CN108511550B

CN108511550B - Gripper and method

Info

Publication number: CN108511550B
Application number: CN201810581920.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: D·吉斯隆; L·德桑蒂; T·米切莱蒂; A·巴希尼; M·加拉西; R·博舍拉脱
Original assignee: Applied Materials Italia SRL
Current assignee: Applied Materials Italia SRL
Priority date: 2016-05-06
Filing date: 2016-05-06
Publication date: 2022-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2036-05-06
Also published as: CN107346758A; CN108511550A; CN107346756A

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a gripper (222) comprising two or more gripper elements (224), wherein the gripper is configured for simultaneously fixing and moving two or more solar cell pieces (11, 12).

Description

Gripper and method

The present application is a divisional application of the invention patent application having the filing date 2016, 5 and 6, and having the filing number "201680002161.1", entitled "apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements, system for manufacturing at least two tiled solar cells, and method for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements".

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements, a system for manufacturing at least two tiled solar cells, and a method for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus, system, and method for fabricating tiled solar cells.

Background

Solar cells are photovoltaic devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. The efficiency of a solar cell may be affected by the active area on the front surface of the solar cell, which is exposed to light to convert sunlight into electricity. Due to the presence of electrical contacts (such as fingers and/or busbars) on the front surface of the solar cell, the active area may be reduced. The presence of the electrical contacts on the front surface of the solar cells can thus reduce the module power of a solar cell module consisting of solar cells.

In view of the above, a new apparatus and method for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements, and a system for manufacturing at least two tiled solar cells, overcoming at least some of the problems in the art, would be beneficial. It is a particular object of the present disclosure to provide a solar cell arrangement with increased efficiency and easy production. Embodiments are more particularly directed to solar cell arrangements (e.g., of solar cell modules) that allow for increased module power.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, the present disclosure provides a gripper and a method. Further aspects, advantages and features of the present disclosure are apparent from the claims, the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a holder is provided. The gripper comprises two or more gripper elements. The holder is configured for simultaneously securing and moving two or more solar cells.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes simultaneously fixing and moving two or more first solar cell pieces using a gripper.

Embodiments are also directed to apparatuses for performing the disclosed methods and including apparatus components for performing the various described method aspects. These method aspects may be performed by means of hardware components, a computer programmed by suitable software, any combination of the two, or in any other manner. Furthermore, the implementation method according to the present disclosure also relates to a method for operating the described device. The method for operating the described apparatus comprises method aspects for performing each function of the apparatus.

Drawings

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to various embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments of the present disclosure and are described below:

fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to embodiments described herein;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a tiled solar cell fabricated using apparatus, systems, and methods according to embodiments described herein;

3A-3C show schematic views of a separation device according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 4A shows a schematic side view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to further embodiments described herein;

fig. 4B shows a schematic top view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to further embodiments described herein;

fig. 5 shows a schematic view of overlapping solar cell pieces on a support device according to embodiments described herein;

FIGS. 6A and 6B show schematic views of a positioning device according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 7A and 7B show schematic diagrams of a full square solar cell and a dummy (pseudo) square solar cell, respectively, according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 8A shows a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 8B shows a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to further embodiments described herein;

fig. 8C shows a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to further embodiments described herein;

fig. 9A shows a schematic view of a system for fabricating at least two tiled solar cells according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 9B shows a schematic view of a system for fabricating at least two tiled solar cells according to further embodiments described herein;

fig. 10 shows a flow diagram of a method for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 11 shows a schematic side view of an electrostatic support apparatus according to embodiments described herein;

FIG. 12 shows a schematic perspective view of an electrostatic support device according to further embodiments described herein;

fig. 13 shows a schematic view of a portion of an electrical arrangement for providing charge to the electrostatic support apparatus according to some embodiments described herein;

fig. 14A shows a schematic top view of a flexible plate of an electrostatic support apparatus according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 14B shows a schematic back view of a flexible sheet of an electrostatic support apparatus according to embodiments described herein;

fig. 15 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a layered structure of a flexible sheet of an electrostatic support apparatus according to embodiments described herein;

FIG. 16 shows a schematic view of an electrostatic support device having multiple control configurations according to embodiments described herein; and

fig. 17 shows a schematic view of an electrostatic support device having multiple control configurations according to some further embodiments described herein.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. In the following description of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like components. In general, only the differences with respect to the individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of illustration of the disclosure and is not intended as a limitation of the disclosure. Furthermore, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. The description is intended to embrace such modifications and variations.

The solar cell arrangement of the present disclosure may be a tiled solar cell, which may also be referred to as a "super cell" or "super cell". The solar cell arrangement may be used in a solar cell module. A solar cell arrangement may be made of a plurality of partially overlapping solar cell pieces (also referred to as "solar cell elements"). Adjacent solar cell pieces are electrically connected to each other in the overlapping region. The solar cell pieces are connected in series such that the current generated by the individual solar cell pieces flows along a series of solar cells to be collected (e.g. at an end portion of the solar cell arrangement). The overlapping configuration may provide an efficient solar cell arrangement. In particular, the solar cell arrangement allows for an increase in module power by increasing the area of use or active area. Typically, the overlap configuration may increase the module power by, for example, 20 to 40 watts. The use area or the active area may correspond to an area irradiated by sunlight and participating in power generation. For example, the use or active area may correspond to an area of the solar cell that is not covered by, for example, a pattern of wires, such as fingers and/or busbars.

In some cases, a solar cell piece of a solar cell arrangement may have a high resistance and/or a low efficiency when compared to other solar cell pieces of the solar cell arrangement. The overall performance of the module power, including (but not limited to) the solar cell arrangement and/or the solar cell module, may be largely influenced or determined by solar cell pieces having high electrical resistance and/or low efficiency. This low quality solar cell piece in particular acts as a "bottleneck" in the solar cell arrangement.

Embodiments of the present disclosure separate (e.g., cut) solar cells into smaller pieces that are then sorted and assigned to at least two different solar cell arrangements. For example, individual solar cell pieces may be assigned to respective solar cell arrangements based on one or more geometric and/or physical properties of the solar cell pieces. The solar cell arrangement may thus be made of solar cell elements having similar characteristics and/or quality, and the overall efficiency of the solar cell arrangement may be improved. The module power of a solar cell module with a solar cell arrangement can be increased, in particular because "bottlenecks" caused by low-quality solar cells can be avoided.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus 100 for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to embodiments described herein. The apparatus 100 may be part of a larger production line, as described for example with respect to fig. 8 and 9.

The apparatus 100 comprises: a separating device 110 configured for separating the solar cell 10 (this first solar cell) into two or more first solar cell pieces; and at least one positioning device 120 configured for positioning at least one solar cell piece 11 of the two or more first solar cell pieces on a support device 130 for forming a first solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements and for positioning at least one further or other first solar cell piece 12 of the two or more first solar cell pieces on a support device 130 for forming a second solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements. The solar cell device, such as the two or more first solar cell devices, may also be referred to as a "solar cell element" or a "(smaller) cell".

The device 100 divides the solar cell 10 into a plurality of solar cell pieces, wherein at least two solar cell pieces of the solar cell 10 are assigned to two different solar cell arrangements. For example, the solar cell arrangement may be a tiled solar cell, wherein solar cell pieces comprising one or more solar cells of said first solar cell may be assigned to the respective solar cell arrangement based on the characteristics and/or quality of the individual solar cells and/or solar cell pieces. The efficiency of the solar cell arrangement may be improved, in particular because "bottlenecks" in the solar cell arrangement caused by low-quality and/or high-resistance pieces may be avoided.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 100 further comprises a centering device, such as a mechanical centering device, configured to center or align the solar cell 10 to be divided into two or more solar cell pieces. For example, a centering device may be provided at the separation device 110 to center or align the solar cell 10 with respect to the separation device 110. In particular, the solar cell 10 may be centered or aligned prior to entering the solar cell into the separation device 110.

