New type structure of a-Si solar cell submodules fabricated by microscopic hole spacing technique

A laser patterning method is investigated as a fabrication technique for microscopic holes on a-Si solar cells. The optimum laser patterning conditions calculated from a three-dimensional thermal analysis were confirmed experimentally. It is shown that microscopic holes can be fabricated on an a-Si solar cell using this method without any significant damage to the photovoltaic performance around the holes. This technique was applied to two unique structures for a-Si solar cell submodules: a see-through integrated-type submodule, and a through-hole contact (THC) integrated-type submodule. The hole pattern of see-through submodules was optimized for the purpose of obtaining both high transmittance and light uniformity. The performance for THC submodules is estimated by numerical simulation based on a distributed equivalent circuit model. It is found that a 10% increase in the maximum output power can be expected using this structure.<>