Patent ID: 8822810

Claim:
An article comprising a combination of a first photovoltaic cell and an interconnection component wherein, said first photovoltaic cell comprises semiconductor material and has a top surface formed by a window electrode comprising a layer of transparent or translucent first conductive material, said interconnection component is flexible and further comprises a substrate having a sheetlike form such that said substrate has a thickness small in comparison to its length and width, said substrate comprises one or more polymeric layers and further has a downward facing bottom side and an upward facing top side, said interconnection component is further characterized as having a collection region and an interconnection structure, said collection region of said interconnection component is defined by a portion of said substrate which overlays said first photovoltaic cell such that the downward facing bottom side of said substrate portion faces said top surface of said first photovoltaic cell, said substrate portion defining said collection region is transparent or translucent, said collection region further comprises a second conductive material in the form of a coating, said coating overlaying a base material, said second conductive material not including any of said first conductive material forming said top surface of said first photovoltaic cell, said interconnection structure further comprises additional electrically conductive material extending from said downward facing bottom side to said upward facing top side of said substrate, said additional conductive material being in ohmic electrical communication with said second electrically conductive material, said portion of said substrate associated with said collection region overlays a preponderance of said top surface of said first photovoltaic cell such that a portion of said second electrically conductive material is between said substrate portion associated with said collection region and said top cell surface and is in direct physical contact with said top surface of said first photovoltaic cell formed by said window electrode.