In some embodiments, a solar cell 10 divided into two or more solar cell pieces (such as two or more first pieces) may have one or more conductive patterns, such as fingers and/or busbars, provided thereon. In particular, the term "solar cell" may refer to a completed or nearly completed solar cell, rather than, for example, an untreated semiconductor substrate. The solar cell 10 may have a front side and a back side. The fingers and/or busbars may be deposited on the front side, for example, using a printing technique such as screen printing. Optionally, the solar cell 10 may have one or more backside contacts.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the at least one positioning device 120 is configured to arrange a plurality of solar cell pieces (such as a plurality of first solar cell arrangements) comprising at least one first solar cell piece 11 on the support device 130, wherein adjacent solar cell pieces partially overlap each other to form the first solar cell arrangement. The at least one positioning device 120 may be further configured to arrange a plurality of further solar cell pieces (such as a plurality of second solar cell arrangements) comprising at least one further first solar cell piece 12 on the support device 130, wherein adjacent solar cell pieces partially overlap each other to form the second solar cell arrangement. Thus, a super cell may be formed from smaller cells assembled into tiles. The overlapping configuration of the solar cell arrangement is further explained with respect to fig. 2.

According to some embodiments, the separating means 110 is configured for separating the second solar cell into two or more second solar cell pieces. The first solar cell and the second solar cell may be simultaneously or sequentially input to the separation device 110 and/or processed by the separation device 110. Specifically, the separation device 110 may be configured to separate the first solar cell and the second solar cell into two or more first solar cell pieces and two or more second solar cell pieces, respectively, simultaneously or sequentially. The positioning device 120 may be configured for positioning at least one second solar cell piece of the one or more second solar cell pieces on the support device 130 to form a first solar cell arrangement together with the at least one first solar cell piece 11, and may be configured for positioning at least one other second solar cell piece of the two or more second solar cell pieces on the support device 130 to form a second solar cell arrangement together with the at least one other first solar cell piece 12.

In particular, the plurality of solar cells may be divided into solar cell pieces, wherein each solar cell piece is assigned to a first solar cell arrangement or a second solar cell arrangement. The solar cell pieces of the first solar cell arrangement may particularly comprise at least one first solar cell piece 11 and at least one second solar cell piece, and may optionally further comprise one or more solar cell pieces of further solar cells, such as third, fourth and so on solar cells. For example, the solar cell pieces of the second solar cell arrangement may comprise at least one further first solar cell piece 12 and at least one further second solar cell piece, and may optionally further comprise, for example, one or more solar cell pieces of further solar cells, such as third, fourth, etc. solar cells.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 is configured to assign individual solar cell pieces (such as solar cell pieces of two or more first solar cell pieces) to a first solar cell arrangement or a second solar cell arrangement based on one or more properties (e.g., geometric and/or physical properties) of the respective solar cell pieces. For example, individual solar cell pieces of the plurality of solar cells may be assigned to a first solar cell arrangement or a second solar cell arrangement, e.g., based on one or more characteristics or properties of the respective solar cell piece. One or more characteristics or properties of the solar cell device may be selected from the group consisting of: geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, print quality, and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, at least two solar cell arrangements (such as a first solar cell arrangement and a second solar cell arrangement) may be arranged in parallel on the support device 130, e.g. along the transport direction provided by the support device 130. In particular, at least two solar cell arrangements (such as a first solar cell arrangement and a second solar cell arrangement) may be assembled simultaneously by dividing a plurality of solar cells into solar cell pieces and selectively assigning the solar cell pieces to the first solar cell arrangement and the second solar cell arrangement.

While the example of fig. 1 shows two solar cell arrangements on the support device 130 assembled in parallel, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not so limited and that any number of solar cell arrangements may be assembled in parallel. For example, the at least two solar cell arrangements may be two, three, four, five, or even six solar cell arrangements comprising a first solar cell arrangement and a second solar cell arrangement, which may be assembled in parallel. At least some of the solar cell arrangements may have different characteristics or qualities based on the properties of the solar cell pieces that have been assigned to the individual solar cell arrangements.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a solar cell arrangement, such as a tiled solar cell, can comprise two or more solar cell pieces.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a solar cell arrangement 20, which is a tiled solar cell or a super cell, and which may be fabricated using apparatus, systems, and methods according to embodiments described herein. The solar cell arrangement 20 may be used for a solar cell module, which is an encapsulated, connected assembly of a plurality of solar cells or a solar cell arrangement.

The tiled solar cell comprises a plurality of overlapping solar cell pieces, such as a plurality of first solar cell arrangements or a plurality of second solar cell arrangements as described with respect to fig. 1. For example, the tiled solar cell may comprise at least one first solar cell piece 11 of a first solar cell and at least one second solar cell piece 11' of a second solar cell. The at least one first solar cell piece 11 and the at least one second solar cell piece 11' overlap each other. However, the present disclosure is not so limited and some adjacent solar cell pieces of the tiled solar cell may be from the same solar cell, such as a first solar cell or a second solar cell. Adjacent solar cell pieces may overlap less than 20%, particularly less than 10%, and more particularly less than 5% of the total surface area, such as the front or back surface of the solar cell piece.

In some embodiments, each solar cell piece of the plurality of overlapping solar cell pieces of the solar cell arrangement 20 may have one or more conductive patterns provided thereon, such as fingers 14 and/or busbars 13. For example, a solar cell piece, such as the at least one first solar cell piece 11, may have a front side and a back side corresponding to the front side and the back side of the aforementioned solar cell, respectively. Optionally, the solar cell device may have one or more backside contacts. As exemplarily shown in fig. 2, the at least one first solar cell piece 11 may have a first backside contact 15 and the at least one second solar cell piece 11 'may have a second backside contact 15'.

Adjacent solar cell pieces are electrically connected to each other in the overlapping region. The solar cell pieces are thus connected in series such that the current generated by the individual solar cell pieces flows along a series of solar cell pieces to be collected, e.g. at an end portion (not shown) of the solar cell arrangement 20. The overlapping configuration may provide a solar cell arrangement with increased output power. For example, the busbars 13 provided on the at least one first solar cell piece 11 may be electrically connected to the second back side contacts 15 'of the at least one second solar cell piece 11'. As shown in the example of fig. 2, the separating device may be configured to separate solar cells adjacent to the busbars of the solar cells. In other words, each solar cell piece may have a busbar provided thereon, and in particular only one busbar, which may be located at an edge of the solar cell piece.

In some embodiments, an adhesive 17, such as a conductive adhesive, may be provided to connect to the solar cell pieces in the overlap region. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements comprises an adhesive application device configured to apply an adhesive 17 to the solar cell or a piece of solar cell thereof, such as two or more first pieces, before positioning the two or more first pieces of solar cell on the support device. The two solar cell pieces may be overlapped with an adhesive provided at one of the two solar cell pieces so that the two solar cell pieces may be electrically or mechanically connected to each other. For example, when the adhesive is applied to a solar cell or solar cell device, the adhesive may be substantially in liquid form.

According to some embodiments, the adhesive coating device may be configured to coat the adhesive 17 on at least a portion of the conductor pattern (such as a busbar) of the solar cell or solar cell piece thereof. In some embodiments, the adhesive is applied prior to separating the solar cell into two or more solar cell pieces. In other embodiments, the adhesive is applied to the plurality of solar cell pieces after the solar cell has been divided into two or more pieces.

According to some embodiments, the adhesive is selected from the group consisting of: solder, silver solder paste, silicone-based conductive adhesive, and epoxy-based conductive adhesive.

When several pieces have been stacked, for example, when assembling a solar cell arrangement, a drying process may be performed to dry the adhesive. In some embodiments, the drying process may include heating the overlapping region of two solar cells using, for example, a heater such as an infrared heater. The heater is further described with respect to fig. 5.

Fig. 3A to 3C show schematic views of a separation device 110 according to embodiments described herein. Fig. 3A and 3B show schematic side views, and fig. 3C shows a schematic top view.

