Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

Nelson, Jeffrey S.; Hibbs, Michael; Nielson, Gregory N.; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Resnick, Paul J.; Sanchez, Carlos Anthony; Gupta, Vipin P.; Clews, Peggy J.

Title: Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

Abstract

A moldable photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is joined to the flex-circuit substrate. Each said solder pad comprises a solder composition that, after an initial melt, has a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film.

Inventors:: Nelson, Jeffrey S.; Hibbs, Michael; Nielson, Gregory N.; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Resnick, Paul J.; Sanchez, Carlos Anthony; Gupta, Vipin P.; Clews, Peggy J.

Issue Date:: 2018-07-31

Research Org.:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1464501

Patent Number(s):: 10038113

Application Number:: 14/950,763

Assignee:: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC (Albuquerque, NM)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

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H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S30/20 - Collapsible or foldable PV modules

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/022441 - {Electrode arrangements specially adapted for back-contact solar cells}
H01L31/048 - Encapsulation of modules

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/50 - Photovoltaic [PV] energy

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/0512 - {made of a particular material or composition of materials}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/52 - PV systems with concentrators

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/0465 - comprising particular structures for the electrical interconnection of adjacent PV cells in the module

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/547 - Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/0547 - {comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection}
H01L31/0516 - {specially adapted for interconnection of back-contact solar cells}

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S10/40 - Mobile PV generator systems

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DOE Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2015 Nov 24

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 14 SOLAR ENERGY

Citation Formats


                    Nelson, Jeffrey S., Hibbs, Michael, Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis, Resnick, Paul J., Sanchez, Carlos Anthony, Gupta, Vipin P., and Clews, Peggy J. Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
        Web.

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                    Nelson, Jeffrey S., Hibbs, Michael, Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis, Resnick, Paul J., Sanchez, Carlos Anthony, Gupta, Vipin P., & Clews, Peggy J. Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module.  United States.

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                    Nelson, Jeffrey S., Hibbs, Michael, Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis, Resnick, Paul J., Sanchez, Carlos Anthony, Gupta, Vipin P., and Clews, Peggy J. Tue .  
        "Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1464501.

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@article{osti_1464501,

  title        = {Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module},

  author       = {Nelson, Jeffrey S. and Hibbs, Michael and Nielson, Gregory N. and Okandan, Murat and Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis and Resnick, Paul J. and Sanchez, Carlos Anthony and Gupta, Vipin P. and Clews, Peggy J.},

  abstractNote = {A moldable photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is joined to the flex-circuit substrate. Each said solder pad comprises a solder composition that, after an initial melt, has a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2018},

  month        = {7}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Ultrathin silicon solar microcells for semitransparent, mechanically flexible and microconcentrator module designs
book, October 2010

Yoon, Jongseung; Baca, Alfred J.; Park, Sang-Il
Materials for Sustainable Energy: A Collection of Peer-Reviewed Research and Review Articles from Nature Publishing Group, p. 38-46
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conference, June 2009

Nielson, Gregory N.; Okandan, Murat; Resnick, Paul
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High-temperature variable melting point Sn-Sb lead-free solder pastes using transient liquid-phase powder processing
journal, July 2005

Corbin, S. F.
Journal of Electronic Materials, Vol. 34, Issue 7, p. 1016-1025
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-005-0089-2

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conference, June 2011

Cruz-Campa, Jose L.; Nielson, Gregory N.; Resnick, Paul J.
2011 37th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC)
https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2011.6186687

Microsystems enabled photovoltaics: 14.9% efficient 14 μm thick crystalline silicon solar cell
journal, February 2011

Cruz-Campa, Jose L.; Okandan, Murat; Resnick, Paul J.
Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 95, Issue 2, p. 551-558
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2010.09.015

Sliver Solar Cells: High-Efficiency, Low-Cost PV Technology
journal, January 2007

Franklin, Evan; Everett, Vernie; Blakers, Andrew
Advances in OptoElectronics, Vol. 2007, p. 1-9
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Sliver solar cells
conference, December 2007

Franklin, Evan; Blakers, Andrew; Everett, Vernie
SPIE Microelectronics, MEMS, and Nanotechnology
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.759594

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Similar Records

Title: Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

Abstract

Citation Formats

Ultrathin silicon solar microcells for semitransparent, mechanically flexible and microconcentrator module designs book, October 2010

Microscale c-Si (c)PV cells for low-cost power conference, June 2009

High-temperature variable melting point Sn-Sb lead-free solder pastes using transient liquid-phase powder processing journal, July 2005

Ultrathin flexible crystalline silicon: Microsystems enabled photovoltaics conference, June 2011

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Sliver Solar Cells: High-Efficiency, Low-Cost PV Technology journal, January 2007

Sliver solar cells conference, December 2007

Ultrathin silicon solar microcells for semitransparent, mechanically flexible and microconcentrator module designs
book, October 2010

Microscale c-Si (c)PV cells for low-cost power
conference, June 2009

High-temperature variable melting point Sn-Sb lead-free solder pastes using transient liquid-phase powder processing
journal, July 2005

Ultrathin flexible crystalline silicon: Microsystems enabled photovoltaics
conference, June 2011

Microsystems enabled photovoltaics: 14.9% efficient 14 μm thick crystalline silicon solar cell
journal, February 2011

Sliver Solar Cells: High-Efficiency, Low-Cost PV Technology
journal, January 2007

Sliver solar cells
conference, December 2007