Patent ID: 7498508

Claim:
A solar cell apparatus comprising: a semiconductor wafer having: a front side surface and a metallized back side surface: a semiconductor p/n junction between said front side surface and said back side surface: at least one front side interruption extending along at least a portion of said front side surface and extending into said wafer to a depth sufficient to interrupt said semiconductor p/n junction to define a plurality of separate p/n junction sections within the wafer and to define separate front side surface portions associated with respective said separate p/n junction sections; and a back side interruption extending along a portion of said metallized back side surface and extending into said metallized back side surface, generally opposite said front side interruption, such that a semiconducting bulk contacting portion of said wafer separates said front side interruption from said back side interruption, to define a plurality of separate portions of said semiconductor wafer connected together only by said bulk contacting portion, said separate portions including metallized back side surface portions associated with respective said p/n junction sections and in electrical contact with respective said p/n junction sections.