High voltage photovoltaic mini‐modules

This work describes the design, simulation, fabrication process, and characterization of high voltage photovoltaic mini-modules using silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers. The mini-modules are made of a number of small area photovoltaic cells (<1 mm2) monolithically connected in series. Isolation between cells is performed by means of anisotropic etching of the active layer of the SOI wafer. Measurements using standard sunlight (AM1·5 100 mW/cm2) confirm the viability of this technology to fabricate small area arrays showing open circuit voltages, Voc, between 620 mV and 660 mV and photocurrent densities up to 22·3 mA/cm2 for single cells of 0·225 mm2 area and 10 µm active film thickness. Series connection scales up Voc and the maximum power, Pm, from 625 mV and 21·2 µW, respectively, in a single cell to 103 V and 3·2 mW when 169 cells are connected in series in a 0·42 cm2 module total area. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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