Integral glass encapsulation for solar arrays. Interim report No. 2

Technical Report · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5666522· OSTI ID:5666522

Younger, P. R.; Landis, G. A.; Tobin, R. G; Kreisman, W. S.

This report covers Phase II of a program to develop integral glass encapsulation for solar arrays. The program objective has been to continue the development of electrostatic bonding (ESB) as an encapsulation technique for terrestrial cells. Electrostatic bonding is a process with general applicability to joining metals, semiconductors, and insulators to glass without the aid of adhesives. Elevated temperature is employed to produce ionic conductivity within the glass, while an externally applied electric field is used to move mobile ions near the interface being joined, so that permanent chemical bonding can occur. When applied to solar cell encapsulation this technique works well for either bare silicon cells or those with a variety of antireflective coatings. The advantages of glass as an encapsulant are numerous; optical clarity, moisture impermeability, chemical and environmental stability, and mechanical strength are just a few. Electrostatic bonding takes full advantage of all the favorable properties of glass. No adhesives, pottants, secondary encapsulants, sealers, or primers are needed to join the cells to the glass. Furthermore, the bond between the cell and glass is stronger than either material. Thus loss of optical coupling or optical transmission is precluded by the use of electrostatic bonding. The project status is reported in detail. (WHK)

• Research Organization: Spire Corp., Bedford, MA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
• DOE Contract Number: NAS-7-100-954521
• OSTI ID: 5666522
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/954521-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
ENCAPSULATION
SOLAR CELL ARRAYS
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
BONDING
CHARGE TRANSPORT
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
COST
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROSTATICS
GLASS
IONIC CONDUCTIVITY
MICROPROCESSORS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCREEN PRINTING
SHEAR PROPERTIES
THERMAL EXPANSION
COATINGS
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EXPANSION
FABRICATION
JOINING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SURFACE COATING
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion