Solar energy module having repair line, solar energy assembly having the same, method of repairing the solar energy module and method of trimming the solar energy assembly

Abstract

A method of electrically eliminating defective solar cell units that are disposed within an integrated solar cells module and a method of trimming an output voltage of the integrated solar cells module are provided, where the solar cells module has a large number (e.g., 50 or more) of solar cell units integrally disposed therein and initially connected in series one to the next. The method includes providing a corresponding plurality of repair pads, each integrally extending from a respective electrode layer of the solar cell units, and providing a bypass conductor integrated within the module and extending adjacent to the repair pads. Pad-to-pad spacings and pad-to-bypass spacings are such that pad-to-pad connecting bridges may be selectively created between adjacent ones of the repair pads and such that pad-to-bypass connecting bridges may be selectively created between the repair pads and the adjacently extending bypass conductor.

1 . A solar energy module comprising:
 a plurality of successive unit cells, each unit cell including:
 a set of electrode layers comprising a lower electrode layer and an upper electrode layer; 
 a set of one or more semiconductor layers disposed between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer and defining a photo-electric converter that converts photonic energy into electrical energy; and 
 a repair pad electrically connected to an electrode layer in the set of electrode layers and protruding outwardly so as to allow connection to a like repair pad of an adjacent unit cell and/or connection to another adjacent structure; 
 wherein an electrode layer of a first unit cell of the successive unit cells electrically connects to an electrode layer of a next adjacent unit cell, if any, of the successive unit cells so that the successive unit cells are thereby connected in series with each other; and 
   a bypass conductor extending adjacent to the plurality of repair pads to function for each unit cell as said other adjacent structure to which the respective repair pad of the unit cell may be connected.   
     
     
         2 . The solar energy module of  claim 1 , wherein the unit cells interconnect one to the next along a first direction, and electrical connections from the upper electrode layer of the first unit cell to the lower electrode layer of the next adjacent unit cell are made along the first direction. 
     
     
         3 . The solar energy module of  claim 2 , further comprising
 a first module output line connected to a repair pad of a peripheral first unit cell among the successive unit cells; and   a second module output line connected to a repair pad of a peripheral second unit cell among the successive unit cells.   
     
     
         4 . The solar energy module of  claim 3 , wherein the unit cells are disposed on a substrate such that the lower electrode layer of each cell is closer to the substrate than the upper electrode layer, and wherein each repair pad integrally extends from and beyond the lower electrode layer of its respective unit cell. 
     
     
         5 . The solar energy module of  claim 3 , wherein the unit cells are disposed on a substrate such that the lower electrode layer of each cell is closer to the substrate than the upper electrode layer and wherein each repair pad integrally extends from and beyond the upper electrode layer of its respective unit cell. 
     
     
         6 . The solar energy module of  claim 3 , further comprising
 a first bridge connecting the repair pad of a corresponding deemed-as-defective unit cell with the bypass conductor; and   a second bridge connecting the repair pad of a corresponding deemed-as-normal unit cell with the bypass conductor,   wherein repair pads of adjacent other cells are primarily not connected to one another, the first and the second bridges thereby define a corresponding parallel bypass circuit around the defective unit cell or around two or more defective unit cells disposed between the first and the second bridges in said series connection of the successive unit cells.   
     
     
         7 . The solar energy module of  claim 6 , wherein a first portion of the bypass conductor connecting the first bridge to the second bridge is divided from a second other portion of the bypass conductor. 
     
     
         8 . The solar energy module of  claim 6 , further comprising a third bridge connecting the repair pad of a deemed-as-defective further unit cell with the repair pad of an adjacent deemed-as-normal unit cell so as to thereby define a corresponding parallel circuit bypassing around the defective further unit cell in said series connection of the successive unit cells. 
     
     
         9 . The solar energy module of  claim 2 , further comprising
 a first module output line connected to a first end portion of the bypass conductor; and   a second module output line connected to a second end portion of the bypass conductor;   
       wherein the first and second module output lines extend in a direction substantially orthogonal to an extension direction of the bypass conductor. 
     
     
         10 . The solar energy module of  claim 9 , wherein first and second portions of the bypass conductor which are respectively connected with the first and the second module output lines, and respectively connect with the repair pads of a highest-voltage outputting unit cell and a lowest-voltage outputting unit cell of the module, and the first and second portions of the bypass conductor are respectively divided apart from other portions of the bypass conductor. 
     
     
         11 . The solar energy module of  claim 9 , wherein each repair pad extends from the lower electrode layer of its respective unit cell. 
     
     
         12 . The solar energy module of  claim 9 , wherein each repair pad extends from the upper electrode layer. 
     
     
         13 . The solar energy module of  claim 9 , further comprising
 a fourth bridge connecting the repair pad of a corresponding defective unit cell with the bypass conductor; and   a fifth bridge connecting the repair pad of a corresponding normal unit cell with the bypass conductor,   wherein repair pads of adjacent cells are primarily not connected to one another, the fourth and the fifth bridges thereby define a corresponding parallel circuit bypass around the defective unit cell or one or more defective unit cell between the fourth and the fifth bridges in said series connection of the successive unit cells.   
     
     
         14 . The solar energy module of  claim 13 , wherein a portion of the bypass conductor connecting the fourth bridge to the fifth bridge is divided apart from other portions of the bypass conductor. 
     
     
         15 . The solar energy module of  claim 13 , further comprising a sixth bridge connecting the repair pad of a defective unit cell with the repair pad of an adjacent normal unit cell so as to thereby define a corresponding parallel circuit bypassing around the defective unit cell in said series connection of the successive unit cells. 
     
     
         16 . The solar energy module of  claim 9 , wherein the repair pads of the successive unit cells are initially manufactured to be integrally connected with the bypass conductor, and after said initial manufacturing a separation portion is formed on the respective repair pads of deemed-to-be-normal unit cells so as to thereby electrically divide the normal unit cells from the bypass conductor. 
     
     
         17 . The solar energy module of  claim 16 , wherein portions of the bypass conductor which are integrally formed with the repair pads of the high-voltage outputting unit cell and the low-voltage outputting unit cell are divided from other portions of the bypass conductor. 
     
     
         18 . The solar energy module of  claim 16 , wherein the repair pad of a normal unit cell next to one side of a defective set of one or more successive defective unit cells is integrally formed with the bypass conductor, the separation portion is formed on the repair pad of a normal unit cell next to the other side of the defective set so that the one or more successive defective unit cells are electrically divided from series connection of the successive unit cells. 
     
     
         19 . The solar energy module of  claim 18 , wherein a portion of the bypass conductor connecting the one or more successive defective unit cells with each other is divided from other portions of the bypass conductor. 
     
     
         20 . A solar energy assembly comprising:
 a plurality of solar energy modules, each of the solar energy modules including:
 an array of successively connected unit cells, each unit cell including: 
 (a) a set of electrode layers comprising a lower electrode layer and an upper electrode layer; 
 (b) a set of one or more semiconductor layers disposed between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer and defining a photo-electric converter that converts photonic energy into electrical energy; and 
 (c) a repair pad electrically connected to an electrode layer of the set of electrode layers and protruding outwardly so as to allow connection to a like repair pad of an adjacent unit cell and/or connection to another adjacent structure; 
 wherein the upper electrode layer of a first unit cell of the array electrically connects to a lower electrode layer of an next adjacent unit cell, if any, of the array so that the unit cells are connected in series with each other; 
 a first bypass line extending adjacent to the repair pad of the unit cell whose output corresponds to a high-voltage output of the array; and 
 a second bypass line extending adjacent to the repair pad of the unit cell whose output corresponds to a low-voltage output of the array; 
   a first output line connecting the respective repair pads corresponds to the high-voltage output of the solar energy modules in parallel with each other; and   a second output line connecting to the respective repair pads corresponds to the low-voltage output of the solar energy modules in parallel with each other.   
     
     
         21 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first and the second output lines are directly connected to the repair pads corresponding to the high-voltage output and the low-voltage output respectively. 
     
     
         22 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first output line is directly connected to the first bypass line which is connected to the repair pad corresponding to the high-voltage output, and
 the second output line is directly connected to the second bypass line which is connected to the repair pad corresponding to the low-voltage output.   
     
     
         23 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 22 , further comprising
 a first bridge connecting the first bypass line to the repair pad corresponding to the high-voltage output; and   a second bridge connecting the second bypass line to the repair pad corresponding to the low-voltage output.   
     
     
         24 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 23 , wherein a portion of the first bypass line connected to the repair pad corresponding to the high-voltage output is divided from the other of the first bypass line, and
 a portion of the second bypass line connected to the repair pad corresponding to the low-voltage output is divided from the other of the second bypass line.   
     
     
         25 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 20 , wherein each repair pad extends from the lower electrode layer of its respective unit cell. 
     
     
         26 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 20 , wherein each repair pad extends from the upper electrode layer. 
     
     
         27 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the number of the unit cells disposed between the high-voltage output and the low-voltage output is determined so that respective module output voltages of the solar energy modules, whether trimmed or not, are substantially the same as each other. 
     
     
         28 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 27 , further comprising a third bridge directly connecting the repair pads of adjacent unit cells with each other. 
     
     
         29 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 28 , at least one of repair pads connected with each other by the third bridge is a repair pad of a defective unit cell. 
     
     
         30 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the solar energy modules further comprises at least one of a fourth bridge and a fifth bridge, the fourth bridge directly connecting a first repair pad to the first bypass line, and the fifth bridge directly connecting a second repair pad to the second bypass line. 
     
     
         31 . The solar energy assembly of  claim 30 , wherein at least one of the first repair pads connected to the first bypass line by a plurality of the fourth bridges respectively is a repair pad of a defective unit cell, and
 at least one of the second repair pads connected to the second bypass line by a plurality of the fifth bridges respectively is a repair pad of a defective unit cell.   
     
     
         32 . A method of repairing or trimming a solar energy module, the solar energy module comprising an array of successive unit cells, the module including an upper electrode layer which is disposed on a corresponding one or more semiconductor layers of each unit cell where the semiconductor layers define a photo-electric converter and the upper electrode layer of a first of the cells being electrically connected to a lower electrode layer under semiconductor layers of a next adjacent unit cell along a first direction so that the successive unit cells are thereby connected in series with each other, the method comprising at least one of performing a first bypassing and performing a second bypassing,
 wherein said performing of the first bypassing includes connecting repair pads extending from electrode layers of a first unit cell and a second unit cell to a bypass line so that one or more unit cells including the first unit cell or the second unit cell are bypassed, and   wherein said performing of the second bypassing including directly connecting repair pads of a third unit cell and a fourth unit cell with each other so that at least one of the third unit cell and the fourth unit cell is bypassed.   
     
     
         33 . The method of repairing or trimming a solar energy module of  claim 32 , wherein performing the first bypassing and the second bypassing, electrically connecting a repair pad extending from the lower electrode of a defective unit cell to a repair pad extending from the lower electrode of a next adjacent unit cell along the first direction. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein performing the first bypassing and the second bypassing, electrically connects a repair pad extending from the upper electrode of a defective unit cell to a repair pad extending from the upper electrode of a next adjacent unit cell along the opposite direction to the first direction. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein performing the first bypassing further includes dividing a portion of bypass line which connects the repair pads of the first and the second unit cells from the other of the bypass line. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein connecting the repair pads with each other or to the bypass line includes forming pad-to-pad bridge or pad-to-bypass bridge. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 dividing a module output line from the repair pad of a peripheral first unit cell of the array;   connecting the module output line to an end portion of the bypass line; and   dividing a portion of the bypass line connected to the output line from another portion of the bypass line.   
     
     
         38 . A method of repairing a solar energy module, the solar energy module comprising an array of successive unit cells, an upper electrode layer which is disposed on one or more semiconductor layers of the unit cell defining a photo-electric converter being electrically connected to a lower electrode layer under semiconductor layers of a next adjacent unit cell along a first direction so that the successive unit cells are connected in series with each other, the method comprising
 dividing the repair pad extending from an electrode layer of a normal unit cell and primarily integrally formed with bypass line from the bypass line; and   dividing a portion of the bypass line primarily integrally formed with a defective unit cell from the other of the bypass line.   
     
     
         39 . The method of repairing a solar energy module of  claim 38 , wherein the repair pad extending from the lower electrode of the normal unit cell next adjacent the defective unit cell along the first direction is not divided from the bypass line but is maintained to be primarily integral formed-state. 
     
     
         40 . The method of repairing a solar energy module of  claim 38 , wherein the repair pad extending from the upper electrode of the normal unit cell next adjacent the defective unit cell along the opposite direction to the first direction is not divided from the bypass line but is maintained to be primarily integral formed-state. 
     
     
         41 . The method of repairing a solar energy module of  claim 38 , further comprising dividing a portion of the bypass line from the other of the bypass line, the portion of the bypass line integrally formed with the repair pad corresponding to voltage output of the array and connected to output line of the solar energy module. 
     
     
         42 . A method of trimming a solar energy assembly, the solar energy assembly comprising a plurality of solar energy modules, each of the solar energy modules comprising an array of successive unit cells, an upper electrode layer which is disposed on a corresponding one or more semiconductor layers of each unit cell where the semiconductor layers define a photo-electric converter, and the upper electrode layer of a first of the cells being electrically connected to a lower electrode layer under semiconductor layers of a next adjacent unit cell along a first direction, so that the successive unit cells are thereby connected in series with each other, the method comprising
 defining a voltage which is to be substantially output by all the solar energy modules of the assembly as a reference output voltage;   
       where necessary bypassing one or more cells in each of the solar energy modules so as to thereby cause each to have the reference output voltage; and
 parallel connecting respective voltage outputs of the solar energy modules with each other by using output lines of the solar energy modules. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method of trimming a solar energy assembly of  claim 42 , wherein defining the reference output voltage comprises:
 detecting unit output voltages of the unit cells of the solar energy module using a probe; and   determining the module output voltage of each solar energy module as the total of the detected unit output voltages of its unit cells.   
     
     
         44 . The method of trimming a solar energy assembly of  claim 43 , wherein parallel connecting respective voltage outputs comprises:
 connecting a first output line of each solar energy modules with each other, each of the first output lines being directly connected to a repair pad of a top unit cell whose output corresponds to a high-voltage output of the array; and   connecting a second output line of each solar energy modules with each other, each of the second output lines being directly connected to a repair pad of a bottom unit cell whose output corresponds to a low-voltage output of the array.   
     
     
         45 . The method of trimming a solar energy assembly of  claim 43 , wherein parallel connecting respective voltage outputs comprises:
 connecting a repair pad of a top unit cell to a first bypass line connected to a first output line of each solar energy modules, the top unit cell among the selected number of unit cells for the solar energy module to have an output voltage substantially the same as the reference output voltage; and   connecting a repair pad of a bottom unit cell among the selected number of unit cells to a second bypass line connected to a second output line of each solar energy modules.   
     
     
         46 . The method of trimming a solar energy assembly of  claim 45 , wherein parallel connecting respective voltage outputs further comprises:
 dividing a portion of the first bypass line connecting the repair pad of the top unit cell to the first output line from the other of the first bypass line; and   dividing a portion of the second bypass line connecting the repair pad of the bottom unit cell to the second output line from the other of the second bypass line.   
     
     
         47 . The method of trimming a solar energy assembly of  claim 43 , wherein repairing each of the solar energy modules comprises bypassing at least one unit cell of at least one solar energy module. 
     
     
         48 . The method of trimming a solar energy assembly of  claim 43 , wherein bypassing at least one unit cell comprises at least one of performing a first bypassing and performing a second bypassing,
 performing the first bypassing including connecting repair pads extending from electrode layers of a first unit cell and a second unit cell to a bypass line so that one or more unit cells including the first unit cell or the second unit cell are bypassed, and   performing the second bypassing including directly connecting repair pads of a third unit cell and a fourth unit cell with each other so that at least one of the third unit cell and the fourth unit cell is bypassed.