Patent ID: 9553213
Date: 2017-01-24
CPC Classifications: H01L,Y02E

Claim:
1. A solar cell apparatus comprising: a support substrate; a vertical stack on the support substrate, the vertical stack comprising a back electrode layer, a light absorbing layer, and a front electrode layer deposited sequentially on the support substrate; a plurality of solar cells, wherein each solar cell comprises a portion of the vertical stack such that each solar cell has a back electrode part, a light absorbing part, and a front electrode part; dummy parts, each dummy part comprising a portion of the vertical stack such that each dummy part has a back electrode part, a light absorbing part, and a front electrode part; wherein the plurality of solar cells are located between the dummy parts; wherein, for each dummy part, the dummy part's front electrode part is not electrically connected to the back electrode part of the nearest of the plurality of solar cells; a bus bar disposed within each dummy part between its back electrode part and its light absorbing part; and a trench separating each dummy part from the nearest of the plurality of solar cells, wherein the trench passes through the front electrode layer and the light absorbing layer but not through the back electrode layer.