ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION

The invention described herein was made in the performance of official duties by an employee of the Department of the Navy and may be manufactured, used, licensed by or for the Government for any governmental purpose without payment of any royalties thereon.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to crystalline silicon solar cells, and more particularly to a method for improving the mechanical integrity of these solar cells.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Crystalline silicon solar cells currently represent one of the highest efficiency technologies commercially available for portable power requirements. These cells combine a high level of performance with a moderate cost, making them desirable for use in energy harvesting applications. However, a disadvantage of crystalline silicon solar cells is their susceptibility to damage from cracking due to transport or use in a field environment. While other cell technologies are more tolerant in terms of mechanical damage (e.g., amorphous silicon), they have much lower power conversion efficiencies thereby limiting their use for certain applications. Thus, improving the mechanical integrity of crystalline silicon solar cells is of significant commercial interest. However, effective mechanical integrity improvements need to be achieved with lightweight and cost-effective processes and apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for improving the mechanical integrity of crystalline silicon solar cells.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.

In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for improving mechanical integrity of a crystalline silicon solar cell having an exposed layer of n-type silicon. A solution of electrically-conductive nanowires in an inert liquid is sprayed onto the exposed layer. Spray step(s) are employed to form a grid pattern of the nanowires on the exposed layer after the inert liquid dries or evaporates.

