Patent Description:
A solar cell is a device that converts photons into electrical energy. The electrical energy produced by the cell is collected through electrical contacts coupled to the semiconductor material, and is routed through interconnections with other photovoltaic cells in a module. The "standard cell" model of a solar cell has a semiconductor material, used to absorb the incoming solar energy and convert it to electrical energy, placed below an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer, and above a metal backsheet. Electrical contact is typically made to the semiconductor surface with fire-through paste, which is metal paste that is heated such that the paste diffuses through the ARC layer and contacts the surface of the cell. The paste is generally patterned into a set of fingers and bus bars which will then be soldered with ribbon to other cells to create a module. Another type of solar cell has a semiconductor material sandwiched between transparent conductive oxide layers (TCO's), which are then coated with a final layer of conductive paste that is also configured in a finger/bus bar pattern.

In both these types of cells, the metal paste, which is typically silver, works to enable current flow in the horizontal direction (parallel to the cell surface), allowing connections between the solar cells to be made towards the creation of a module. Solar cell metallization is most commonly done by screen printing a silver paste onto the cell, curing the paste, and then soldering ribbon across the screen printed bus bars. However, silver is expensive relative to other components of a solar cell, and can contribute a high percentage of the overall cost.

To reduce silver cost, alternate methods for metallizing solar cells are known in the art. For example, attempts have been made to replace silver with copper, by plating copper directly onto the solar cell. However, a drawback of copper plating is contamination of the cell with copper, which impacts reliability. Plating throughput and yield can also be issues when directly plating onto the cell due to the many steps required for plating, such as depositing seed layers, applying masks, and etching or laser scribing away plated areas to form the desired patterns. Other methods for forming electrical conduits on solar cells include utilizing arrangements of parallel wires or polymeric sheets encasing electrically conductive wires, and laying them onto a cell. However, the use of wire grids presents issues such as undesirable manufacturing costs and high series resistance.

<CIT> discloses a method for the production of an electrical conductor. <CIT> discloses a photovoltaic cell incorporating a preformed, thin-film front contact current collector grid.

The invention is as defined in and by the appended claims. A free-standing metallic article, and method of making, is disclosed in which a metallic article is electroformed on an electrically conductive mandrel. The mandrel has an outer surface with a preformed pattern, wherein at least a portion of the metallic article is formed in the preformed pattern. The metallic article is separated from the electrically conductive mandrel, which forms a free-standing metallic article that may be coupled with the surface of a semiconductor material for a photovoltaic cell.

Each of the aspects and examples described herein can be used alone or in combination with one another. The aspects and examples will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.

<FIG> is a simplified schematic of a conventional solar cell <NUM> which includes an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer <NUM>, an emitter <NUM>, a base <NUM>, front contacts <NUM>, and a rear contact layer <NUM>. Emitter <NUM> and base <NUM> are semiconductor materials that are doped as p+ or n- regions, and may be referred to together as an active region of a solar cell. Front contacts <NUM> are typically fired through anti-reflective coating layer <NUM> in order to make electrical contact with the active region. Incident light enters the solar cell <NUM> through ARC layer <NUM>, which causes a photocurrent to be created at the junction of the emitter <NUM> and base <NUM>. It can be seen that shading caused by front contacts <NUM> will affect the efficiency of the cell <NUM>. The produced electrical current is collected through an electrical circuit connected to front contacts <NUM> and rear contact <NUM>. A bus bar <NUM> may connect the front contacts <NUM>, which are shown here as finger elements. Bus bar <NUM> collects the current from front contacts <NUM>, and also may be used to provide interconnection between other solar cells. The assembly of front contacts <NUM> and bus bar <NUM> may also be referred to as a metallization layer. In other types of solar cells, a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer may be used instead of a dielectric-type ARC layer, to collect electrical current. In a TCO type of cell, metallization in the form of, for example, front contacts <NUM> and bus bar <NUM> would be fabricated onto the TCO layer, without the need for firing through, to collect current from the TCO solar cell.

<FIG> illustrates a simplified schematic of another type of solar cell <NUM>, in which the electrical contacts are made on the back side, opposite of where light enters. Solar cell <NUM>, also known as an interdigitated back contact cell, includes an ARC layer <NUM>, a base region <NUM> made of a semiconductor substrate, and doped regions <NUM> and <NUM> having opposite polarities from each other (e.g., p-type and n-type). Doped regions <NUM> and <NUM> are on the back side of cell <NUM>, opposite of ARC layer <NUM>. A non-conducting layer <NUM> provides separation between the doped regions <NUM> and <NUM>, and also completes the role of passivation of the back surface of cell <NUM>. Electrical contacts <NUM> and <NUM> are interdigitated with each other and make electrical connections to doped regions <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, through holes <NUM> in the passivating layer <NUM>. Although the electrical contacts <NUM> and <NUM> do not present a shading issue in this back-contact type of solar cell, they may still present other issues such as manufacturing yield losses when forming the contacts onto the cell, high material costs if using silver for the contacts, or degradation of the cell if using copper for the contacts.

Metallization of solar cells typically involves screen printing a silver paste in the desired pattern of the electrical contacts to be connected to the cell. In <FIG>, the front contacts <NUM> are configured in a linear pattern of parallel segments. Because the cost of silver can add greatly to the expense of the solar cell, it is highly desirable to reduce or even eliminate the use of silver. Copper is an attractive alternative to silver because of its high electrical conductivity, but can lead to contamination of the semiconductor materials and consequently reduced performance of the solar cell. Known methods of utilizing copper in solar cells involve depositing copper directly onto the cell. However, these methods require subjecting the solar cells to the temperatures and chemicals involved with the many steps during these plating processes, which can cause damage to the cell. In other known methods, arrangements of parallel copper wires or woven grids of wires are produced separately from the cell, and then joined to the cell. However, with these methods it can be difficult to align the wires to the cell, or to produce wires small enough to be functional but yet minimize shading on a solar cell. Wire grids encapsulated within polymeric films have also been produced, but these methods can be complex and still present shading and alignment problems, particularly due to the presence of the polymeric sheet. Copper paste is another alternative, but these pastes can be difficult to apply and still present the problem of diffusion into the solar cell.

In the present disclosure, electrical conduits for semiconductors, such as photovoltaic cells, are fabricated as an electroformed free-standing metallic article. The metallic articles are produced separately from a solar cell and can include multiple elements such as fingers and bus bars that can be transferred stably as a unitary piece and easily aligned to a semiconductor device. The elements of the metallic article are formed integrally with each other in the electroforming process. The metallic article is manufactured in an electroforming mandrel, which generates a patterned metal layer that is tailored for a solar cell or other semiconductor device. For example, the metallic article may have grid lines with height-to-width aspect ratios that minimize shading for a solar cell. The metallic article can replace conventional bus bar metallization and ribbon stringing for cell metallization, cell-to-cell interconnection and module making. The ability to produce the metallization layer for a photovoltaic cell as an independent component that can be stably transferred between processing steps provides various advantages in material costs and manufacturing.

<FIG> depicts a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary electroforming mandrel <NUM>. The mandrel <NUM> may be made of electrically conductive material such stainless steel, copper, anodized aluminum, titanium, or molybdenum, nickel, nickel-iron alloy (e.g., Invar), copper, or any combinations of these metals, and may be designed with sufficient area to allow for high plating currents and enable high throughput. The mandrel <NUM> has an outer surface <NUM> with a preformed pattern that comprises pattern elements <NUM> and <NUM> and can be customized for a desired shape of the electrical conduit element to be produced. The pattern elements <NUM> and <NUM> are grooves or trenches with a rectangular cross-section, although the pattern elements <NUM> and <NUM> may have other cross-sectional shapes. The pattern elements <NUM> and <NUM> are depicted as intersecting segments to form a grid-type pattern, in which sets of parallel lines intersect perpendicularly to each other.

