In-cell bypass diode

1. A method of fabricating a bypass diode for a solar cell, the method comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity;

forming a first P-N junction above a first portion of the semiconductor substrate;

forming a metallization structure on at least a portion of the first P-N junction and on at least a portion of a second P-N junction disposed in or above a second portion of the semiconductor substrate so as to couple the first P-N junction to the second P-N junction above a first surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

subsequently physically isolating the first portion of the semiconductor substrate from the second portion so as to form an in-cell bypass diode from the second portion, wherein the isolating includes forming a trench in the semiconductor substrate through a surface of the semiconductor substrate opposite the first surface which includes the first junction P-N and the second P-N junction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said physically isolating includes scribing the semiconductor substrate in a first direction and a second direction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said physically isolating includes scribing with a laser.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming the first P-N junction above the first portion includes forming abutting P-type and N-type polysilicon regions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the second P-N junction in or above the second portion of the semiconductor substrate is part of a same one or more processing operations used to perform said forming the first P-N junction.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming the metallization structure includes plating and patterning metal.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dicing the solar cell to form two sub-cells each having a respective bypass diode that comprises a portion of the first P-N junction.