Patent ID: 8878048

Claim:
A solar cell array comprising: a solar cell structure, comprising: a silicon carrier having a generally flat, planar shape and defining a front side and a back side, and being formed of an N-type material having an exposed portion on said front side of said carrier, and of a P-type material having an exposed portion on said front side of said carrier, said N-type material and said P-type material defining a P-N junction; and a solar cell defining a front side adapted to receive illumination and a back side opposite said front side, wherein said solar cell is connected to said front side of said silicon carrier so that said back side of said solar cell is mounted on said front side of said silicon carrier such that said front side of said silicon carrier extends along an entire back side of said solar cell and said silicon carrier supports said entire back side of said solar cell, and is thereby electrically coupled to said exposed portion of said N-type material, wherein said exposed portion of said P-type material on said front side of said silicon carrier includes a part that extends beyond said back side of said solar cell, and an electrical connector electrically coupling said front side of said solar cell to said front side of said silicon carrier along said exposed portion of said P-type material and to a back side of an adjacent solar cell of an adjacent solar cell structure, wherein said electrical connection is an all-front contact configuration where said electrical connection does not contact said back side of said silicon carrier.