The pattern elements <NUM> have a height 'H' and width 'W', where the height-to-width ratio defines an aspect ratio. By using the pattern elements <NUM> and <NUM> in the mandrel <NUM> to form a metallic article, the electroformed metallic parts can be tailored for photovoltaic applications. For example, the aspect ratio may be between about <NUM> and about <NUM>. The aspect ratio can be designed to be greater than <NUM>, such as between about <NUM> and about <NUM>, or between about <NUM> and about <NUM>. Having a height greater than the width allows the metal layer to carry enough current but reduce the shading on the cell compared to, for example, standard circular wires which have an aspect ratio of <NUM>, or compared to conventional screen-printed patterns which are horizontally flat and have aspect ratios less than <NUM>. Shading values for screen-printed metal fingers may be, for example, over <NUM>%. With metallic articles having tailored aspect ratios as described herein, shading values of less than <NUM>% may be achieved, such as between <NUM>-<NUM>%. Thus, the ability to produce electrical conduits with aspect ratios greater than <NUM> enable minimal aperture loss to a photovoltaic cell, which is important to maximizing efficiency. Where the electroformed electrical conduit is used on a back surface of a solar cell, aspect ratios of other values, such as less than <NUM>, may be used.

The aspect ratio, as well as the cross-sectional shape and longitudinal layout of the pattern elements, may be electroformed to meet desired specifications such as electrical current capacity, series resistance, shading losses, and cell layout. Any electroforming process can be used. For example, the metallic article may be formed by an electroplating process. In particular, because electroplating is generally an isotropic process, confining the electroplating with a pattern mandrel to customize the shape of the parts is a significant improvement for maximizing efficiency. Furthermore, although tall yet narrow conduit lines typically would tend to be unstable when placing them on a semiconductor surface, the customized patterns that may be produced through the use of a mandrel allows for features such as interconnecting lines to provide stability for these tall but narrow conduits. For example, the preformed patterns may be configured as a continuous grid with intersecting lines. This configuration not only provides mechanical stability to the plurality of electroformed elements that form the grid, but also enables a low series resistance since the current is spread over more conduits. A grid-type structure can also increase the robustness of a cell. For example, if some portion of the grid becomes broken or non-functional, the electrical current can flow around the broken area due to the presence of the grid pattern.

<FIG> are simplified cross-sectional views of exemplary stages in producing a metal layer piece using a mandrel. In <FIG>, a mandrel <NUM> with pattern elements <NUM> is provided. The mandrel <NUM> is subjected to an electroforming process, in which electroformed elements <NUM> are formed within the pattern elements <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. In <FIG>, the pattern elements <NUM> have been designed with a higher aspect ratio than those in <FIG>. The electroformed elements <NUM> may be, for example, copper only, or alloys of copper. A layer of nickel may be plated onto the mandrel <NUM> first, followed by copper so that the nickel provides a barrier against copper contamination of a finished semiconductor device. An additional nickel layer may optionally be plated over the top of the electroformed elements <NUM> to encapsulate the copper, as depicted by nickel layer <NUM> in <FIG>. Multiple layers may be plated within the pattern elements <NUM>, using various metals as desired to achieve the necessary properties of the metallic article to be produced.

In <FIG> the electroformed elements <NUM> are shown as being formed flush with the outer surface <NUM> of mandrel <NUM>. Electroformed element <NUM> illustrates another example in which the elements may be overplated. For electroformed element <NUM>, electroplating continues until the metal extends above the surface <NUM> of mandrel <NUM>. The overplated portion, which typically will form as a rounded top due to the isotropic nature of electroforming, may serve as a handle to facilitate the extraction of the electroformed element <NUM> from mandrel <NUM>. The rounded top of electroformed element <NUM> may also provide optical advantages in a photovoltaic cell by, for example, being a refractive surface to aid in light collection. A metallic article may have portions that are formed on top of the surface <NUM>, such as a bus bar, in addition to those that are formed within the preformed patterns <NUM>.

In <FIG> the electroformed elements <NUM> are removed from the mandrel <NUM> as a free-standing metallic article <NUM>. The electroformed elements <NUM> may include intersecting elements <NUM>, such as would be formed by patterns <NUM> of <FIG>. The intersecting elements <NUM> may assist in making the metallic article <NUM> a unitary, free-standing piece such that it may be easily transferred to other processing steps while keeping the individual elements <NUM> and <NUM> aligned with each other. The additional processing steps may include coating steps for the free-standing metallic article <NUM> and assembly steps to incorporate it into a semiconductor device. By producing the metal layer of a semiconductor as a free-standing piece, the manufacturing yields of the overall semiconductor assembly will not be affected by the yields of the metal layer. In addition, the metal layer can be subjected to temperatures and processes separate from the other semiconductor layers. For example, the metal layer may be undergo high temperature processes or chemical baths that will not affect the rest of the semiconductor assembly.

After the metallic article <NUM> is removed from mandrel <NUM> in <FIG>, the mandrel <NUM> may be reused to produce additional parts. Being able to reuse the mandrel <NUM> provides a significant cost reduction compared to current techniques where electroplating is performed directly on a solar cell. In direct electroplating methods, masks or mandrels are formed on the cell itself, and thus must be built and often destroyed on every cell. Having a reusable mandrel reduces processing steps and saves cost compared to techniques that require patterning and then plating a semiconductor device. In other conventional methods, a thin printed seed layer is applied to a semiconductor surface to begin the plating process. However, seed layer methods result in low throughputs. In contrast, reusable mandrel methods as described herein can utilize mandrels of thick metal which allow for high current capability, resulting in high plating currents and thus high throughputs. Metal mandrel thicknesses may be, for example, between <NUM> to <NUM>.

<FIG> are cross-sectional views of exemplary mandrels, demonstrating various mandrel and pattern designs. In <FIG>, a planar metal mandrel base <NUM> has a dielectric layer <NUM> laid over it. The pattern including pattern elements <NUM> for forming a metallic article are created in dielectric layer <NUM>. The dielectric layer <NUM> may be, for example, a fluoropolymer (e.g., Teflon®), a patterned photoresist (e.g., Dupont Riston® thick film resist), or a thick layer of epoxy-based photoresist (e.g., SU-<NUM>). The photoresist is selectively exposed and removed to reveal the desired pattern. The dielectric layer <NUM> may be patterned by, for example, machining or precision laser cutting. In this type of mandrel <NUM> with dielectric-surrounded pattern elements, electroplating will fill the trenches of pattern elements <NUM> from the bottom up, starting at the metal mandrel base <NUM>. The use of dielectrics or permanent resists allows for reuse of the mandrel <NUM>, which reduces the number of process steps, consumable costs, and increases throughput of the overall manufacturing process compared to consumable mandrels.