The separation device 110 is configured to separate the solar cell 10 into two or more solar cell pieces. In particular, the separating means 110 can start with a (large) solar cell to produce a smaller cell (solar cell piece or solar cell element). According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the separating device 110 comprises or is a cutting device 111 configured to mechanically contact the solar cell 10 to separate the solar cell 10. In some embodiments, the cutting device 111 includes a movable body 112 and a contact element 114 fixed to the movable body 112. The cutting device 111 and the movable body 112 may be provided as separate entities or may be integrally formed from a single piece of material, such as a plastic material.

The contact elements 114 may be blades or elements with sharp tips configured to contact the solar cells 10 for cutting and separating the solar cells 10. According to some embodiments, the contact element 114 may be made of a plastic material. In some embodiments, the movable body 112 may be configured to move the contact element 114 towards the solar cell (e.g., in a rapid motion) to provide a sharp boundary at the solar cell 10. For example, a motor (e.g., an up-down motor such as a linear motor) of the separation device 110 may push the movable body 112 with the attached contact elements 114 against the solar cell 10 to cut the solar cell 10. According to some embodiments, the movable body 112 may move substantially vertically towards and away from the solar cell 10.

According to some embodiments, the separation device 110 comprises a fixing device 118 configured for fixing the solar cell 10 at a support arrangement (such as the first support element 116 of the support arrangement) during the separation process. By using the fixing means 118 to fix the solar cells to the support arrangement, a reliable separation process may be provided. The fixing means 118 may comprise or be a fixing element configured to mechanically contact the solar cell 10, such as the front side or the back side of the solar cell 10, for fixing the solar cell 10 down at the support arrangement.

In some embodiments, the apparatus of the present disclosure, and in particular the separation device 110, includes a support arrangement having a first support element 116 and an optional second support element 117. The first support element 116 may be configured such that the solar cell 10 protrudes beyond the edge of the first support element 116 during the separation process. For example, the cutting device 111 may be configured to contact the solar cell 10 at a position away from the edge of the first support element 116 to disconnect the solar cell piece from the solar cell 10, as exemplarily shown in fig. 3B.

Solar cell pieces that have been separated from the solar cell 10 may be collected or stored (cache) by a second support element 117, which second support element 117 may be offset with respect to the first support element 116, e.g. in a vertical direction. For example, when the solar cell piece has been separated from the solar cell 10, the solar cell piece may fall onto the second support member 117.

In some embodiments, the first support element 116 and/or the second support element 117 may be a belt conveyor configured for conveying the solar cells 10 and/or the solar cell pieces, as shown in the top view of fig. 3C. The first support element 116 and/or the second support element 117 may each have two or more bands spaced apart from each other. In particular, a gap may be provided between two or more strips. In some embodiments, an inspection system may be provided, for example, below the first support element 116 and/or the second support element 117 to determine, for example, the position of the solar cell 10 and/or the solar cell piece on the first support element 116 and/or the second support element 117. The gap between the two or more strips ensures that the inspection system and in particular its camera can see the solar cell 10 or solar cell piece located on the first support element 116 and/or the second support element 117.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the separation device 110 comprises at least one solar cell perforation device. For example, the at least one solar cell perforation device comprises or is a laser. For example, the at least one solar cell perforation device may be configured to perforate the solar cell 10 before the solar cell 10 is separated into two or more solar cell pieces by the cutting device 111.

The at least one solar cell perforation device may be configured to create one or more predetermined breaking points or lines on the solar cell 10 such that the solar cell 10 may be easily broken into two or more solar cell pieces. For example, the at least one solar cell perforation device may be configured to provide a plurality of predetermined breaking points along substantially straight lines on the solar cell, the predetermined breaking points defining a separation line between two adjacent solar cell pieces. In another example, the at least one solar cell perforation device may be configured to provide a continuous predetermined breaking line on the solar cell 10, the breaking line defining a separation line between two adjacent solar cell pieces. Perforating the solar cell 10 prior to the cutting action can provide a straight and sharp edge where the solar cell pieces break away from the solar cell 10. Specifically, for super cell production, the solar cell 10 may be laser machined in advance to cut the solar cell 10 into smaller cells in a controlled manner.

Fig. 4A shows a schematic side view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to further embodiments described herein. Fig. 4B shows a schematic top view of the device. Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of overlapping solar cells on a support device 130 according to embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus comprises a transportation device 150 configured for transporting a solar cell piece of the plurality of solar cells, such as two or more first solar cell pieces of the first solar cells. The transport device 150 may comprise or be a belt conveyor having a roller 154 rotatable about a first axis of rotation 156 and one or more first belts 152 provided on the roller 154. In some embodiments, the transport device 150 may have two or more belts arranged in parallel and provide a gap between the two or more belts.

In some embodiments, the first and/or second support elements of the support arrangement of the separation device described with respect to fig. 3A-3C may be provided by the transport device 150 and in particular by one or more first belts 152. The separating apparatus is not shown in fig. 4A and 4B.

According to some embodiments, the support device 130 of the apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to embodiments described herein may comprise or be a belt conveyor. The support device 130 (e.g., a belt conveyor) is configured to support, secure and transport at least two solar cell arrangements, such as a first solar cell arrangement and a second solar cell arrangement. In particular, the support arrangement 130 may be configured for transporting the at least two solar cell arrangements in a transport direction 4, which may be a substantially horizontal direction (e.g. see fig. 5).

The belt conveyor constituting the support device 130 may include a roller 136 rotatable about a second rotation axis 134 and one or more second belts 132 provided on the roller 136. In some embodiments, the support device 130 may have two or more straps arranged in parallel and provide a gap between the two or more straps. For example, each ribbon of the two or more ribbons may be configured to support (only) one solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements (e.g., see fig. 8A). In other embodiments, the support device 130 has a single strip on which at least two solar cell arrangements can be assembled in parallel (e.g., see fig. 8B).

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the support device 130 comprises or is at least one of an electrostatic chuck and a vacuum chuck. An electrostatic chuck that may be used as a support device is further described with respect to fig. 11-17. The vacuum chuck may comprise a support surface configured to support at least two solar cell arrangements, wherein the support surface may have at least one of a hole and a recess connected to a suction device, such as a vacuum pump, to generate a negative pressure in the hole and/or recess to fix the solar cell arrangement at the support surface.

The at least one positioning device 120 is configured for moving or transporting solar cell pieces of solar cells from, for example, the transport device 150 to the support device 130 (denoted as reference numeral 3). For example, the positioning device 120 may sequentially grip or pick up the solar cell pieces from the transportation device 150, move the solar cell pieces to the transportation device 130, optionally align the solar cell pieces, and release the solar cell pieces in a predetermined position. In particular, the positioning device 120 may be configured to arrange the solar cell pieces in an overlapping manner to form a first solar cell arrangement and a second solar cell arrangement. Although at least two solar cell arrangements are assembled on the support device 130, and in particular the one or more first belts with (partially) assembled solar cell arrangements positioned thereon, may be continuously moved in the transport direction 4. A continuous manufacturing process can be provided.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus comprises a controller 140 configured to control the at least one positioning device 120. In particular, the controller 140 may control the movement of the positioning device 120 to move solar cell pieces to assemble the solar cell arrangement to which the solar cell pieces have been assigned. For example, the controller 140 may control the at least one positioning device 120 to move the piece of solar cell to the first solar cell arrangement or the second solar arrangement based on one or more properties (e.g., geometric and/or physical properties) of the piece, such as geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, print quality, and any combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the at least one positioning device 120 comprises a holder 122 configured to hold and fix a piece of solar cell, such as two or more first pieces of a first solar cell. The gripper 122 may be selected from the group consisting of: vacuum grippers, mechanical grippers, electrostatic grippers, motorized grippers, and any combination thereof. Embodiments of the holder 122 are further described with respect to fig. 6A and 6B.

In some embodiments, the positioning device 120 is movable in at least one of a first direction 1 and a second direction 2. The first direction 1 may be a substantially horizontal direction. The second direction 2 may be a substantially vertical direction. The positioning device 120 may be moved in at least one of the first direction 1 and the second direction 2 sequentially or simultaneously. By moving in the first direction 1 and the second direction 2, the solar cell pieces fixed by the positioning device 120 may be moved to the support device 130 for assembling a solar cell arrangement, such as a first solar cell arrangement and/or a second solar cell arrangement.

For example, the positioning device 120 may be moved in the second direction 2, e.g., upward, to pick up solar cell pieces from the transportation device 150. The positioning device 120 may then be moved in the first direction 1, e.g. forward, to move the solar cell piece from the transportation device 150 to the support device 130. The positioning device 120 may be moved in the second direction 2, e.g., downward, to place the solar cell piece on the support device 130. The positioning device 120 may then be moved in the second direction 2 and the first direction 1, e.g., back to the transport device 150 to pick up another solar cell piece from the transport device 150. It is to be understood that the movement in the first direction 1 may be a movement in a forward direction and a backward direction. Also, the movement in the second direction 2 may be a movement in an upward direction and a movement in a downward direction.

The term "vertical direction" is to be understood as being distinguished from "horizontal direction". That is, "vertical direction" relates to substantially vertical movement, wherein deviations of a few degrees from exactly vertical direction, e.g. up to 5 ° or even up to 10 °, are still considered as "substantially vertical direction". The vertical direction may be substantially parallel to gravity.

In some embodiments, the apparatus, in particular the positioning device 120, may be configured for aligning the solar cell piece held by the positioning device 120 before placing the solar cell piece on the support device 130. The apparatus may use information acquired by an inspection system, which may include, for example, a camera configured to detect a position and/or orientation of a solar cell piece (e.g., secured by the positioning device 120).

In some embodiments, the transport device 120 is a movable plane, such as a substantially horizontal plane. This movement may also be referred to as "Θ movement. For example, the positioning device 120 may be configured to adjust or align the angular orientation of the solar cell piece that is held by the positioning device 120 in the plane. The angular orientation of the solar cell piece may be aligned, for example, with respect to the support device 130 and/or another solar cell piece on the support device 130 with which the solar cell piece secured by the positioning device 120 will overlap. The solar cell arrangement can be accurately assembled, wherein the quality of the solar cell arrangement can be improved. In some embodiments, the positioning device 120 may be configured to rotate the solar cell piece about a substantially vertical axis of rotation by about 180 °. Specifically, the edge pieces of the pseudo-square solar cell described with respect to fig. 7B may be brought into a similar orientation. For example, one edge piece (e.g., a front or leading edge piece) of a pseudo-square solar cell is not rotated by about 180 ° and the other edge piece (e.g., a rear or trailing edge piece) of the pseudo-square solar cell is rotated by about 180 ° such that the geometric orientations of the edge pieces are the same or aligned.

According to some embodiments, the positioning device 120 is tiltable, e.g. tilted with respect to the first direction 1 and/or the horizontal plane. For example, the positioning device 120 may tilt the solar cell piece held by the positioning device 120 to align the orientation of the solar cell piece with respect to another solar cell piece on the support device 130 with which the solar cell piece held by the positioning device 120 will overlap. In particular, the back side or back side plane of the solar cell piece held by the positioning device 120 may be oriented substantially parallel to the front side or front side plane of the other solar cell pieces on the support device 130. In some embodiments, the positioning device 120 is configured to align a back side contact of a solar cell piece relative to a front side contact (such as a busbar) of another solar cell piece on the support device 130, such that electrical contact between the back side contact and the front side contact can be established, for example, using an adhesive provided therebetween.

As shown in fig. 5, several solar cell pieces may be positioned on the support device 130 in an overlapping manner to form a solar cell arrangement, which may be a tiled solar cell. At least some of the pieces are derived from at least two different solar cells. In particular, solar cell pieces may be classified and independently assigned to respective solar cell arrangements, e.g. assigned based on one or more properties, such as geometrical and/or physical properties, of the respective solar cell pieces.

In some embodiments, the support device 130 is a belt conveyor having one or more second belts 132. The movement of the belt conveyor (and in particular the one or more second belts 132) and the movement of the at least one positioning device 120 may be synchronized with each other, for example during assembly of the at least two solar cell arrangements on the support device 130. Additionally or alternatively, movement of the transport device 150 (e.g., one or more first belts 152) and movement of the at least one positioning device 120 and/or one or more second belts 132 may be synchronized with each other. By synchronizing at least some of the movements, a continuous process flow for assembling at least two solar cell arrangements may be provided.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus further comprises a heating device 160, for example, at the support device 130 or above the support device 130. The heating device 160 is configured to heat at least one of the solar cell arrangements on the support device 130, such as the first solar cell arrangement and/or the second solar cell arrangement. The heating device 160 may be selected from the group consisting of: conductive heaters (e.g., hot plates), convective heaters, resistive heaters, infrared heaters, lamp heaters, hot air heaters, and any combination thereof. For example, the support device 130 may be configured as a hot plate for conductive heat transfer to heat the solar cell arrangement(s) on the support device 130.

In some embodiments, the heating device 160 may extend along at least a portion of the support device 130, e.g. in the transport direction 4, wherein the solar cell arrangement is transported by the support device 130. The heating device 160 may extend along a distance sufficient to dry an adhesive, such as silver solder paste or solder, used to electrically connect adjacent overlapping solar cell pieces. The heating device 160 may have two or more heating elements provided in parallel at the supporting device 130. For example, the first heating element may be configured to heat the first solar cell arrangement. The second heating element may be configured to heat the second solar cell arrangement. Specifically, according to some embodiments, the heating device 160 may extend over the support device 130 at a location corresponding to the arrangement of the at least two solar cells. For example, the first heating element may be arranged above the first solar cell arrangement and the second heating element may be arranged above the second solar cell arrangement.

The heating device 160 may be configured to provide a predetermined temperature at the location of at least a part of the solar cell arrangement. The predetermined temperature may be at least 100 ℃, particularly at least 150 ℃, and more particularly at least 300 ℃. The predetermined temperature may be in a range between 100 ℃ and 400 ℃, and may in particular be in a range between 100 ℃ and 200 ℃.

Fig. 6A and 6B show schematic views of a positioning device 220 according to embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the at least one positioning device 220 comprises one or more grippers 222 configured to grip and secure a piece of solar cell, such as two or more first pieces of a first solar cell. The one or more grippers 222 may be selected from the group consisting of: vacuum grippers, mechanical grippers, electrostatic grippers, motorized grippers, and any combination thereof. The vacuum gripper may use suction to secure the solar cell piece at the gripper. The mechanical holder may use a mechanical device, such as a clamp, to secure the solar cell piece at the holder. Electrostatic and motorized clamps can use electrostatic and electromotive forces, respectively, to secure the solar cell pieces at the clamps.

In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more grippers 222, in particular each gripper, may comprise one or more gripper elements 224. For example, the holder may comprise two or more, such as three, four, five or six, holder elements 224 configured for contacting and holding the solar cell piece. For example, the one or more gripper elements 224 may be suction cups configured to provide a negative pressure at the surface of the solar cell piece to secure the piece at the one or more gripper elements 224.

According to some embodiments, each of the one or more grippers 222 is configured for holding and moving one solar cell piece. In further embodiments, each of the one or more grippers 222 is configured for simultaneously securing and moving two or more solar cells.

Fig. 7A and 7B show respective schematic views of a full square solar cell 70 and a pseudo square solar cell 80 according to embodiments described herein.

The fully square solar cell 70 may be, for example, a square polycrystalline wafer cut from a silicon ingot. The full square solar cell 70 with the fingers 14 and busbars 13 provided thereon may be cut into pieces, such as three

pieces

71, 72, and 73 as exemplarily shown in fig. 7A.

