| Abstract: | New multilayer solar cells combine three innovations to produce a unique device structure which allows high efficiency cells to be designed on low quality material. The first innovation is the use of the multilayer structure itself, which provides the tolerance to low quality material. The second is the use of the well-proven buried contact technology. The third innovation is a simple technique for connecting cells in series which relies on having grooves of opposite polarity either overlapping or in close proximity to each other. These three innovations combine to produce a manufacturing approach with a small number of processing steps able to produce a product with a high energy conversion efficiency using low quality starting material. The unit of production is a large module of approximately 1 m2 in area rather than the smaller 100 cm2 cells which are the present commercial norm . |