<FIG> shows another mandrel <NUM> made primarily of metal, including the cavities for forming a metallic article. When electroforming with metal mandrel <NUM>, the metal surfaces of a pattern element <NUM> allow for rapid plating from all three sides of the trench pattern. A release layer <NUM> such as a dielectric or low-adhesion material (e.g., a fluoropolymer) may optionally be coated onto the mandrel <NUM>, in various areas as desired. The release layer <NUM> may reduce adhesion of the electroformed part to the mandrel <NUM>, or may minimize adhesion of a substrate, such as an adhesive film, that may be used to peel the electroformed article from the mandrel. The release layer <NUM> may be patterned simultaneously with the metal mandrel, or may be patterned in a separate step, such as through photoresist with wet or dry etching. The pattern elements <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> in the metal mandrel, may be, for example, grooves and intersecting trenches, and may be formed by, for instance, machining, laser cutting, lithography, or electroforming. The mandrel <NUM> may not require a release layer <NUM> if the surface of the mandrel that is exposed to the plating solution is selected to have poor adhesion to the metallic article. For instance, for electroformed parts that will have a first layer (that is, an outer layer) of nickel plating, the mandrel <NUM> may be made of copper. Copper has low adhesion to nickel and thereby allows the formed, nickel-coated piece to be easily removed from the copper mandrel. When applying a release layer <NUM> to mandrel <NUM>, the relative depth of the trench pattern element <NUM> in the metal and the thickness of the dielectric coating can be selected to minimize void formation of the metal piece formed within pattern element <NUM>, while still enabling a high plating rate.

<FIG> shows the release layer <NUM> having been extended partially into the depth of pattern element <NUM>. This extension of the coating into pattern element <NUM> may enable electroforming rates between that of dielectrically-surrounded pattern element <NUM> of <FIG> and metal-surrounded pattern element <NUM> of <FIG>. The amount that release layer <NUM> extends into the pattern element <NUM> may be chosen to achieve a desired electroforming rate. The release layer <NUM> may extend into pattern element <NUM> by, for example, approximately half the amount of the pattern width. A pattern element <NUM> with release layer <NUM> extending into the trench can allow a more uniform electroplating rate within the trench, and hence, a more uniform grid can be produced. The amount that the dielectric or release layer <NUM> extends into the trench can be modified to optimize overall plating rate and plating uniformity.

<FIG> shows a mandrel <NUM> in which the pattern element <NUM> has tapered walls. The tapered walls are wider at the outer surface <NUM> of mandrel <NUM>, to facilitate removal of a formed metallic element from the patterned mandrel. The cross-sectional shape of the preformed patterns for any of the mandrels described herein may include shapes such as, but not limited to, curved cross-sections, beveled edges at the corners of a pattern's cross-section, curved paths along the length of a pattern, and segments intersecting each other at various angles to each other.

<FIG> illustrate top views of exemplary metal layers 600a and 600b that may be produced by the electroforming mandrels described herein. Metal layers 600a and 600b include electroformed elements embodied here as substantially parallel fingers <NUM>, which have been formed by substantially parallel grooves in an electrically conductive mandrel. Metal layer 600b also includes electroformed elements embodied here as horizontal fingers <NUM> that intersect vertical fingers <NUM>, where the fingers <NUM> and <NUM> intersect at approximately a perpendicular angle. The fingers <NUM> and <NUM> may intersect at other angles, while still forming a continuous grid or mesh pattern. Metal layers 600a and 600b also include a frame element <NUM> which may serve as a bus bar to collect current from the fingers <NUM> and <NUM>. Having a bus bar integrally formed as part of the metallic article can provide manufacturing improvements. In present high-volume methods of solar module production, cell connections are often achieved by manually soldering metal ribbons to the cells. This commonly results in broken or damaged cells due to manual handling and stress imparted on the cells by the solder ribbons. In addition, the manual soldering process results in high labor-related production costs. Thus, having a bus bar or ribbon already formed and connected to the metallization layer, as is possible with the electroformed metallic articles described herein, enables low-cost, automated manufacturing methods.

Frame element <NUM> may also provide mechanical stability such that metal layers 600a and 600b are unitary, free-standing pieces when removed from a mandrel. That is, the metal layers 600a and 600b are unitary in that they are a single component, with the fingers <NUM> and <NUM> remaining connected, when apart from a photovoltaic cell or other semiconductor assembly. Frame element <NUM> may furthermore assist in maintaining spacing and alignment between finger elements <NUM> and <NUM> for when they are to be attached to a photovoltaic cell. Frame element <NUM> is shown in <FIG> as extending across one edge of metal layers 600a and 600b. However, a frame element may extend only partially across one edge, or may border more than one edge, or may be configured as one or more tabs on an edge, or may reside within the grid itself. Furthermore, frame element may be electroformed at the same time as the fingers <NUM> and <NUM>, or may be electroformed in a separate step, after fingers <NUM> and <NUM> have been formed.

<FIG> shows a cross-section of metal layer 600b taken at section B-B of <FIG>. Fingers <NUM> are shown as having aspect ratios greater than <NUM>, such as about <NUM> to about <NUM>, and such as approximately <NUM> in this figure. Having a cross-sectional height greater than the width reduces the shading impact of metal layer 600b on a photovoltaic cell. Only a portion of the fingers <NUM> and <NUM> may have an aspect ratio greater than <NUM>, or a majority of the fingers <NUM> and <NUM> may have an aspect ratio greater than <NUM>, or all of the fingers <NUM> and <NUM> may have an aspect ratio greater than <NUM>. Height 'H' of fingers <NUM> may range from, for example, about <NUM> microns to about <NUM> microns, or about <NUM> microns to about <NUM> microns. Width 'W' of fingers <NUM> may range from, for example, about <NUM> microns to about <NUM>, such as about <NUM> microns to about <NUM> microns. The distance between parallel fingers <NUM> has a pitch 'P', measured between the centerline of each finger. The pitch may range, for example, between about <NUM> and about <NUM>. In <FIG> and <FIG>, the fingers <NUM> and <NUM> have different widths and pitches, but are approximately equivalent in height. The fingers <NUM> and <NUM> may have different widths, heights and pitches as each other, or may have some characteristics that are the same, or may have all the characteristics the same. The values may be chosen according to factors such as the size of the photovoltaic cell, the shading amount for a desired efficiency, or whether the metallic article is to be coupled to the front or rear of the cell. The fingers <NUM> may have a pitch between about <NUM> and about <NUM> and fingers <NUM> may have a pitch between about <NUM> and about <NUM>. Fingers <NUM> and <NUM> are formed in mandrels having grooves that are substantially the same shape and spacing as fingers <NUM> and <NUM>. Frame element <NUM> may have the same height as the fingers <NUM> and <NUM>, or may be a thinner piece as indicated by the dashed line in <FIG>. The frame element <NUM> may be formed on above finger elements <NUM> and <NUM>.

<FIG> also shows that fingers <NUM> and <NUM> may be substantially coplanar with each other, in that the fingers <NUM> and fingers <NUM> have a majority of their cross-sectional areas that overlap each other. Compared to conventional meshes that are woven over and under each other, a coplanar grid as depicted in <FIG> can provide a lower profile than overlapping circular wires of the same cross-sectional area. The intersecting, coplanar lines of metal layer 600b are also formed integrally with each other during the electroforming process, which provides further robustness to the free-standing article of metal layer 600b. That is, the integral elements are formed as one piece and not joined together from separate components. <FIG> show coplanar, intersecting elements. In <FIG>, finger <NUM> is shorter in height than <NUM> but is positioned within the cross-sectional height of finger <NUM>. Fingers <NUM> and <NUM> have bottom surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, that are aligned, such as to provide an even surface for mounting to a semiconductor surface. In <FIG>, finger <NUM> has a larger height than finger <NUM> and extends beyond the top surface of finger <NUM>. A majority of the cross-sectional area of finger <NUM> overlaps the entire cross-section of finger <NUM>, and therefore fingers <NUM> and <NUM> are coplanar as defined in this disclosure.