The pseudo square solar cell 80 may be a square wafer cut from a single crystal silicon ingot with rounded edges 81. A benefit of the pseudo-square solar cell 80 compared to the full square solar cell 70 may be that less waste material is generated during the manufacturing process. The pseudo-square solar cell 80 may be cut into pieces, such as three

pieces

82, 83, and 84 as exemplarily shown in fig. 7B.

The individual pieces of solar cells may be assigned to different solar cell arrangements based on geometry. For example, an (edge) piece of a pseudo-square solar cell 80 with rounded edges 81 ("pseudo-square piece") may be assigned to one solar cell arrangement, e.g. the first solar cell arrangement. The (intermediate) piece, which is a full square, can be assigned to another solar cell arrangement, for example a second solar cell arrangement. In particular, a solar cell arrangement having only full squares or only pseudo-squares is provided. The "bottleneck" caused by a pseudo square in a solar cell arrangement with a full square can be avoided and the efficiency of the solar cell arrangement can be increased. In particular, module power may be increased. According to some embodiments, and as described with respect to fig. 4A, 4B, and 5, the solar cell piece 82 or the solar cell piece 84 may be rotated about 180 ° such that both solar cell pieces, and in particular the rounded edges 81 thereof, are aligned identically prior to assembling the solar cell arrangement.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, solar cells, such as the all-square solar cell 70 and/or the pseudo-square solar cell 80, can be separated or separated at a location adjacent to the bus bar 13 of the respective solar cell. In other words, each solar cell piece may have a busbar provided thereon, and in particular only one busbar, which may be located at an edge of the solar cell piece.

Fig. 8A shows a schematic view of an apparatus 300 for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements (such as tiled solar cells) according to embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 300 may comprise one or more input transport devices, such as a first input transport device 302 and a second input transport device 304, configured for transporting solar cells into the separation device 310. The one or more input transport devices may be parallel lanes for simultaneously inputting a plurality of solar cells into the separation device 310. The one or more input conveyors may be belt conveyors. According to some embodiments, the transport device described with respect to fig. 4A, 4B and 5 may be provided by one or more input conveyors.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus 300 further comprises one or more centering devices, such as one or more mechanical centering devices, configured to center or align the solar cells 10 to be processed by the separation device 310. For example, each input conveyor of the one or more input conveyors may have a respective centering device. Specifically, a first centering device may be provided at the first input conveyor 302 and a second centering device may be provided at the second input conveyor 304.

In some embodiments, the separation device 310 is configured for separating a plurality of solar cells into pieces of solar cells. For example, the separating means 310 is configured for dividing at least a first solar cell into two or more first solar cell pieces and a second solar cell into two or more second solar cell pieces. For example, the separating means 310 is configured for sequentially or simultaneously separating the first solar cell and the second solar cell into two or more first solar cell pieces and two or more second solar cell pieces, respectively.

In one example, a first solar cell and a second solar cell may be sequentially input into the separation device 310 using, for example, the first input conveyor 302 or the second input conveyor 304. The separation device 310 may sequentially divide the first solar cell and the second solar cell into two or more first solar cell pieces and two or more second solar cell pieces, respectively. The individual pieces are then assigned to respective solar cell arrangements, for example based on one or more properties of the solar cell pieces, such as geometrical and/or physical properties.

In another example, a first solar cell and a second solar cell may be simultaneously input into the separation device 310 using, for example, the first input conveyor 302 and the second input conveyor 304. Specifically, a first solar cell may be input using the first input conveyor 302 and a second solar cell may be input using the second input conveyor 304. The separation device 310 may substantially simultaneously separate the first solar cell and the second solar cell into two or more first solar cell pieces and two or more second solar cell pieces, respectively. In other words, two or more solar cells, such as a first solar cell and a second solar cell, may be simultaneously input into a separation device 310 for producing a plurality of solar cell pieces in parallel from two or more solar cells, and cut by the separation device 310. Each solar cell piece is then assigned to a respective solar cell arrangement, for example, based on one or more properties of the solar cell piece.

Although two input conveyors are shown in the example of fig. 8A, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not so limited and that one input conveyor or three, four, or even more input conveyors may be provided for (simultaneously) inputting a plurality of solar cells into the separation device 310.

According to some embodiments, the separating device 310 comprises at least a first cutting device configured for dividing the first solar cell into two or more first pieces of solar cell and a second cutting device configured for dividing the second solar cell into two or more second pieces of solar cell. In particular, the separating device 310 may comprise two or more cutting devices, such as a first cutting device and a second cutting device, for processing two or more solar cells simultaneously or in parallel. Providing a parallel arrangement of the first cutting device and the second cutting device may be particularly advantageous when two or more solar cells are simultaneously input into the separating device 310.

The positioning device 320 is configured for positioning the solar cell pieces provided by the separating device 310 on the support device 330 for assembling at least two solar cell arrangements in parallel. In some embodiments, the positioning device 320 is configured for positioning at least one second solar cell piece of the one or more second solar cell pieces of the second solar cell on the support device 330 for forming a first solar cell arrangement together with at least one first solar cell piece of the first solar cell, and for positioning at least one other second solar cell piece of the two or more second solar cell pieces of the second solar cell on the support device 330 for forming a second solar cell arrangement together with at least one other first solar cell piece.

For example, solar cell pieces of solar cells processed sequentially or simultaneously by the separation device 310 and having a first predetermined property (such as a first predetermined geometry) may be arranged to form one solar cell arrangement, e.g. a first solar cell arrangement. Solar cell pieces of solar cells processed sequentially or simultaneously by the separation device 310 and having a second predetermined property, such as a second predetermined geometry, may be arranged to form another solar cell arrangement, e.g. a second solar cell arrangement. For example, an (edge) piece of a pseudo-square solar cell having rounded edges ("pseudo-square piece") may have a first predetermined geometry. The (intermediate) piece being a full square piece may have the second predetermined geometry. Thus, a solar cell arrangement with only pseudo-squares or only full squares can be assembled. The full square may originate from both the pseudo-square solar cell and the full-square solar cell.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the support device 330 may have two or more support units arranged in parallel. Two or more supporting units may be separated from each other. Each of the two or more support units may be configured to support a respective solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements. For example, the first support unit 332 may be configured to support a first solar cell arrangement and the second support unit 334 may be configured to support a second solar cell arrangement. The support arrangement 330 may comprise further support units, such as a third support unit 336 and a fourth support unit 338 configured to support further solar cell arrangements.

For example, solar cell pieces of solar cells input via the first input conveyor 302 may be assigned to the solar cell arrangements on the first and

second support units

332, 334. Solar cell pieces of solar cells input via the second input conveyor 304 can be assigned to the solar cell arrangements on the third and

fourth support units

336, 338. In this example, the first and

second support units

332 and 334 may operate independently of the third and

fourth support units

336 and 338. Also, the cutting process of the first input conveyor 302 and the solar cells input via the first input conveyor 302 may operate independently of the cutting process of the second input conveyor 304 and the solar cells input through the second input conveyor 304. The throughput of the apparatus 300 may be increased since the failure has a localized effect and does not cause the entire production process to terminate.

In further examples, the solar cell pieces of solar cells input via the first input conveyor 302 may be assigned to a solar cell arrangement on any of two or more support units (such as the first through fourth support units). Likewise, solar cell pieces of solar cells input via the second input conveyor 304 may be assigned to a solar cell arrangement on any of two or more support units (such as the first to fourth support units).

According to some embodiments, the support device 330 comprises at least a belt conveyor, wherein at least the belt conveyor comprises two or more belt conveyors spaced apart from each other. For example, a first belt conveyor is configured to support a first solar cell arrangement and a second belt conveyor, spaced apart from the first belt conveyor, is configured to support a second solar cell arrangement. In some embodiments, the two or more support units are belt conveyors arranged in parallel. For example, the first supporting unit 332 is a first belt conveyor, the second supporting unit 334 is a second belt conveyor, the third supporting unit 336 is a third belt conveyor, and the fourth supporting unit 338 is a fourth belt conveyor. The first to fourth belt conveyors may be arranged in parallel.

