Patent ID: 7868248

Claim:
A photovoltaic device comprising a plurality of interconnected photovoltaic cells, each cell comprising a first semiconductor layer underlying a second semiconductor layer and an insulation layer which overlays the second semiconductor layer, the first and second semiconductor layers being of different dopant polarity types and forming a photovoltaic junction, interconnections of the plurality of cells being made via a plurality of isolated connections, each said connection connecting a connection point in the first semiconductor layer in one cell to a connection point in the second semiconductor layer in an adjacent cell of the device, the insulation layer being formed over the plurality of interconnected photovoltaic cells such that the interconnections are made through the insulation layer by a layer of metal material formed over the insulation layer such that the metal material is isolated from the photovoltaic cells by the insulation layer and the metal material being divided into a plurality of metal contacts, each metal contact of the plurality of metal contacts providing at least one of said isolated connections, to connect the cells of the device in series, the metal contacts extending transversely relative to cell boundaries which separate the cells, each metal contact being interrupted at or adjacent every second cell boundary and adjacent metal contacts being interrupted at alternate cell boundaries, connection paths to the first semiconductor layer being formed by the metal material extending through first holes in the insulation layer and the second semiconductor layer to contact the connection points in the first semiconductor layer and connection paths to the second semiconductor layer being formed by the metal material extending through second holes in the insulation layer to contact the connection points in the second semiconductor layer of each cell, wherein the first holes are smaller than the second holes.