Solar cell with improved electrical contacts

Patent · Tue Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5832436

Cavicchi, B T; Dill, H G; Zemmrich, D K

A solar cell is described comprising: a first layer of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type; a second layer of semiconductor material of a second opposite conductivity type disposed on the first layer forming a semiconductor junction therebetween. The first and second layers having first and second major essentially parallel surfaces, respectively, essentially parallel to the semiconductor junction; a layer of aluminum gallium arsenide semiconductor material of the second conductivity type disposed on the second major surface and having an exposed front major surface essentially parallel to the second major surface and further having grooves extending vertically to the second layer; electrically conductive material filling the grooves and electrically contacting the second layer to form metallic contact lines; a flat conductive bar transversely disposed on the exposed front major surface across the grooves and making electrical contact ot the electrically conductive material in the grooves; an electrically conductive flat strip disposed on the exposed major surface and spaced apart from the conductive bar; and at least one electrically conductive bridge electrically coupling the conductive bar to the contact strip.

• Assignee: Spectrolab, Inc., Sylmar, CA
• Patent Number(s): US 4698455
• OSTI ID: 5832436
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 4 Nov 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
FABRICATION
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
LAYERS
PLATES
RODS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EQUIPMENT
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
JUNCTIONS
MATERIALS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
360603 - Materials- Properties
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture