Free-standing metallic article for semiconductors

Abstract

A free-standing metallic article, and method of making, is disclosed in which the metallic article is electroformed on an electrically conductive mandrel. The mandrel has an outer surface with a preformed pattern, wherein at least a portion of the metallic article is formed in the preformed pattern. The metallic article is separated from the electrically conductive mandrel, which forms a free-standing metallic article that may be coupled with the surface of a semiconductor material for a photovoltaic cell.

1 .- 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . A photovoltaic module comprising:
 a) a backing substrate that is segmented by a fold line; and   b) a plurality of photovoltaic cells mounted on the backing substrate, each photovoltaic cell comprising a metallic article, the metallic article comprising:   a plurality of electroformed elements configured to serve as an electrical conduit for a light-incident surface of the photovoltaic cell, the plurality of electroformed elements comprising a cell interconnection element integral with a continuous grid having a plurality of first elements intersecting a plurality of second elements;   wherein the cell interconnection element directly couples the grid to a neighboring cell;   wherein the electroformed elements are interconnected and integral, with the continuous grid in contact with the light-incident surface and the cell interconnection element configured to extend beyond the light-incident surface;   wherein one of the cell interconnection elements serves as a foldable interconnection lying across the fold line, the foldable interconnection electrically coupling a pair of photovoltaic cells that lies on either side of the fold line.   
     
     
         55 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 54 , wherein the cell interconnection element comprises a strip spanning a length of the continuous grid. 
     
     
         56 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 55 , wherein the strip lies along the fold line. 
     
     
         57 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 55 , wherein the strip comprises openings along the fold line. 
     
     
         58 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 55 , wherein the cell interconnection element further comprises a plurality of segments coupled to the strip lying across the fold line. 
     
     
         59 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 54 , wherein each electroformed element in the continuous grid has a height and a width, wherein the ratio of the height to the width is an aspect ratio, and wherein a majority of the electroformed elements have an aspect ratio greater than 0.1. 
     
     
         60 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 59 , wherein the aspect ratio is greater than 1.0. 
     
     
         61 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 54 , further comprising a plurality of fold lines and a plurality of foldable interconnections lying across the fold lines, wherein the photovoltaic cells are electrically connected in series by the cell interconnection elements and the foldable interconnections. 
     
     
         62 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 54 , further comprising a plurality of holes positioned along edges of the backing substrate, the holes configured to accommodate a pull cord. 
     
     
         63 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 54 , wherein the backing substrate comprises a vertical fold line and a horizontal fold line configured such that the photovoltaic module has bi-directional folding capability. 
     
     
         64 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 54 , wherein a first photovoltaic cell in the plurality of photovoltaic cells comprises a semiconductor substrate having a scored line such that the first photovoltaic cell is capable of bending, and wherein the metallic article of the first photovoltaic cell spans over and remains intact across the scored line of the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         65 . The photovoltaic module of  claim 64 , wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a plurality of scored lines, and wherein the first photovoltaic cell is mounted on a curved or uneven surface of the photovoltaic module. 
     
     
         66 . A photovoltaic module comprising:
 a) a backing substrate that is segmented by a fold line into a plurality of segments;   b) a plurality of photovoltaic cells mounted on the backing substrate, each photovoltaic cell comprising a metallic article, the metallic article comprising:   a plurality of electroformed elements configured to serve as an electrical conduit for a light-incident surface of the photovoltaic cell, the plurality of electroformed elements comprising a cell interconnection element integral with a continuous grid having a plurality of first elements intersecting a plurality of second elements;   wherein the cell interconnection element directly couples the grid to a neighboring cell within one of the segments of the photovoltaic module;   wherein the electroformed elements are interconnected and integral, with the continuous grid in contact with the light-incident surface and the cell interconnection element configured to extend beyond the light-incident surface; and   c) a foldable interconnection lying across the fold line and electrically coupling photovoltaic cells that are in different segments of the photovoltaic module.   
     
     
         67 . A photovoltaic cell comprising:
 a) a metallic article comprising:   a plurality of electroformed elements, the plurality of electroformed elements comprising a cell interconnection element integral with a continuous grid having a plurality of first elements intersecting a plurality of second elements;   wherein the electroformed elements are interconnected and integral, and are configured to serve as an electrical conduit for a light-incident surface of the photovoltaic cell, with the continuous grid in contact with the light-incident surface and the cell interconnection element configured to extend beyond the light-incident surface; and   b) a semiconductor substrate to which the metallic article is attached, the semiconductor substrate having a scored line such that the photovoltaic cell is capable of bending, wherein the metallic article spans over and remains intact across the scored line of the semiconductor substrate.   
     
     
         68 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 67 , wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a plurality of scored lines.