion of the first base material; and
applying a heterojunction composite material to the coating.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heterojunction composite material comprises fullerenes.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heterojunction composite material comprises C 60 .
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heterojunction composite material comprises fullerene particles.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fullerene particles have an average size of between about 100 nm and about 400 nm.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heterojunction composite material comprises carbon nanotubes.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heterojunction composite material comprises a conjugated polymer.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the conjugated polymer is polythiophene, polyquinoline, or polyphenylene vinylene.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a hole transport material to the heterojunction composite material.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hole transport material comprises polythiophene or polyaniline.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hole transport material comprises poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene).
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heterojunction composite material is dispersed in a hole transport material.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parting of the coating and the melting of the first base material disrupts electrical continuity of the coating.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scoring step is performed using a heated stylus.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scoring step is performed using a soldering iron tip.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scoring step is performed mechanically.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a conductive layer.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first base material comprises a polyethylene terephthalate material.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first base material is significantly light transmitting.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first base material is flexible.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises indium tin oxide.
22. A method of scoring, comprising:
providing an article containing a coating on a first base material; and
scoring the coating at a temperature sufficiently elevated to part the coating and melt at least a portion of the first base material; and
joining the first coated base material and a second base material to form a photovoltaic module.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising applying a heterojunction composite material to the coating before the joining step.