Patent ID: 8067688

Claim:
A solar cell assembly comprising: a plurality of elongated solar cells, each elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells comprising: an elongated conductive core configured as a first electrode; a semiconductor junction disposed on said elongated conductive core; a transparent conductive oxide layer disposed on said semiconductor junction; and an elongated counter-electrode attached to and extending from the transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein each respective elongated solar cell in the plurality of elongated solar cells has a notch in the semiconductor junction and the transparent conductive oxide layer of the respective elongated solar cell, and wherein the counter-electrode of a first elongated solar cell in said plurality of elongated solar cells fits within a first notch in the semiconductor junction and the transparent conductive oxide layer of a second elongated solar cell, in said plurality of elongated solar cells, that is adjacent to the first elongated solar cell so that the counter-electrode of the first elongated solar cell is in electrical communication with an exposed portion of the conductive core of the second elongated solar cell; and an internal reflector that is configured between and in contact with the counter-electrode of the first elongated solar cell and the exposed portion of the conductive core of the second elongated solar cell, such that a portion of the solar light reflected from the internal reflector is reflected onto the first and second elongated solar cells; wherein a cross-sectional shape of the internal reflector is four-sided; and a side of said four-sided cross-sectional shape is linear.