Patent ID: 11923474
Assignee: MAXEON SOLAR PTE. LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B  Y | IPC B  H

Claim 0:
1. A photovoltaic (“PV”) string, comprising:
a first solar cell coupled to a first conductive foil and comprising first doped polysilicon regions disposed over or on a back side of a substrate of the first solar cell, wherein the first conductive foil includes a single layer of material having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the first conductive foil is coupled to the first doped polysilicon regions of the first solar cell, and wherein the second portion of the first conductive foil extends beyond an edge of the substrate of the first solar cell;
a second solar cell coupled to a second conductive foil and comprising second doped polysilicon regions disposed over or on a back side of a substrate of the second solar cell, wherein the second conductive includes a single layer of material having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the second conductive foil is coupled to the second doped polysilicon regions of the second solar cell and wherein the second portion of the second conductive foil extends beyond an edge of the substrate of the second solar cell, and wherein the second portion of the first conductive foil overlaps the second portion of the second conductive foil;
a plurality of joints between and directly coupling the second portion of the first conductive foil and the second portion of the second conductive foil, wherein the plurality of joints is along a line parallel to the spacing between the substrate of the first solar cell and the substrate of the second solar cell, the plurality of joints along an axis between and parallel with adjacent edges of the first solar cell and the second solar cell; and
a cutout through the second portion of the first conductive foil and the second portion of the second conductive foil, the cutout intervening between a first of the plurality of joints and a second of the plurality of joints along the axis, and the cutout having a lateral width between the adjacent edges of the first solar cell and the second solar cell that is greater than an extent of overlap of the second portion of the first conductive foil and the second portion of the second conductive foil between the adjacent edges of the first solar cell and the second solar cell from a plan view perspective.