In some embodiments, the movement of the support device 330 and the movement of the at least one positioning device 320 provided by the belt conveyor are synchronized or correlated with each other. For example, the movement of the first input conveyor 302, the cutting process of the solar cells input through the first input conveyor 302, the operation of the positioning device 320, and the movement of the first support unit 332 and the second support unit 334 are synchronized or coordinated. Also, the movement of the second input conveyor 304, the cutting process of the solar cells input through the second input conveyor 304, the operation of the positioning device 320, and the movement of the third and

fourth support units

336 and 338 are synchronized or coordinated.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the device 300 is configured to assign individual ones of the solar cells to respective solar cell arrangements based on one or more properties (such as geometrical and/or physical properties) of the solar cells. For example, the apparatus 300 is configured to assign each of the two or more first solar cell pieces of the first solar cell to either the first solar cell arrangement or the second solar cell arrangement based on one or more properties of the respective solar cell piece of the two or more first solar cell pieces. Likewise, the apparatus 300 may be configured to assign each of the two or more second solar cell pieces of the second solar cell to the first solar cell arrangement or the second solar cell arrangement based on one or more properties of the respective solar cell piece of the two or more second solar cell pieces.

The one or more properties may be determined before the solar cell is cut into solar cells and/or after the solar cell has been cut into solar cells. In the former case, measurements (such as electrical measurements) of the entire solar cell may be performed. In the latter case, measurements (such as electroluminescence and/or photoluminescence measurements) of the individual solar cells may be performed.

One or more properties may be based on measurements. For example, one or more properties (such as one or more geometric and/or physical properties) may be selected from the group consisting of: geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, print quality, and any combination thereof. For example, the geometric property may be a "pseudo square" and/or a "full square," as illustrated with respect to fig. 7A and 7B. For example, an (edge) piece of a pseudo-square solar cell with rounded edges ("pseudo-square piece") may be assigned to one solar cell arrangement, e.g. the first solar cell arrangement. The (intermediate) piece, which is a full square, can be assigned to another solar cell arrangement, for example a second solar cell arrangement.

The electrical property, the optical property, or a combined electrical and optical property may be selected from the group consisting of: electroluminescent, photoluminescent, and electrical properties. For example, at least one of an electroluminescence measurement, a photoluminescence measurement, and an electrical measurement (e.g., a measurement of a current-voltage (I-V) curve of a solar cell) may be performed before cutting the solar cell into solar cells. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the electroluminescence measurement and the photoluminescence measurement may be performed for each solar cell piece after the solar cell has been cut into the solar cell pieces.

In addition to or in place of the electrical properties, optical properties or combined electrical and optical properties described above, at least one of print quality and structural integrity of the solar cell and/or solar cell piece may be performed. For example, print quality and/or structural integrity may be determined prior to cutting the solar cell into solar cell pieces. Additionally or alternatively, the print quality and/or structural integrity may be determined for each piece of solar cell after the solar cell has been cut into the piece of solar cell. Determining print quality may include determining a quality (e.g., accuracy, line thickness, line width, etc.) of a conductor pattern (e.g., fingers and/or busbars) of a solar cell.

Using one or more properties of the individual solar cell pieces to assign the solar cell pieces to the solar cell arrangements may ensure that each solar cell arrangement only includes solar cell pieces of similar characteristics. Bottlenecks that would otherwise reduce module power, for example, can be avoided.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 300 comprises at least one of a first examination device, a second examination device, and a third examination device. The first inspection device, the second inspection device, and the third inspection device may be configured to determine and/or measure at least one of the above-mentioned properties of the solar cell, the solar cell piece, and/or the solar cell arrangement. In particular, one or more properties (such as geometric and/or physical properties) may be selected from the group consisting of: geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, print quality, and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the first inspection device is configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of the solar cell prior to separating the solar cell into two or more solar cells. For example, the first inspection device is configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of the first solar cell prior to separating the first solar cell into two or more first pieces. According to some embodiments, the second inspection device is configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of at least some solar cell pieces (such as two or more first solar cell pieces of the first solar cell) after the solar cells have been separated into said solar cell pieces. According to some embodiments, the third inspection device is configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of at least one solar cell arrangement (such as the first solar cell arrangement and/or the second solar cell arrangement) of the at least two solar cell arrangements.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 300 further comprises a sorting device configured for sorting the at least two solar cell arrangements, such as the first solar cell arrangement and the second solar cell arrangement, based on a quality determination of the at least two solar cell arrangements. For example, the sorting means are configured for sorting the at least two solar cell arrangements based on the information received from the third inspection device. In particular, solar cell arrangements that are defective or have low quality can be discarded. Alternatively, the defective solar cell arrangement may undergo a rework or repair process (for example) to replace the defective or low quality solar cell pieces.

Fig. 8B shows a schematic view of an apparatus 400 for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to further embodiments described herein. The apparatus 400 of fig. 8B is similar to the apparatus described with respect to fig. 8A and a description of similar or identical aspects is not repeated.

According to some embodiments, the support device 430 is a belt conveyor having a single belt on which at least two solar cell arrangements may be assembled in parallel. In the example of fig. 8B, three solar cell arrangements are assembled in parallel. For example, the pseudo-square solar cells may be input through two or more input conveyors (such as the first input conveyor 302 and the second input conveyor 304). Each pseudo-square solar cell may be divided into, for example, four solar cell pieces. That is, each pseudo-square solar cell is divided into two edge pieces having rounded edges and two intermediate pieces, which are full squares.

The edge pieces of the pseudo-square solar cells input via two or more input transport devices may be assigned to the middle solar cell arrangement of the three solar cell arrangements using the positioning device 420. The intermediate piece, which is a full square, may be assigned to the outer two solar cell arrangements of the three second solar cell arrangements. The same number of solar cell pieces may be assigned to each of the three solar cell arrangements, and the solar cell arrangements may be assembled at the same speed.

Fig. 8C shows a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements according to yet another embodiment described herein. The apparatus of fig. 8C is similar to that described with respect to fig. 8A and 8B, and the description of similar or identical aspects is not repeated.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus has a positioning arrangement comprising a moving device 450 and a positioning device 455 described above. The moving device 450 may be configured to laterally move the solar cell pieces provided by the separating device 310 (e.g., by the first cutting device and the second cutting device). In some embodiments, the apparatus may have multiple parallel transport lanes provided at the separation device 310 and/or the positioning device 455. The plurality of transportation lanes may be configured for transporting the solar cell pieces after the cutting process and before positioning the solar cell pieces on the support device 430. The plurality of lanes may be belt conveyors. In some embodiments, the plurality of haul roads may include two outer haul roads 460 and one central haul road 465.

In some embodiments, the two outer transport lanes 460 may be aligned with (e.g., aligned with) the first input conveyor 302 and the second input conveyor 304, respectively. A central transport way 465 may be positioned between the first input conveyor 302 and the second input conveyor 304. In particular, selected solar cell pieces, such as solar cell pieces used to assemble an intermediate solar cell arrangement (e.g., edge pieces of a pseudo-square solar cell), may be picked up by the moving device 450 of the positioning device 455 to move or transport the selected solar cell pieces to the central transport lane 465 after the cutting process. The outer shipping lane 460 may be configured as an intermediary for shipping pseudo-square solar cells, which is a full square.

It will be appreciated that multiple lanes between the separating means and the positioning means/support means as described in relation to figure 8C may be similarly implemented in the apparatus described in relation to figures 8A and 8B.

Fig. 9A shows a schematic view of a system 500 for fabricating at least two tiled solar cells according to embodiments described herein. The system 500 may be part of or constitute a production line for tiled solar cells.

The system 500 comprises an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements (tiled solar cells) according to embodiments described herein. The system 500 further comprises a production tool 510 for manufacturing a plurality of solar cells including a first solar cell. A plurality of solar cells are input to the device. The apparatus comprises a separation device 530, a positioning device 540, and a support device 550 according to embodiments described herein.

