Patent ID: 8168881

Claim:
A method for the manufacture of a photovoltaic module which includes at least two series-interconnected photovoltaic cells, said method comprising in order the steps of: providing a body of photovoltaic stock material, said stock material comprising an electrically resistive substrate, a bottom electrode layer comprised of a body of electrically conductive material supported on said substrate, a top electrode layer comprised of an electrically conductive material in a superposed relationship with said bottom electrode layer so that said bottom electrode layer is closer to said substrate than is said top electrode layer, and a photovoltaic body interposed between said bottom electrode layer and said top electrode layer; patterning the top electrode layer of said photovoltaic stock material by removing portions of the thickness thereof so as to define three electrically isolated segments of said top electrode layer, a first segment comprising a first cell top electrode which cooperates with underlying portions of the photovoltaic body and bottom electrode layer to define a first photovoltaic cell, a second segment defining a second cell top electrode which cooperates with underlying portions of the photovoltaic body and the bottom electrode layer to define a second photovoltaic cell, and the third segment overlying a connection zone of said module; scribing a first and a second isolation groove in said photovoltaic stock material, each isolation groove extending through the top electrode layer, the photovoltaic body, and the bottom electrode layer thereof to the substrate, said grooves being disposed so as to divide the connection zone into three segments which are electrically isolated from one another, each segment further including a portion of said bottom electrode layer, wherein said portion of the bottom electrode layer of the first segment is contiguous with, and in electrical communication with, the portion of the bottom electrode layer of the first photovoltaic cell and the said portion of the bottom electrode layer of the second segment is contiguous with, and in electrical communication with, the portion of the bottom electrode layer of the second photovoltaic cell; disposing a first current collecting grid structure upon the first cell top electrode of said first photovoltaic cell, said first current collecting grid structure also establishing electrical communication with the portion of the bottom electrode layer of the second segment of said connection zone; disposing a second current collecting grid structure upon the second cell top electrode of the second photovoltaic cell, said second grid structure also establishing electrical communication with the portion of the bottom electrode layer of the third segment of said connection zone; whereby there is established a series connected string comprised of said first and said second photovoltaic cells.