Patent ID: 8735212

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a silicon solar cell, comprising: providing a carrier plate; applying a first contact pattern to the carrier plate, the first contact pattern comprising a set of first laminar contacts; applying plurality of preformed, integral, and individual silicon slices to the first contact pattern in a pick-and-place manner such that the silicon slices as preformed are picked up and placed on the first contact pattern, the silicon slices being preformed in that the silicon slices do not undergo any further processing thereof after placement on the first contact pattern, the silicon slices being integral in that each silicon slice is integrally complete prior to placement on the first contact pattern, the silicon slices being individual in that each silicon slice is not separated or cut into more than one silicon slice after placement on the first contact pattern, wherein each first laminar contact of the set of first laminar contacts is in direct physical spatial laminar contact with no more than two silicon slices; and, applying a second contact pattern to the plurality of silicon slices, wherein the second contact pattern comprises a set of second laminar contacts, and wherein each second laminar contact of the set of second laminar contacts is in direct physical spatial laminar contact with no more than two silicon slices.