Patent ID: 8362354

Claim:
A photovoltaic apparatus comprising: a substrate having an insulating surface; a first substrate electrode and a second substrate electrode formed on said insulating surface of said substrate and separated through a first groove; a first photoelectric conversion layer so formed as to cover said first substrate electrode and said second substrate electrode; a second photoelectric conversion layer formed on a surface of said first photoelectric conversion layer through a conductive intermediate layer; a second groove so formed as to cut at least said intermediate layer on a region of said first substrate electrode; an insulating member so formed as to cover at least a cut portion of said intermediate layer in said second groove and extend along an upper surface of said second photoelectric conversion layer; a third groove so formed as to pass through said first photoelectric conversion layer, said intermediate layer, said second photoelectric conversion layer and said insulating member on a region opposite to said first groove with respect to said second groove and expose a surface of said first substrate electrode; a back electrode so formed as to electrically connecting said first substrate electrode and said second photoelectric conversion layer on a side of said second substrate electrode through said third groove; and a fourth groove for electrically separating at least said back electrode into a first back electrode and a second back electrode corresponding to said first substrate electrode and said second substrate electrode respectively on a region opposite to said first groove with respect to said third groove, wherein said insulating member is so formed as to extend up to at least said region opposite to said first groove with respect to said third groove, said insulating member is so formed as to cover at least cut surfaces of said first photoelectric conversion layer, said intermediate layer and said second photoelectric conversion layer in said second groove, said second groove is so formed as to cut said first photoelectric conversion layer, said intermediate layer and said second photoelectric conversion layer; and said second groove is so formed as to expose a surface of said first substrate electrode.