Shingled array solar cells and method of manufacturing solar modules including the same

Abstract

A solar cell is provided including a substrate having a front and back side, a metallization pattern deposited on the front side, the metallization pattern including a plurality of front side bus bars each including fingers extending therefrom, and a plurality of back side bus bars deposited on the back side. On the front side, one front side bus bar is formed along an edge of the front side of the substrate, and a remainder of the front side bus bars are unequally spaced across the substrate. On the back side of the substrate, only one back side bus bar is formed along an edge of the back side of the substrate, and a remainder of the back side bus bars are unequally spaced across the substrate.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a solar module, the method comprising:
 scribing a plurality of lines in a solar cell,   separating the solar cell along the plurality of lines to form a plurality of strips;   depositing an electrically-conducive adhesive on a first side of all but one of the plurality of strips;   overlapping an edge of each of the plurality of strip, wherein an edge of a second side of all but one of the plurality of strips overlaps and covers an edge of the first side of all but one of the plurality of strips;   securing the plurality strips together to form a first string; and   electrically coupling a second string to the first string.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each line scribed into the solar cell is scribed to a depth of between about 10% and 90% of a thickness of the wafer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein scribing the lines is effectuated by a laser, a dicing saw, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating the discrete sections from the wafer includes coupling the wafer to a vacuum chuck and applying mechanical pressure to the wafer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sorting the plurality of strips using an auto-optical sorting process. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically-conducive adhesive is deposited on a bus bar formed on an edge of the first side of all but one of the plurality of strips. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the electrically-conducive adhesive is applied to the bus bar on each strip as a single continuous line, a plurality of dots, a plurality of dash lines, or combinations thereof, of electrically conductive adhesive. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a bus bar formed on the second side of all but one of the plurality of strips is overlapped with the bus bar formed on the first side of all but one of the plurality of strips. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the electrically conductive adhesive electrically secures the bus bars formed on the first side of one of the plurality of strips to the bus bar formed on the second side of a second of the plurality of strips. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a bus bar formed on a first side of one of the plurality of strips forming the first string is secured to a first solar module bus bar. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a bus bar formed on a second side of a second of the plurality of strips forming the first string is secured to a second solar module bus bar. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second strings are connected to the first and second solar module bus bars and are electrically in parallel. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the number of strings connected in parallel is dependent on the desired output power of the solar module. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least five strings are electrically connected in parallel to form a set. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein two strings are electrically connected in series. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein securing the plurality of strips together to form the first string includes securing between 15 and 100 independent strips together to form the first string. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of strips secured to one another is dependent on the desired output power of the solar module. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein depositing the electrically-conducive adhesive is performed via screen printing.