Patent ID: 9530926
Filing Date: 2016-12-27
CPC Classification: B32B,H01L,Y02E,Y02P,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method for forming photovoltaic cells, comprising: (a) providing a first roll of a photovoltaic material and a second roll of an expanded metallic mesh, wherein the photovoltaic material comprises a photoactive material adjacent to a flexible substrate, and wherein the expanded metallic mesh comprises a plurality of openings; (b) providing an electrically insulating material adjacent to an edge portion of the photovoltaic material; (c) directing the photovoltaic material from the first roll and the expanded metallic mesh from the second roll into a vacuum drum and pressing the photovoltaic material against the expanded metallic mesh to form a nascent photovoltaic cell, wherein the electrically insulating material is disposed between the expanded metallic mesh and the photovoltaic material; and (d) cutting the nascent photovoltaic cell into individual sections to form a plurality of photovoltaic cells.