<FIG> show yet embodiments of the present invention, in which electroformed metallic articles enable interconnections between photovoltaic cells in a module. A typical module has many cells, such as between <NUM>-<NUM>, connected in series. The connections are made by attaching the front of one cell to the back of the next cell using solder-coated copper ribbon. Attaching the ribbon in this way requires a ribbon that is thin, and consequently resistive, so that the ribbon can bend around the cells without break the cell edges. The interconnections also typically require three separate ribbons, each soldered separately. In <FIG>, a metallic article <NUM> according to the present invention has interconnection elements <NUM> that have been integrally electroformed with a first grid region <NUM>. Interconnection elements <NUM> have a first end coupled to grid <NUM>, and are configured to extend beyond the surface of a photovoltaic cell to allow connection to a neighboring cell. The interconnection elements <NUM> replace the need for a separate ribbon to be soldered between cells, thus reducing manufacturing costs and enabling possible automation. The interconnection elements <NUM> are linear segments, although other configurations are possible. Also, the number of interconnection elements <NUM> can vary as desired, such as providing multiple elements <NUM> to reduce resistance. Interconnection elements <NUM> may be bent or angled after electroforming, such as to enable a front-to-back connection between cells, or may be fabricated in the mandrel to be angled relative to the grid <NUM>.

The opposite end of interconnection elements <NUM> is coupled to a second region <NUM>, where the second region <NUM> may also be electroformed in an electrically conductive mandrel as part of the metallic article <NUM>. In <FIG>, the second region <NUM> is configured as a tab - e.g., a bus bar - that may then be electrically connected to an electrical conduit <NUM> of a neighboring cell. The conduit <NUM> is configured here as a mesh, but other configurations are possible. Grid <NUM> serves as an electrical conduit on a front surface of a first cell, while grid <NUM> may be an electrical conduit on a rear surface of a second cell. In <FIG>, a metallic article <NUM> has a mesh instead of a bus bar type of connection. Metallic article <NUM> includes first region <NUM>, interconnection elements <NUM> and second region <NUM> that have all been electroformed as a single component, such that the inter-cell connections are already provided by metallic article <NUM>. Thus the metallic articles <NUM> and <NUM> provide electrical conduits not only on a surface of one photovoltaic cell, but also the interconnections between cells.

Although the mandrels described in <FIG> have been described as flat mandrels, the mandrel may instead be cylindrical to be conducive to a continuous process. <FIG> shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary cylindrical mandrel <NUM>, with preformed pattern <NUM> created on outer surface <NUM>. The cylindrical mandrel <NUM> may be dipped and rotated in an electroforming bath, and the resulting unitary metallic article may be produced as a continuous strip that can later be trimmed to into separate, unitary pieces as needed. A flat mandrel <NUM>, exemplified in the cross-sectional view of <FIG>, may have a first preformed pattern <NUM> in a top surface <NUM> and a second preformed pattern <NUM> in a bottom surface <NUM>. The first and second preformed patterns <NUM> and <NUM> may be the same or different from each other. For example, in <FIG> the first preformed pattern <NUM> has elements with different width, height and pitch than the second preformed pattern <NUM>. The two-sided mandrel <NUM> may be used to produce the two patterns at once, or one side may be masked while the other side is used to produce an electroformed part. The first preformed pattern may be used to produce a metallic article for the front side of a solar cell, and the second preformed pattern may be used to form a metallic article for the back side of the solar cell.

<FIG> depicts a flow chart <NUM> for fabricating a free-standing electroformed metallic article for use with a photovoltaic cell. In this disclosure, reference to semiconductor materials in formation of a semiconductor device or photovoltaic cell may include amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon or any other semiconductor material suitable for use in a photovoltaic cell. In a step <NUM>, an electroforming process is performed using an electrically conductive mandrel. The mandrel has one or more preformed patterns in which to form a metallic article. The metallic article is configured to serve as an electrical conduit within a photovoltaic cell. The metallic article may include features to enable connections between photovoltaic cells of a solar module. The preformed pattern may have an aspect ratio of greater than <NUM>, and may include multiple parallel patterns intersecting each other. At least a portion of the finished electroformed metallic article is created within the preformed patterns. Other portions of the metallic article, such as a bus bar, may be formed within preformed patterns or on a top surface of the mandrel.

The electroforming step <NUM> may include contacting the outer surface of the mandrel with a solution comprising a salt of a first metal, where the first metal may be, for example copper or nickel. The first metal may form the entire metallic article, or may form a metallic precursor for layers of other metals. For example, a solution of a salt comprising a second metal may be plated over the first metal. The first metal may be nickel and the second metal may be copper, where the nickel provides a barrier for copper diffusion. A third metal may optionally be plated over the second metal, such as the third metal being nickel over a second metal of copper, which has been plated over a first metal of nickel. In this three-layer structure, the copper conduit is encapsulated by nickel to provide a barrier against copper contamination into a semiconductor device. Electroforming process parameters in step <NUM> may be, for example, currents ranging from <NUM> to <NUM> amps per square foot (ASF) and plating times ranging from, for example, <NUM> minute to <NUM> minutes. Other electrically conductive metals may be applied to promote adhesion, promote wettability, serve as a diffusion barrier, or to improve electrical contact, such as tin, tin alloys, indium, indium alloys, bismuth alloys, nickel tungstate, or cobalt nickel tungstate.

After the metallic article is formed, the metallic article is separated in step <NUM> from the electrically conductive mandrel to become a free-standing, unitary piece. The separation may involve lifting or peeling the article from the mandrel, with or without the use of a temporary polymeric sheet, or with or without the use of vacuum handling. Removal may include thermal or mechanical shock or ultrasonic energy to assist in releasing the fabricated part from the mandrel. The free-standing metallic article is then ready to be formed into a photovoltaic cell or other semiconductor device, by attaching and electrically coupling the article as shall be described below. Transferring of the metallic article to the various manufacturing steps may be done without need for a supporting element, such as a plastic or polymeric substrate, which can reduce cost.

The free-standing metallic article may be mounted directly to a solar cell or may undergo additional processing steps prior to being attached. Note that for the purposes of this disclosure, the term "metallic article" may also be interchangeably referred to as a grid or mesh, even though some examples may not include intersecting crossmembers. If the metallic article has been formed without a barrier layer, the separated, free-standing metallic article may optionally undergo additional plating operations in step <NUM>. For example, nickel plating may be performed by, for example, electroless or electroplating. The metallic article may also be plated with nickel-cobalt-tungsten or cobalt-tungsten-phosphorous to create a diffusion barrier for copper material at high temperatures, while the standard nickel plating prevents copper migration in the cell below <NUM>.

After any additional plating has been completed, in step <NUM> an attachment mechanism may be applied to the free-standing metallic article to prepare it for being mounted to a cell surface. For a standard solar cell model, a reactive metal layer such as a fire-through silver paste may be applied to the surface of the metallic article that is to be coupled to the solar cell. The reactive paste provides the electrical connection between the metallic article and the semiconductor layer, and may be thinly applied. The paste may be applied to the electroformed metallic article by, for example, screen printing. The amount of silver that is applied to the grid is much less than that which is required when forming the metallization layer solely from fire-through paste. Because the fire-through paste is applied onto the grid rather than the solar cell, the electrical coupling between the grid and solar cell is self-aligned. That is, there is no need to align the fingers of the electrical conduit to conductive lines of paste that have been applied onto the solar cell, thus simplifying the manufacturing process. Furthermore, in conventional methods, extra paste is often applied to ensure alignment with electrical contacts. In contrast, the present methods enable the application of silver paste only where necessary. Additional methods of applying the attachment mechanism include electroplating; electroless plating; wave soldering; physical vapor deposition techniques such as evaporation or sputtering; dispensing via ink-jet or pneumatic dispensing techniques; or thin film transfer techniques such as stamping the grid onto a thin film of molten solder or metal.

