METHOD FOR PRODUCING A TEXTURED PLATE FOR A PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE
A method for producing a polymeric cover plate with a surface relief texture, whereby the at least one surface relief structure is made of structures, whereby each structure has a height of at least 0.5 mm, the method including thermally softening a polymer, bringing the softened polymer via pressure into contact with a mold which contains an inverse image of the desired surface relief texture, and hardening the softened polymer, while maintaining the pressure between the polymer and the mold.
1 . A method for producing a polymeric cover plate for a photovoltaic device which exhibits at least one surface relief texture, whereby the at least one surface relief structure is made of structures, whereby each structure has a height of at least 0.5 mm, the method comprising:
thermally softening a polymer;
bringing the softened polymer via pressure into contact with a mold which contains an inverse image of the desired surface relief texture: and
hardening said softened polymer, while maintaining the pressure between the polymer and the mold.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is hardened by cooling the polymer.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the cooling occurs in a temperature range of 20° C. to 150° C.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is softened by heating the polymer into a liquid state or by heating the polymer into a rubbery state.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure is in the range of 0.1 bar to 2000 bar.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polymethylmethacrylate.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mold has an inverse structure of pyramids and/or grooves and/or hemispheres and/or cubicals.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric plate is coated with an additional layer after hardening the polymeric plate.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method for producing is a batch process.
10 . A photovoltaic device comprising a polymeric plate obtained by a method according to claim 1 .
11 . A photovoltaic device according to claim 10 , wherein the polymeric plate is textured and used as a cover plate.
12 . A photovoltaic device according to claim 10 , wherein the polymeric plate is textured and used on top of a first cover plate.