In some embodiments, the production tool 510 includes one or more printing devices configured for printing one or more wires on a solar cell substrate for manufacturing a plurality of solar cells. One or more wires are selected from the group consisting of fingers and busbars. The one or more printing devices may be configured for double printing of the one or more conductors. In particular, the one or more printing devices may be configured for dual printing of at least one of the fingers and the busbars.

According to some embodiments, the system 500, and in particular the apparatus, includes an adhesive application device 520 configured to apply an adhesive to the solar cell prior to separating the solar cell into two or more solar cell pieces. The adhesive is applied to portions of the solar cells corresponding to the overlapping regions between two adjacent solar cell pieces arranged on the support device 550 in an overlapping manner. According to some embodiments, the adhesive coating device 520 may be configured to coat an adhesive on at least a portion of a conductor pattern (such as a busbar) of a solar cell.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the separation device 530 comprises at least one solar cell perforation device. For example, the at least one solar cell perforation device comprises or is a laser. For example, the at least one solar cell perforation device may be configured to perforate the solar cell prior to separating the solar cell into two or more pieces of solar cell.

In some embodiments, the system 500 further comprises a heating device 560, for example, behind or above the support device 550 of the apparatus. An embodiment of the heating device 560 is described with respect to fig. 5. In particular, the heating device 560 is configured to heat at least one of the solar cell arrangements to dry the adhesive in the overlapping region between two adjacent solar cell pieces. The heating device 560 may be selected from the group consisting of: conductive heaters (e.g., hot plates), convective heaters, resistive heaters, infrared heaters, lamp heaters, hot air heaters, and any combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the system 500 comprises a sorting device 570 configured for sorting the at least two solar cell arrangements, such as the first solar cell arrangement and the second solar cell arrangement, based on a quality determination of the at least two solar cell arrangements. For example, defective or low quality solar cell arrangements may be discarded. Alternatively, the defective solar cell arrangement may undergo a rework or repair process (for example) to replace the defective or low quality solar cell pieces.

Fig. 9B shows a schematic diagram of a system 600 for fabricating at least two tiled solar cells according to further embodiments described herein. The system 600 is similar to the system described with respect to fig. 9A and descriptions of similar or identical aspects are not repeated. Specifically, the system 600 includes a production tool 510, an adhesive application device 520, an apparatus, a heating device 560, and a sorting device 570.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the system 600 comprises an inspection arrangement. The inspection arrangement may comprise at least one of a first inspection device 615, a second inspection device (which may be comprised in the apparatus, e.g. in the positioning device 540), and a third inspection device 665. The first inspection device 615, the second inspection device, and the third inspection device 665 can be configured to determine and/or measure one or more properties, such as geometric and/or physical properties, of at least one of the solar cells, and/or solar cell arrangements as described with respect to the embodiments described herein. In particular, the one or more properties may be selected from the group consisting of: geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, print quality, and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the first inspection device 615 is configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of the solar cell prior to separating the solar cell into two or more solar cells. Although the first inspection device 615 is illustratively shown as being positioned between the production tool 510 and the adhesive application device 520, the present disclosure is not so limited. For example, the first inspection device 615 may be provided between the adhesive application device and the separation device 530 or may be incorporated into the production tool 510, the adhesive application device 520, or the separation device 530.

According to some embodiments, the second inspection device is configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of at least some of the solar cell pieces after the solar cell has been divided into several pieces. The second examination apparatus may be integrated into the device, for example, in the separating apparatus 530 or the positioning apparatus 540. In a further embodiment, the second examination apparatus may be provided as a separate entity.

In some implementations, the third inspection device 665 is configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of at least two solar cell arrangements (such as a first solar cell arrangement and/or a second solar cell arrangement). Although the third inspection device 665 is illustratively shown as being positioned between the heating device 560 and the sorting device 570, the present disclosure is not so limited. For example, a third inspection device 665 may be provided at the support device 550. In some embodiments, the support device 550, the heating device 560, and the third inspection device 665 are integrated into a single entity or processing station.

Fig. 10 shows a flow diagram of a method 1000 for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements, such as tiled solar cells, according to embodiments described herein. The method 1000 may use apparatus and systems according to embodiments described herein. Likewise, the devices and systems of the present disclosure may be configured to implement the method 1000.

The method 1000 includes: in block 1100, each solar cell of the one or more solar cells is divided into two or more solar cells; and in block 1200, forming at least a first solar cell arrangement and a second solar cell arrangement of at least two solar cell arrangements from two or more solar cell pieces. Each solar cell of the two or more solar cells is assigned to either the first solar cell arrangement or the second solar cell arrangement based on one or more geometric and/or physical properties of the solar cell. In some embodiments, the one or more solar cells are selected from the group consisting of: full square solar cells and pseudo-square solar cells.

In some embodiments, the solar cell may be centered using, for example, a centering device to adjust the position of the solar cell prior to cutting the solar cell into two or more pieces of solar cell. Alternatively, an inspection device (such as a second inspection device) may be used to align the solar cell piece, e.g. held by the positioning device, before placing the solar cell piece on the support device. The information acquired by the inspection system can be used for closed loop control and positioning of subsequent solar cells.

According to some embodiments, the one or more geometric and/or physical properties are selected from the group consisting of: geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, and any combination thereof. One or more geometric and/or physical properties may be determined using at least one of the first inspection device, the second inspection device, and the third inspection device according to embodiments described herein.

In some embodiments, a solar cell piece corresponding to the predetermined geometry of the two or more solar cell pieces is assigned to the first solar cell arrangement or the second solar cell arrangement. The predetermined geometry may correspond to an edge piece of a pseudo-square solar cell having rounded edges, an intermediate piece of a pseudo-square solar cell, or a solar cell piece provided by a full-square solar cell that is a full-square solar cell piece. For example, an edge piece of a pseudo-square solar cell having rounded edges may correspond to a first predetermined geometry, an intermediate piece of a pseudo-square solar cell may correspond to a second predetermined geometry, and a solar cell piece provided by a full-square solar cell that is a full-square solar cell piece may correspond to a third predetermined geometry.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the geometry of the solar cell piece can be determined or inspected, for example, using a second inspection device. In particular, it can be determined whether the edge of the solar cell piece has irregularities caused by, for example, a cutting process. Solar cell pieces with such irregularities can be discarded or can be assigned to a low quality solar cell arrangement.

In some embodiments, the method 1000 further comprises determining one or more geometric and/or physical properties at least one of prior to separating the individual solar cells and after forming the first and second solar cell arrangements. For example, determining one or more geometric and/or physical properties before separating the individual solar cells may be performed by a first inspection device. The determination of the one or more geometrical and/or physical properties after the formation of the first and second solar cell arrangements may be performed by a third inspection device.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, each solar cell of the one or more solar cells is divided into two, three, four, five, six, or more solar cell pieces. The number of solar cell pieces into which the respective solar cells are divided may be selected according to at least one of the type of solar cells (e.g., quasi-all square or all square), the number of solar cell arrangements to be assembled in parallel, and the configuration of the supporting device (e.g., a single ribbon or a plurality of supporting units having separate ribbons).

In some embodiments, the method 1000 further comprises clamping two or more solar cell pieces and positioning the two or more solar cell pieces on a support device to form a first solar cell arrangement and a second solar cell arrangement. The clamping may be performed using a positioning device as described, for example, with respect to fig. 4 and 6. In particular, the suction force provided by the vacuum gripper can be used for picking up the solar cell pieces.