While some types of solar cells use dielectric ARC's, other types use conductive ARC's, such as TCO's. For TCO types of solar cells, such as those coated with indium-tin-oxide (ITO), the attachment mechanism in step <NUM> may be solder, such as a low temperature solder. The solder is applied to the surface of the grid that will be in contact with the cell. By applying solder to the grid, a minimal amount of solder is used, thus reducing material cost. In addition, the solder is self-aligned with the grid pattern. The type of solder on the metallic article may be chosen for characteristics such as good ohmic contact and electrical conductivity, strong adhesion, rapid thermal dissipation, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch with the targeted surface, robust mechanical stress relief, high mechanical strength, solid electrical migration barrier, adequate wettability, and chemically sound material inter-diffusion barriers between the metallic electroformed grid and the surface of the solar cell. A no-clean solder may be applied. An electroless or electroplated low melting point metal or alloy - such as, but not limited to, indium, indium-tin, indium-bismuth, lead-tin-silver-copper, lead-tin-silver, and lead-indium - may be applied to the grid. A solder paste may be printed onto the grid. The solder paste may require a drying process before the grid and the solar cell can be coupled together. The tips - that is, the bottom surface - of the grid may be dipped or immersed into a liquid solder, which will selectively attach to the mesh surface.

Although the attachment mechanisms above have been described as being applied to the electroformed article, step <NUM> may include applying the fire-through paste or solder material to the solar cell. The electroformed article would then be brought into contact with the conductive patterns made by the paste or solder. The metallic article may be prepared for contacting with the cell by optionally applying an indium metal or indium alloy to the article. The indium can be electroplated onto the surface of the grid by dipping the grid into the electrolyte while providing current. The grid may be coated by an electroless plating method by dipping it into a solution of indium. The grid can be dipped first into a molten flux, which removes oxide on the tips of the grid, and then into an indium tin solder such that only the tips of the grid are wetted with the indium tin solder. The grid can be dipped into indium tin paste followed by an anneal step, again with only the tips of the grid being coated. Coating of only the tip, and not the entire grid, with indium preserves precious indium while still achieving a contactable surface. Once indium-tipped, the fingers or elements of the electroformed article may then be aligned with the fire-through paste or solder on the cell by, for example, optical alignment marks on edges of the solar cell.

As an example not being part of the present invention, the metallic articles may be utilized in back-contact types of solar cells, such as those illustrated in <FIG>, using similar methods. An attachment mechanism, which would typically be solder, is applied to either the metallic article or the solar cell in step <NUM>, and the metallic article is then contacted with the cell. The attachment mechanism is heated to electrically couple the metallic article with the cell. In one example of back-contact solar cells, the electroformed elements of a first metallic article would be coupled to the p-type regions on the rear surface of the cell, while the electroformed elements of a second metallic article would be coupled to the n-type regions. For example, the metallic articles could be configured with linear fingers, as in <FIG>, and the fingers of the first metallic article would be interdigitated with the fingers of the second metallic article.

After an attachment mechanism has been applied to the metallic article, the metallic article is coupled to the cell or semiconductor device surface in step <NUM>. The metallic article is brought into contact with the surface of the solar cell. If the grid article has been tipped with fire-through silver paste, the assembly is heated to the fire-through temperature of the paste, such as to temperatures of at least <NUM>, or at least <NUM>. The grid may be held mechanically stable during firing by the use of rollers or clamps. Once the fire-through paste is set, neighboring solar cells in a module may be interconnected. For solder-tipped grids, the grid is similarly coupled to the solar cell and heated to temperatures required for the particular solder typically ranging between <NUM> and <NUM>. A thermal and/or pressure process in atmosphere or vacuum may be used to reflow the solder and form the contacts between the metallic article and the solar cell.

The independent grid or metallic article, after being plated with the desired barrier layers, can be attached to a solar cell prior to anti-reflective coating layer deposition. In a standard cell, the grid can be contacted to the emitter surface (e.g., doped silicon) and heated to create a nickel silicide chemical bond. The ARC, such as a nitride, can then be deposited after grid attachment, in optional step <NUM>. A bus bar of the grid can then be connected to another cell in the module. This example of attaching the grid before the ARC layer eliminates the need for any silver fire-through usage. In addition, this example may be applied to silicon heterojunction solar cells. For instance, the free-standing metallic article, such as a grid, can be coupled to the surface of the heterojunction cell amorphous silicon layer. It can then be heated to create a nickel silicide bond, and the ITO layer can be deposited on the grid afterwards.

After the completed photovoltaic cell has been formed in step <NUM>, the multiple cells that form a solar module may be interconnected in step <NUM>. The bus bars or tabs that have been electroformed as part of the metallic article may be utilized for these interconnections.

It can be seen that the free-standing electroformed metallic article described herein is applicable to various cell types and may be inserted at different points within the manufacturing sequence of a solar cell. Furthermore, the electroformed electrical conduits is utilized on the front surface of a solar cell. In an example not being part of the present invention, when electroformed articles are used on both front and back surfaces, they may be applied simultaneously to avoid any thermal expansion mismatch which may cause mechanical bending of the cells.

<FIG> illustrate a schematic of an exemplary photovoltaic cell <NUM> produced with a free-standing metallic article <NUM>. Metallic article <NUM> in this example includes electroformed elements <NUM> and a frame element <NUM> that spans an edge near the perimeter of the electroformed elements <NUM>. Electroformed elements <NUM> are shown as parallel lines that intersect perpendicularly to form a continuous grid pattern, but they may be configured with lines intersecting at other angles, or as one set of parallel lines, or as other patterns. The tips of electroformed elements <NUM> have an attachment material <NUM>, such as solder or fire-through silver paste, applied to them. The attachment material <NUM> electrically couples the metallic article <NUM> to a photovoltaic component <NUM>, where the photovoltaic component <NUM> may include light incident layer <NUM> (e.g., ARC and/or TCO), active region <NUM> (emitter and base), and rear contact layer <NUM>. <FIG> shows a photovoltaic cell <NUM> in which layer <NUM> is an ARC, in which the attachment material <NUM> is a silver paste that has been fired through the ARC. In <FIG>, an encapsulant (not shown) may be applied over metallic article <NUM> to seal the completed photovoltaic cell <NUM>, with interconnection with other cells being made with the frame element <NUM>. A second metallic article <NUM> may be similarly coupled to rear contact layer <NUM>, which is a non-incident light surface, to provide an electrical contact of opposite polarity for the photovoltaic cell <NUM>.

<FIG> show simplified schematics of an exemplary back-contact solar cell <NUM> produced with free-standing metallic articles. In the cross-sectional view of <FIG>, solar cell <NUM> includes transparent layer <NUM> (e.g., an ARC), semiconductor substrate <NUM>, doped regions <NUM> and <NUM>, and passivating layer <NUM>. Two free-standing metallic articles <NUM> and <NUM> have electroformed elements that are positioned in an alternating fashion. The electroformed elements of metallic articles <NUM> and <NUM> provide electrical contact with doped regions <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, through the holes <NUM> in passivating layer <NUM>. <FIG> shows a top view of metallic articles <NUM> and <NUM> used in solar cell <NUM>. Metallic article <NUM> has fingers <NUM> that are interdigitated with fingers <NUM> of metallic article <NUM>. Frame elements <NUM> of metallic article <NUM> and frame element <NUM> of metallic article <NUM> serve as an electrical connection point for each metallic article, and also provide mechanical stability.

