Patent ID: 7755157

Claim:
A photovoltaic device comprising a crystalline semiconductor substrate of first conductive type including a first main surface and a second main surface provided on an opposite side of the first main surface, and a semiconductor layer of second conductive type provided on the first main surface, wherein, the crystalline semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor layer include a processed side interposed between the first main surface and the second main surface, the processed side surface including a thermally influenced laser processed region and a bent and cut processed region, wherein the thermally influenced laser processed region is disposed along a side surface of the second main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and extends from the second main surface toward the first main surface and terminates prior to intersecting the semiconductor layer of second conductive type, the laser processed region comprising a plurality of convex portions extending toward the first main surface on a boundary between the thermally influenced laser processed region and the cut processed region, and, the bent and cut processed region is disposed along a side surface proximate the first main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and a side surface of the semiconductor layer and includes a plurality of stress concentrated marks formed radially from the convex portions of the thermally influenced laser processed region.