IP Library Granted Patent US 9,660,120
Granted Patent B2
US 9,660,120 · App. 12/438,384 · Granted May 23, 2017

Solar cell module and solar cell module manufacturing method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,660,120
App. No.
12/438,384
Granted
May 23, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solar battery module is provided with a plurality of solar battery cells which are connected to each other by connecting bus bar electrodes ( 21 ) formed on the surfaces of the adjacent solar battery cells with wiring material ( 41 a, 41 b ). The bus bar electrode ( 21 ) is embedded in the wiring material ( 41 b ), and the solar battery cell ( 1 ) and the wiring material ( 41 b ) are bonded with a resin.

Claims (52)

1. A solar cell module comprising:

a plurality of solar cells;

a bus bar electrode disposed on a surface of each of the plurality of solar cells;

a finger electrode disposed on the surface, the finger electrode intersecting with the bus bar electrode;

an adhesive material provided as a distinct element from the bus bar and the finger electrodes, the adhesive material comprising a first resin, the adhesive material being in direct contact with and covering a part of a side surface of the bus bar electrode; and

an electric conductor overlaid on the bus bar electrode, wherein:

in a cross section along the finger electrode, a width of the electric conductor is longer than a width of the bus bar electrode,

the electric conductor covers an upper surface of the bus bar electrode and is in direct contact with a remaining part of the side surface of the bus bar electrode, which is not covered by the adhesive material, and

the adhesive material bonds the electric conductor to the surface of each of the plurality of solar cells.

2. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of solar cells is formed of a crystal substrate.

3. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the bus bar electrode comprises a second resin.

4. The solar module according to claim 1 , wherein:

the electric conductor includes an inner core and an outer layer covering the inner core, and a width of the inner core is longer than a width of the bus bar electrode, in the cross section along the finger electrode.

5. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the bus bar electrode and the finger electrode are disposed on both a light-receiving surface and a back surface of each of the solar cells.

6. The solar cell module according to claim 5 , wherein:

a plurality of finger electrodes are disposed on the light-receiving surface and the back surface, respectively, and

a total number of the plurality of finger electrodes on the back surface is greater than a total number of the plurality of finger electrodes on the light-receiving surface.

7. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein:

the electric conductor includes an inner core and an outer layer covering the inner core, and

the bus bar electrode is in direct contact with the inner core.

8. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of each of the plurality of solar cells is flat.

9. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the adhesive material is smaller than a thickness of the bus bar electrode.

10. A solar cell module comprising:

a solar cell;

a bus bar electrode disposed on a surface of the solar cell along a first direction, the bus bar electrode having a bottom surface, side surfaces and an upper surface, the bottom surface facing the surface of the solar cell;

a finger electrode disposed on the surface of the solar cell along a second direction crossing the first direction, the finger electrode being electrically connected to the bus bar electrode;

an adhesive material provided as a distinct element from the bus bar electrode and the finger electrode, the adhesive material comprising a first resin, the adhesive material being in direct contact with and covering a part of each of the side surfaces of the bus bar electrode; and

an electric conductor overlaid on the bus bar electrode, a width along the second direction of the electric conductor being longer than a width along the second direction of the bus bar electrode, wherein:

the electric conductor covers the upper surface of the bus bar electrode and is in direct contact with a remaining part of each of the side surfaces of the bus bar electrode, which is not covered by the adhesive material, and

the adhesive material is disposed between the electric conductor and the surface of the solar cell and bonds the electric conductor to the surface of the solar cell.

11. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein both the bus bar electrode and the finger electrode are in direct contact with the surface of the solar cell.

12. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein the finger electrode extends from one of the side surfaces of the bus bar electrode.

13. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein the solar cell has a structure in which a substantially intrinsic amorphous silicon layer is sandwiched between a single-crystal silicon substrate and an amorphous silicon layer.

14. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein the bus bar electrode and the finger electrode are made of a same material.

15. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein the bus bar electrode linearly extends in the first direction and the finger electrode linearly extends in the second direction.

16. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein the adhesive material is disposed between a part of a bottom surface of the electric conductor and the surface of the solar cell.

17. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein a thickness of the adhesive material is smaller than a thickness of the bus bar electrode.

18. A solar cell module comprising:

a plurality of solar cells;

a bus bar electrode disposed, along a first direction, on a surface of each of the plurality of solar cells, the bus bar electrode having a bottom surface, side surfaces and an upper surface, the bottom surface facing the surface of each of the plurality of solar cells;

a finger electrode disposed, along a second direction crossing the first direction, on the surface of each of the plurality of solar cells, the finger electrode being electrically connected to the bus bar electrode;

an adhesive material provided as a distinct element from the bus bar electrode and the finger electrode, the adhesive material comprising a first resin, the adhesive material being in direct contact with and covering a part of each of the side surfaces of the bus bar electrode; and

an electric conductor overlaid on the bus bar electrode, a width along the second direction of the electric conductor being longer than a width along the second direction of the bus bar electrode, wherein:

the electric conductor connects the bus bar electrode of one of the plurality of solar cells to the bus bar electrode of an adjacent one of the plurality of solar cells,

the electric conductor covers the upper surface of the bus bar electrode and is in direct contact with a remaining part of each of the side surfaces of the bus bar electrode, which is not covered by the adhesive material, and

the adhesive material is disposed between the electric conductor and the surface of each of the plurality of solar cells and bonds the electric conductor to the surface of each of the plurality of solar cells.

19. The solar cell module according to claim 18 , wherein:

the bus bar electrodes are disposed on a light-receiving surface and a back surface, respectively, of each of the plurality of solar cells, and

the electric conductor connects the bus bar electrode of the light receiving surface of the one of the plurality of solar cells to the bus bar electrode of the back surface of the adjacent one of the plurality of solar cells.

20. The solar cell module according to claim 18 , wherein a thickness of the adhesive material is smaller than a thickness of the bus bar electrode.

21. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive material is in direct contact with the bus bar electrode, the finger electrode and the electric conductor.

22. The solar cell module according to claim 10 , wherein the adhesive material is in direct contact with the bus bar electrode, the finger electrode and the electric conductor.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2015
From: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035071/0276 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2015
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 035071/0508 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2009
From: OKAMOTO, SHIGEYUKI; YOSHIMINE, YUKIHIRO; TSUNOMURA, YASUFUMI
To: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 022506/0565 →