<FIG> illustrate yet another example in which the shading impact of solder applied between the metallic article and solar cell can be reduced. <FIG> shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a standard solder joint <NUM> that may result from soldering a metal element <NUM>, having a rectilinear cross-section, to a solar cell <NUM>. Because solder naturally forms a wetting angle between the surfaces that it is joining, the solder has a footprint with a width 'F1'. The width of this footprint will block light from entering the solar cell <NUM>, and thus causes shading. In <FIG>, the cross-sectional shape of electroformed element <NUM> has been altered compared to electroformed element <NUM>, in that electroformed element <NUM> has chamfered corners <NUM> on its lower surface. The chamfering changes the wetting angle of the solder joint <NUM>, such that the footprint width 'F2' is less than 'F1'. Thus, the tailored shape of electroformed element <NUM> reduces shading. The ability to customize the cross-sectional shape of electroformed element <NUM> is made possible by the use of an electroforming mandrel, as described above. Features such as chamfering, filleting, dimples, nubs, and the like may be formed in the mandrel to impart these features to the electroformed part that is to be produced.

<FIG> show top views of reducing the shading impact from solder applied to a metallic article. <FIG> shows a conventional solder joint <NUM> applied to two obliquely intersecting linear segments <NUM>. The total footprint of the solder joint <NUM> has a width 'F3'. <FIG> shows electroformed elements <NUM> where concave cut-out features <NUM> have been incorporated into the corners where the electroformed elements <NUM> intersect, through features of the mandrel in which the elements <NUM> have been formed. The concave features <NUM> changes the wetting angle of the solder <NUM>, such that the footprint width 'F4' is reduced compared to 'F3'. Shapes other than the concave features shown here are possible. Thus, the ability to tailor the shape of the electroformed elements, by incorporating features into a forming mandrel, can reduce the shading impact of the solder that is used to couple the electroformed elements to a photovoltaic surface.

In <FIG>, a portion of the mandrel in which the metallic article is formed may become part of a final semiconductor device. <FIG> shows a cross-sectional view of a mandrel <NUM> similar to previously described mandrel <NUM> of <FIG>, having a metal base <NUM> and a dielectric layer <NUM> with patterns for forming electroformed elements <NUM>. Electroformed elements <NUM> have been formed in dielectric layer <NUM> during the electroforming process. In addition, the plating thickness may also exceed the height of the mandrel patterns to form overplated heads <NUM>. In other examples, no overplating is performed, as in electroformed elements <NUM>. When removing the metallic article comprising electroformed elements <NUM> from the mandrel <NUM>, dielectric layer <NUM> may be peeled off, along with the electroformed elements <NUM>, from mandrel metal base <NUM> as indicated by arrow <NUM>. The heads <NUM> may help secure the electroformed elements <NUM> to the dielectric layer <NUM>.

In <FIG> the separated metallic article <NUM>, which is a combination of electroformed elements <NUM> and is surrounded by the dielectric layer <NUM>, may then be coupled to a semiconductor surface to form, for example, a photovoltaic cell. An example of a solar cell <NUM> is depicted in the simplified schematic of <FIG>. Solar cell <NUM> includes a semiconductor assembly <NUM>. Metallic article <NUM> is coupled to semiconductor assembly <NUM>, and is overlaid by an encapsulant <NUM> and a window layer <NUM> such as an anti-reflective coating. Encapsulant <NUM> may be, for example, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) or polyvinyl buytral (PVB). The dielectric layer <NUM> of <FIG> can be chosen to be suitable for the appropriate semiconductor application. For a photovoltaic cell, the target characteristics of the transferable dielectric will depend on the reliability specifications of the intended solar module. Because the dielectric will be incorporated into the module, it must have a durability to withstand the lifetime of a solar module. The dielectric must also be transparent to allow light to be transmitted to the solar cell, and should also be resistant to copper diffusion into the cell. One type of suitable dielectric is, for example solder resistant dielectrics that are known in the electronic packaging industry.

The metallic article described herein may be combined with a polymer sheet to form a polymer layer. <FIG> shows such a method, in which a metallic article having electroformed elements <NUM> has been formed with a mandrel <NUM>. Electroformed elements <NUM> may be configured, for example, as a set of parallel lines, or sets of intersecting lines forming a grid. The electroformed elements <NUM> have been overplated to form a rounded head <NUM> at their top surface, as has been described above in relation to electroformed element <NUM> of <FIG>. A polymer sheet <NUM> is placed over the surface of the mandrel and is used to remove the electroformed elements <NUM> from the mandrel <NUM>. <FIG> shows a state in which the polymer sheet <NUM> and electroformed elements <NUM> have been lifted from the mandrel <NUM>. The polymer sheet <NUM> is contacted to the mandrel such that the heads <NUM> of electroformed elements <NUM> are at least partially embedded into the polymer sheet <NUM>. The heads <NUM> enable the polymer sheet <NUM> to grip the electroformed elements <NUM> because of the larger surface area, and the heads <NUM> also may serve as anchor points. Note that although the heads <NUM> are embodied with curved surfaces, other shapes are possible. In addition, for some metallic articles and mandrels, overplating may not be needed. The polymer sheet <NUM> with the embedded heads <NUM> of electroformed elements <NUM> is lifted from the mandrel <NUM>, which pulls the heads <NUM> upward, which in turn lifts the electroformed elements <NUM> of the metallic article off the mandrel <NUM>. The bottom of the electroformed elements <NUM> remains exposed from the polymer sheet <NUM>, hanging from these anchor points, which allows them to be subsequently coated or plated as needed.

The polymer sheet <NUM> may be made of, for example, EVA, TPO or PVB. Polymer sheet <NUM> may optionally be structured as a substrate layer <NUM> covered by an adhesive layer <NUM>. The adhesive layer <NUM> faces the mandrel, to engage the electroformed elements <NUM>. The substrate layer <NUM> may be, for example, polyethyelene, polyester or polyester films (e.g., Mylar®) and the adhesive layer <NUM> may be, for example, EVA or TPO. If the polymer sheet <NUM> includes an adhesive, mandrel <NUM> may include an optional release layer <NUM> to allow the polymer sheet <NUM> to be easily peeled from the mandrel <NUM>. Release layer <NUM> may be, for example, a fluoropolymer, or other low-adhesion materials. The adhesive layer <NUM> is made with a thickness to enable the heads <NUM> to be at least partially embedded in it.

The polymer sheet <NUM> may be used primarily to remove the electroformed elements <NUM> from the mandrel, such as to serve as a transfer material. The polymer sheet <NUM> can then be separated from the electroformed elements <NUM>, resulting in a free-standing metallic article as has been described in previous examples. Using a polymer sheet to remove the metallic article from the electrically conductive mandrel can make the processing conducive to automation, which enables high throughputs. The polymer sheet can also provide support for the electroformed metallic article while the article undergoes additional manufacturing steps. For example, because the bottom surfaces of the electroformed elements <NUM> remain exposed after being extracted from mandrel <NUM>, the polymer sheet <NUM> may be used to hold the metallic article while the bottom surfaces are, for example, plated with barrier layers or applied with solder or fire-through paste. The polymer sheet <NUM> may also provide additional mechanical support to preserve the dimensions of the grid during handling.

