Solar cell emitter region fabrication with differentiated P-type and N-type region architectures
Granted: November 15, 2022
Patent Number:
11502208
Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a…
Reconfigurable photovoltaic laminate(s) and photovoltaic panel(s)
Granted: November 8, 2022
Patent Number:
11495698
Reconfigurable PV panels can have features that include cut lines for separating full panels into smaller subpanels, connector ribbons for assembling several reconfigurable PV panels into a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array and can be stacked upon each other and unstacked by rotating them about a shared connection.
Shingled solar cell module
Granted: October 25, 2022
Patent Number:
11482639
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells conductively bonded to each other in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency.
Corner connector for photovoltaic module frame
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11463044
Corner connection members for a photovoltaic module frame include thru-passages for receiving insert components that perform and facilitate a variety of functions, such as attaching the photovoltaic module to a roof, providing a ground connection for the solar cells, to facilitate the mechanical and electrical connection of photovoltaic modules which are arranged side-by-side, to facilitate securing photovoltaic modules in a stack, and providing mechanical and electrical connections to…
Photovoltaic system monitoring and analysis
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11460490
A method for monitoring a photovoltaic (PV) system includes receiving PV system information for a predetermined timeframe; displaying a power flow based on the received PV system information corresponding to the predetermined timeframe; displaying energy storage system information based on the received PV system information corresponding to the predetermined timeframe; and displaying an energy mix analysis based on the received PV system information corresponding to the predetermined…
Interconnection of solar cells in a solar cell module
Granted: September 27, 2022
Patent Number:
11456395
A solar cell module includes serially connected solar cells. A solar cell includes a carrier that is attached to the backside of the solar cell. Solar cells are attached to a top cover, and vias are formed through the carriers of the solar cells. A solar cell is electrically connected to an adjacent solar cell in the solar cell module with metal connections in the vias.
Automated solar collector installation design including version management
Granted: September 13, 2022
Patent Number:
11443261
Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of predefined “features” with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described…
Process and structures for fabrication of solar cells
Granted: September 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11437528
Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accommodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thicknesses.
Photovoltaic module or array shutdown
Granted: September 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11437953
A photovoltaic (PV) system can include a plurality of PV modules and circuitry configured to receive an indication of a status of the PV system and to, in response to the indication, determine whether to switch between a first state in which the PV modules output DC power and a second state in which the PV modules do not output power.
Metallization of solar cells with differentiated p-type and n-type region architectures
Granted: September 6, 2022
Patent Number:
11437530
Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell can include a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a…
Solar canopy
Granted: May 10, 2022
Patent Number:
D951179
Energy flow prediction for electric systems including photovoltaic solar systems
Granted: May 3, 2022
Patent Number:
11322945
Methods, systems, and computer storage media are disclosed for determining electric energy flow predictions for electric systems including photovoltaic solar systems. In some examples, a method is performed by a computer system and includes supplying a consumption time series and a predicted production time series for an electric system to a machine-learning predictor trained during a prior training phase using electric energy consumption training data and photovoltaic production…
Shingled solar cells overlapping along non-linear edges
Granted: April 26, 2022
Patent Number:
11316057
Solar devices and methods for producing solar devices are disclosed. In some examples, a solar device includes solar cells arranged in a shingled manner such that adjacent long edges of adjacent ones of the solar cells overlap. The adjacent long edges have a non-linear shape that has protruding portions. The solar device includes contact pads arranged in the protruding portions of the adjacent long edges such that the contact pads of the adjacent ones of the solar cells are electrically…
Solar cell emitter region fabrication using self-aligned implant and cap
Granted: April 26, 2022
Patent Number:
11316056
Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions using self-aligned implant and cap, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a method of fabricating an emitter region of a solar cell involves forming a silicon layer above a substrate. The method also involves implanting, through a stencil mask, dopant impurity atoms in the silicon layer to form implanted regions of the silicon layer with adjacent non-implanted regions. The method also involves forming, through the…
Wafer alignment with restricted visual access
Granted: April 19, 2022
Patent Number:
11305378
Wafer alignment with restricted visual access has been disclosed. In an example, a method of processing a substrate for fabricating a solar cell involves supporting the substrate over a stage. The method involves forming a substantially opaque layer over the substrate. The substantially opaque layer at least partially covers edges of the substrate. The method involves performing fit-up of the substantially opaque layer to the substrate. The method involves illuminating the covered edges…
Non-permeable substrate carrier for electroplating
Granted: March 22, 2022
Patent Number:
11280019
One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier comprises a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are to be held. Electrically-conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body, and a plurality of contact clips are coupled to the electrically-conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and electrically couple the substrates to the…
Laser assisted metallization process for solar cell fabrication
Granted: March 15, 2022
Patent Number:
11276785
A method for fabricating a solar cell and the and the resulting structures, e.g., micro-electronic devices, semiconductor substrates and/or solar cells, are described. The method can include: providing a solar cell having metal foil having first regions that are electrically connected to semiconductor regions on a substrate at a plurality of conductive contact structures, and second regions; locating a carrier sheet over the second regions; bonding the carrier sheet to the second…
Etching of solar cell materials
Granted: March 1, 2022
Patent Number:
11264518
A solar cell is fabricated by etching one or more of its layers without substantially etching another layer of the solar cell. In one embodiment, a copper layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching a topmost metallic layer comprising tin. For example, an etchant comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide may be employed to etch the copper layer selective to the tin layer. A particular example of the aforementioned etchant is a Co-Bra Etch® etchant modified to…
Solar cells with improved lifetime, passivation and/or efficiency
Granted: February 15, 2022
Patent Number:
11251315
A method of fabricating a solar cell can include forming a dielectric region on a silicon substrate. The method can also include forming an emitter region over the dielectric region and forming a dopant region on a surface of the silicon substrate. In an embodiment, the method can include heating the silicon substrate at a temperature above 900 degrees Celsius to getter impurities to the emitter region and drive dopants from the dopant region to a portion of the silicon substrate.
Artificially intelligent harvest and reuse system for planting vegetables
Granted: February 8, 2022
Patent Number:
11240973
An artificially intelligent harvest and reuse system for planting vegetables has a first mechanic arm moving a plurality of planting plates around a first conveyor, a second conveyor, a first shelf and a second shelf. The planting plates are sent to a connecting conveyor for the grown vegetables thereon to be picked up by a second mechanic arm and further sent to a root cutting apparatus then to a packaging apparatus, while the empty planting plates are further sent to an exit end of the…
