Patent ID: 8148628

Claim:
A semiconductor solar cell receiver for use in a concentrating photovoltaic system comprising a support; a III-V compound semiconductor solar cell die mounted on the support, the solar cell die including a light-receiving surface; a connector mounted on the support away from the light-receiving surface, wherein the connector includes a first receiving section facing away from the light-receiving surface of the solar cell die and adapted for receiving a first electrical conductor to connect to adjacent receivers, the connector having inner and exterior surfaces, wherein the inner surfaces define an interior region of the connector; and a diode mounted on the support, wherein the diode is disposed outside of the interior region of the connector, is spaced away from the exterior surfaces of the connector and is spaced away from the light-receiving surface; the diode being connected in parallel with the solar cell die and normally being reverse biased during operation of the solar cell die while generating electrical current; the diode being forward biased and operative to provide a conductive path for bypassing the solar cell die when the solar cell die is shadowed or damaged; the connector and the solar cell die each being mounted on a same side of the support, a first substantially flat, planar conductive path in direct contact with a surface of the support, the first conductive path being directly connected to a first terminal of the bypass diode having a first polarity, and the first conductive path electrically coupling a first terminal of the III-V compound semiconductor multifunction solar cell die and the first terminal of the bypass diode to a first terminal for the connector; and a second substantially flat, planar conductive path in direct contact with the surface of the support, the second conductive path being directly connected to a second terminal of the bypass diode having a second polarity, and the second conductive path electrically coupling a second terminal of the III-V compound semiconductor multijunction solar cell die and the second terminal of the bypass diode to a second terminal for the connector.