The polymer sheet may become a component in a final semiconductor device in which the metallic article is to be placed. <FIG> show a polymer layer <NUM> placed on a semiconductor component <NUM> to form a photovoltaic cell <NUM>. The polymer layer <NUM> serves as an electrical conduit for the rear surface of the photovoltaic cell <NUM>. However, the process described for <FIG> may also be utilized for the polymer layer <NUM> serving as a front contact, or both front and rear. Polymer layer <NUM> includes polymer sheet <NUM> and electroformed elements <NUM>, which are similar to polymer sheet <NUM> and electroformed elements <NUM> of <FIG>. The semiconductor component <NUM> may be, for example, a solar cell with layers such as an active region, rear contact, and TCO layers. The polymer layer <NUM> may have a reactive metal layer (not shown) applied to the exposed surface of electroformed elements <NUM>, or the reactive metal layer may be applied to the surface of semiconductor component <NUM> that is receiving the electroformed elements <NUM>. The polymer layer <NUM> is mechanically and electrically coupled to the cell <NUM> using heat and pressure. The applied heat and pressure pushes the grid into the polymer material <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The electroformed elements <NUM> create mechanical anchor points in the polymer <NUM> and provide solid stabilization of the electroformed elements <NUM> within polymer layer <NUM>. The polymer material <NUM> is chosen to have the necessary characteristics of a solar encapsulant material, such as transparency, durability, wettability and corrosion resistance, among other constraints which may be necessary depending on the cell type. The material for polymer sheet <NUM> may be, for example, EVA, TPO, PVB and ionomer.

<FIG> is an exemplary flow chart <NUM> for using a polymeric substrate in combination with an electroformed metallic article, such as a grid or mesh. In step <NUM>, a metallic article is fabricated by an electroforming process using an electrically conductive mandrel with preformed patterns. The metallic article is contacted with a polymer sheet in step <NUM>, where a portion of the metallic article is embedded within the polymer sheet. In step <NUM> the polymer sheet and electroformed elements are lifted or peeled from the mandrel to separate the polymer layer from the mandrel, where the polymer layer is a composite of the polymer sheet and the electroformed grid partially contained in it. In optional step <NUM>, additional plating or other processes can be performed on the exposed portions of the electroformed elements. For example, step <NUM> may include plating nickel or another barrier material on the exposed portions of the grid, if nickel was not layered during the electroforming process. Step <NUM> may also include cleaning steps, such as to remove oxides to prepare the grid for soldering.

If the polymer sheet is used primarily as a transfer material, the polymer sheet may be detached from the metallic article in step <NUM>. The metallic article can then be processed into a photovoltaic cell or other semiconductor device in step <NUM>, which may include performing steps <NUM> to <NUM> of <FIG>. Where the polymer sheet is to be incorporated into the finished device, in step <NUM> an attachment mechanism may be applied to either the grid or the semiconductor device, as has been described in step <NUM> of <FIG>. The polymer layer is then coupled to the semiconductor device, such as by bonding using heat and pressure, in step <NUM>. This bonding process results in the polymer material encapsulating the electroformed grid, and also electrically couples any solder or fire-through paste between the grid and the solar cell. The bonding process may include subjecting the cell and polymer layer to a lamination process with vacuum, elevated temperature and pressure. Under the lamination conditions, solder reflows and forms an electrical contact between the cell and polymer-supported metal grid, while the polymer bonds to the cell surface and makes a robust mechanical contact. The photovoltaic cell may then be completed in step <NUM> by performing any finishing steps, such as applying an anti-reflective layer and forming interconnections with other cells in a solar module. The process of flow chart <NUM> is applicable for both front and backside connections, as well as to various types of solar cells including standard, non-standard TCO-coated, and back-contact (e.g., interdigitated back contact) cells.

In an example not being part of the present invention, the metallic article disclosed herein may be used as a mask for a conductive layer on a semiconductor surface, wherein the metallic article is consequently self-aligned with the pattern produced on the conductive layer. <FIG> shows a perspective view of portion of a semiconductor device <NUM>, which includes layers for a solar cell. The semiconductor device <NUM> has a conductive metal layer <NUM> placed on its top surface. Conductive metal layer <NUM>, which may also be referred to in the industry as a contact layer, may substantially cover the full surface of semiconductor device <NUM>. The surface that is covered by conductive metal layer <NUM> may be a light incident top surface of a solar cell. Conductive metal layer <NUM> may be, for example a thin film of metal deposited onto a standard solar cell processed just prior to ARC layer deposition or through completion of a fired-through metal layer. Conductive layer <NUM> may alternatively be a TCO layer. The conductive layer <NUM> may be a thin layer of titanium with nickel deposited over it. The conductive metal layer <NUM> is chosen to make good ohmic contact to the semiconductor device <NUM>, and provide excellent adhesion to the semiconductor device <NUM> and to the metal grid that shall be subsequently attached. Conductive metal layer <NUM> may be, for example, titanium, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, or combinations thereof, and may be provided on the semiconductor device using any method known in the art, including deposition methods such as physical vapor deposition or electroplating. The thickness of conductive metal layer <NUM> can be only as thick as necessary to provide a uniform film that can maintain the required electrical and mechanical properties.

A metallic article, embodied as grid <NUM> in <FIG>, can be mechanically and electrically coupled to the assembly comprising the semiconductor device <NUM> and conductive metal layer <NUM>. This coupling (not shown) can be adhesion through the use of a solder paste, electrically conductive adhesive, or conventional solder such that the metal grid <NUM> has good electrical and mechanical contact to the conductive metal layer <NUM>. The solder, solder paste, or adhesive may be applied to the grid <NUM>, such as to the bottom surface of grid <NUM>. This grid <NUM> is designed such that it is highly conductive, yet provides a relatively low amount of shading over the cell. Grid <NUM>, for example, may have lines with a tall height to provide sufficient conductivity but a narrow width to minimize shading.

The metallic article attached to the conductive metal layer <NUM> can be used as a mask to pattern the conductive metal layer <NUM>, so that the bulk of the solar cell area can be cleared for light absorption. For example, as shown, a masked region <NUM> is formed directly beneath the grid <NUM>, while an exposed portion <NUM> comprises the remaining portions of conductive metal layer <NUM>, where the grid <NUM> is absent. The exposed portion <NUM> can be removed such that conductive metal layer <NUM> becomes patterned into the shape of the grid <NUM>. The conductive metal layer <NUM> can be patterned by, for example, removing exposed portion <NUM> with a wet chemical etch process, a dry etch process such as reactive ion etching, or by a physical etch process such as, but not limited to, ion milling. The etching process may remove all or a portion of the exposed region <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the assembly after etching, such that only the masked region <NUM> remains on the surface of semiconductor device <NUM>. The masked region <NUM> has a substantially similar pattern as grid <NUM>, and is coincident with grid <NUM>. Thus, the metal grid <NUM> provides a chemically resistant mask in the case of wet or reactive ion etching, and a mechanical mask in the case of physical etching, allowing for the coupling and alignment of a separate metallic article to the semiconductor assembly. In <FIG>, the semiconductor device <NUM> is a standard cell, and the grid <NUM> has been coupled to silicon instead of a TCO. After etching, a nitride layer <NUM> has been deposited onto the areas that were previously occupied by the exposed portions of conductive metal layer <NUM>, to form an ARC layer for the photovoltaic cell. While not shown, metal grid <NUM> may also be coated.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary flow chart <NUM> for using a metallic article as a mask. In step <NUM>, a conductive metal layer is provided on a surface of a semiconductor material. In step <NUM>, a metallic article is electrically and mechanically coupled to the conductive metal layer. The metallic article may be electroformed in an electrically conductive mandrel having preformed patterns, as has been described above and shown, for example, in <FIG>. The portions of the surface of the semiconductor material that are covered by the metallic article are masked regions, and the uncovered portions are exposed regions. In step <NUM>, the exposed regions are partially or fully removed by, for example, one of various etching processes as has been described in relation to <FIG>. The resulting assembly, with the conductive metal layer that is patterned and self-aligned with the metallic article, can now be processed further for fabrication into a finished semiconductor device assembly such as a solar cell. By using the grid as a mask, the total number of process steps is greatly reduced compared to conventional masking techniques in which a separate masking and patterning process must be undertaken in order to pattern the contact layer. Furthermore, the need for alignment between the metal grid and the conductive lines is eliminated since the mask is self-aligned with the patterned conductive lines that are produced. The metallic grid also provides an added level of robustness compared to conventional fired-through silver contacts.

Thus, it can be seen that the use of an electroformed metallic article as described herein enables the preparation of a wide variety of different photovoltaic cells and solar cell modules. The electroformed metallic article may be inserted at different points within the manufacturing sequence. In addition, the metallic articles can be specifically designed in order to efficiently produce cells and modules with additional combinations of benefits and properties that are not readily possible currently. For example, since the metallic article can be a unitary piece spanning and crossing essentially the entire surface of the cell, improved durability results. In particular, should the solar cell develop a crack, such as during handling or module production, the metallic article enables the fractured cell to be held intact due to the grid-like nature of the metallic article, with minimal functional loss to the cell. In addition, the spanning of the metallic article across the cell surface reduces the impact of solder joint failures. Furthermore, since an electroformed metallic article can be produced with consistent and predictable thicknesses throughout, current is carried evenly across a cell. This even distribution of current dramatically reduces the development of hot spots on the cell surface, which is presently a primary cause of degradation and damage of solar cells.

By including specific design features into the metallic article, flexible modules can be prepared as exemplified in <FIG>. Such modules can be folded in a compact form and made easy to carry, such as in a backpack, to be unfolded and used later, such as in a more remote location. The flexible modules may be folded for storage, such as in a rooftop or awning installation.

For example, <FIG> shows a module <NUM> that is foldable along parallel lines. The module <NUM> includes thirty-two separate cells <NUM>, each comprising a metallic article <NUM> attached to a semiconductor substrate. The cells <NUM> are positioned on a backing substrate <NUM>, which may be made of known backing materials for photovoltaic modules, and may be rigid or flexible. Backing substrate <NUM> is segmented, such as by folding or scoring, to form fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. The cells <NUM> are electrically connected in series, in a serpentine order from the first cell 1910a to the fourth cell 1910b, to the fifth cell 1910c, to the eighth cell 1910d, and so on to the last cell 1910e. Electrical connections between cells <NUM> can be achieved using features of the metallic articles as described above, such as by using interconnection elements <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG>.

For interconnections between cells that lie across fold lines <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> in <FIG>, foldable interconnections <NUM> are provided. For example, the connection from cell 1910d to the next set of cells crosses fold line <NUM>. Thus, the metallic article for 1910d is designed with a foldable interconnection <NUM>, while the interconnection between cells 1910b and 1910c does not cross a fold line, and therefore does not have a foldable interconnection between them. The foldable interconnections <NUM> can be a solid piece of material, such as a sheet or strip of copper, with a thickness sufficient to allow it to be readily folded without cracking or breaking. Thus, foldable interconnection <NUM> serves as a living hinge. The foldable interconnection <NUM> may include openings <NUM> that provide additional flexibility. The foldable interconnection <NUM> may be, for example, an elongated version of the interconnections between non-folding cells. The foldable interconnections <NUM> can be integral components that are electroformed as part of the metallic articles. The foldable interconnections <NUM> can be elements that are formed separately from the metallic articles, such as by electroforming or stamping, and subsequently joined to the metallic articles of the required cells. By arranging cells <NUM> and foldable interconnections <NUM> on substrate <NUM> as shown, with interconnections <NUM> straddling fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, the resulting module <NUM> can be folded. In <FIG>, fold lines <NUM> and <NUM> are foldable as a mountain fold, while fold line <NUM> is foldable as a valley fold, as indicated by the curved arrows. Consequently, the module <NUM> is folded such that panels A, B, C, and D stack on top of each other.

<FIG> shows a flexible module <NUM> similar to <FIG>, but with a greater number of cells. Module <NUM> has fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> between panels A, B, C and D, with foldable interconnections <NUM> across the fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. Module <NUM> may be folded accordion-style similarly to module <NUM>, such as with fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> alternating between mountain folds and valley folds. Also shown in <FIG> are holes <NUM> which enable a pull cord such as a cable or guide wire to contract the module into a folded configuration. Holes <NUM> are positioned at the edges of the module <NUM>, and near the fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> to apply tension at the folding joints. Holes <NUM> may include reinforcements such as eyelets or grommets, to increase durability. A cable mounting system as described with folding module <NUM> may be used, for example, for opening and storage of an awning type of photovoltaic module.

Although the foldable interconnections in <FIG> and <FIG> are shown as approximately rectangular, other shapes are possible. Additionally, although the foldable interconnections in <FIG> and <FIG> are shown as centered along the edge of a cell and encompassing approximately most of the edge length, the foldable interconnections may extend along only a portion of an edge of a cell, or may be off-centered along the edge, such as at a corner. The specific configuration of the foldable interconnect may be designed to accommodate the fold geometry of a particular module.

<FIG> shows a flexible module <NUM> that has bi-directional folding capability. In addition to vertical fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, module <NUM> has a horizontal fold line <NUM> that extends through approximately the mid-line of the module <NUM>. Accordingly, foldable interconnections <NUM> are utilized between adjacent cells that lie across the fold line <NUM>. The module <NUM> may consequently be folded to a compact size in two directions, similar to a road map. For example, the module <NUM> may be folded in half along fold line <NUM>, and then accordion folded along fold lines <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, as indicated by the curved arrows.

<FIG> illustrates an alternative method of forming flexible modules that takes advantage of the mechanical support provided by the metallic article attached to the cell. For example, the semiconductor substrate <NUM> of solar cell <NUM> can be scored or otherwise cut into separate pieces along dashed line <NUM> while metallic article <NUM> is attached. As long as the grid of the metallic article <NUM> remains intact, the separate pieces of the semiconductor substrate <NUM> will remain attached to the cell <NUM>, and as a result, the cell <NUM> is capable of bending or flexing along the cut line <NUM>. Additional scoring and cut line formation would provide additional degrees of flexibility. For example, the semiconductor substrate can be scored into <NUM> to <NUM> sections. In this way, an individual cell with an attached metallic article as described herein can be made to be flexible, allowing it to fit along a curved or uneven surface as part of a module, particularly when combined with foldable interconnections such as is shown in <FIG>. Other additional benefits and properties will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art given the detailed description provided herein.

Although the examples herein have primarily been described with respect to photovoltaic applications, the methods and devices may also be applied to other semiconductor applications such as redistribution layers (RDL's) or flex circuits. Furthermore, the flow chart steps may be performed in alternate sequences, and may include additional steps not shown.

Claim 1:
An electrical component for a photovoltaic cell, the electrical component comprising:
a metallic article (<NUM>) comprising a plurality of electroformed elements that form a continuous grid pattern and a cell interconnection element (<NUM>) integrally electroformed with the continuous grid pattern, the continuous grid pattern having a plurality of first elements intersecting a plurality of second elements;
wherein the cell interconnection element (<NUM>) spans an edge of the continuous grid pattern, and comprises a plurality of segments, and a first end of the plurality of segments is coupled to the continuous grid pattern and an opposite end of the plurality of segments is coupled to a region (<NUM>) configured as a tab for being electrically connected to an electrical conduit of a neighboring cell;
wherein each electroformed element in the continuous grid pattern has a height and a width, wherein the ratio of the height to the width is an aspect ratio, and wherein a majority of the electroformed elements have an aspect ratio greater than <NUM>;
wherein the electroformed elements are interconnected and integrally electroformed with each other such that the metallic article (<NUM>) is a unitary, free-standing piece, and wherein the electroformed elements are configured to serve as an electrical conduit for a light-incident surface of a photovoltaic cell, with the continuous grid in contact with the light-incident surface and the cell interconnection element (<NUM>) configured to extend beyond the light-incident surface.