According to some embodiments, the method 1000 further comprises applying an adhesive to the solar cell or to the two or more solar cell pieces before positioning the two or more solar cell pieces on the support device. In particular, the adhesive may be coated in the overlapping region of two adjacent solar cell pieces. According to some embodiments, the adhesive is a conductive adhesive selected from the group consisting of: solder, silver solder paste, and conductive silicone adhesive. In some embodiments, the method 1000 may include drying the adhesive while securing the two or more pieces to or on the support device. The drying may be performed using a heating device, such as an infrared heater. A heating device may be provided at the support device and may heat the solar cell arrangement while moving or transporting the solar cell arrangement under the heating device.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the following sequence can be used for manufacturing a solar cell arrangement, such as a tiled solar cell.

a) Using lasers (separator devices) for perforating solar cells

b) Inspection for quality inspection of solar cells before separation from a separation device (separator)

c) Coating adhesive (conductive paste/solder paste deposition)

d) Cutting (divided into multiple pieces)

e) Inspection for quality inspection after (optional) separator

f) Checking alignment using a camera

g) Positioning the solar cell piece on a support means (belt; formation of a super battery) on

h) Heating (e.g. using lamps or resistors)

i) Checking the classification of a super-battery

It is to be understood that the above-described order is merely an example, and that process aspects may be arranged in a different order, one or more process aspects may be omitted, and/or one or more process aspects may be added.

According to embodiments described herein, a method for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements may be performed using a computer program, software, a computer software product and an associated controller, which may have a CPU, a memory, a user interface, and input and output means, in communication with corresponding components of an apparatus for processing large area substrates.

Fig. 11 shows a schematic side view of a support device according to embodiments described herein, which is an electrostatic support device 900. The electrostatic support device 900 may be used in an apparatus for manufacturing at least one solar cell arrangement according to embodiments described herein.

As exemplarily shown in fig. 11, the support device 900 is configured for transporting at least one solar cell element 910 (the terms "solar cell element" and "solar cell piece" are used synonymously throughout the present disclosure) in a transport direction 911. In particular, the support device comprises a support element 920 (e.g. a belt) configured for supporting at least one solar cell element 910. For example, the support element 920 may be a belt conveyor as exemplarily shown in fig. 11. In general, the support device 900 comprises a first rotatable roller 901 and a second rotatable roller 902 for moving the support element 920 in the transport direction 911. Further, according to embodiments described herein, the support arrangement comprises an electrical arrangement 950 configured for providing an electrostatic force for securing the at least one solar cell element 910 on the support element 920. Specifically, electrostatic forces may act between the support element 920 and the at least one solar cell element 910.

Thus, a support device is provided which can advantageously be used for fixing and transporting the photovoltaic panel elements during production (e.g. during drying or screen processes). In particular, embodiments of the electrostatic support apparatus as described herein provide an alternative to conventional vacuum fixtures. Thus, the advantageous embodiments of the support device as described herein provide a simplified structure compared to vacuum fixtures, since a complex vacuum supply system may be omitted. Further, providing a support device with a belt conveyor as a support element may be particularly advantageous for moving transport sheet-like elements, such as solar cell elements or elements, between different processing stations in a continuous mode.

In the present disclosure, the term "support device" is to be understood as a device configured for supporting an element (e.g. a plate-like element, such as a solar cell piece or a solar cell arrangement). In particular, a "support device" as described herein may be understood as a device configured for supporting a substantially horizontally oriented element. In this connection, "horizontal orientation" is to be understood as an orientation in which the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the element supported by the support means deviates from the orientation perpendicular to the direction of gravity by ± 10 ° or less, in particular by ± 5 ° or less, more particularly by ± 2 ° or less.

Referring exemplarily to fig. 11, according to embodiments that may be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the support device 900 may comprise at least one first roller 901 and at least one second roller 902 configured for moving the support element 920 in the transport direction 911. Specifically, as indicated by the scissor heads around the axes of the first roller 901 and the second roller 902, the first roller 901 and the second roller 902 are rotatable to move the support element 920, specifically the conveyor belt, in the transport direction 911. For example, the first roller 901 and/or the second roller 902 may be connected to a drive to provide rotatable movement. Generally, the outer surfaces of first roller 901 and second roller 902 are in contact with support member 920 to provide frictional forces between first roller 901 and support member 920 and between second roller 902 and support member 920. Thus, by rotating the first roller 901 and the second roller, the support element 920 may be moved in the transport direction 911, as exemplarily indicated in fig. 11.

In the present disclosure, the term "support element" is to be understood as an element of a support device configured for supporting or immobilizing a sheet-like element, such as a solar cell element. In particular, a "support element" as described herein may be configured for providing a flat contact surface for a plate-like element to be supported. In this regard, it is understood that the orientation of the flat contact surface may be horizontal, i.e. perpendicular to the direction of gravity, in the range of ± 10 ° or less, in particular in the range of ± 5 ° or less, more in particular in the range of ± 2 ° or less. In general, a "support element" as described herein may have a flexible structure such that the support element may function as a conveyor belt guided by one or more rollers to move the support element in a transport direction, as exemplarily described above with reference to fig. 11.

With exemplary reference to fig. 11, according to an embodiment that can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the electrical arrangement 950 comprises a charging source 951 configured for providing an electrostatic charge to the support element 920. For example, the charging source 951 may be disposed proximate to the support element 920. Specifically, as exemplarily indicated in FIG. 11, the charging source 951 may be disposed relative to the support member 920 within a distance D of D ≦ 10mm, specifically D ≦ 5mm, more specifically D ≦ 2 mm.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the charging source 951 may be a voltage source configured for providing a voltage of at least 5kV, in particular at least 8kV, for example 10kV ± 1 kV. In particular, the charging source 951 may be connected to a controller configured to control a voltage, for example, in a voltage range from 5kV to 11 kV.

Thus, it should be understood that the charging source 951 is configured for providing electrostatic induction to the support element 920 to generate an electrostatic force on the support element 920 for securing a plate-like element (e.g., at least one solar cell element) on the support element 920 according to embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, the support 900 may be a monopolar electrostatic support. In particular, in the present disclosure, a "monopolar electrostatic support" may be understood as a support having one or more charging sources that provide charges of the same electrical polarity to the support element 920. For example, according to embodiments which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, a positive voltage can be applied to the one or more charging sources such that a negative charge is induced to the support element, in particular on the surface of the support element. Alternatively, a negative voltage may be applied to the one or more charging sources such that a positive charge is induced to the support element, in particular on the surface of the support element.

According to other embodiments, the support device 900 may be a bipolar electrostatic support device. In particular, in the present disclosure, a "bipolar electrostatic support device" may be understood as a support device having two or more charging sources that provide charges of different electrical polarity to the support element 920. For example, according to an embodiment that can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, a positive voltage can be applied to a first charging source of the one or more charging sources and a negative voltage can be applied to a second charging source of the one or more charging sources. Thus, a corresponding negatively charged region and a corresponding positively charged region may be generated at the support element (in particular at the surface of the support element) by electrostatic induction.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the electrical arrangement 950 comprises an electrical ground for grounding the support element 920. For example, the electrical ground may be provided by at least one of the first roller 901 and the second roller 902. Additionally or alternatively, the electrical grounding may be provided by a separate grounding roller 903 configured for grounding the support element 920, as exemplarily shown in fig. 11. For example, the grounding roller 903 may be arranged between the first roller 901 and the second roller 902. In particular, the grounding roller 903 may be arranged for contacting a surface of the support element 920, as exemplarily shown in fig. 11. Typically, the grounding roller 903 is arranged such that the outer surface of the grounding roller is in contact with the inner surface of the support element. In this respect, it is understood that "the inner surface of the support element" is the surface of the support element opposite to the outer surface of the support element, which outer surface contacts the at least one solar cell element supported by the support element.

With exemplary reference to fig. 12, according to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the electrical arrangement 950 of the support device 900 comprises at least one conductive arrangement 960 configured for receiving an electrostatic charge from a charging source 951. In particular, the at least one conductive arrangement 960 is configured for providing an electrostatic force for fixing the at least one solar cell element 910 on the support element 920. For example, the at least one conductive arrangement 960 may be attached to the support element 920 or incorporated in the support element 920.

Thus, in the present disclosure, the term "electrical arrangement" should be understood to include an arrangement of electrically conductive arrangements attached to the support element 920 or incorporated in the support element 920. Thus, in the present disclosure, a "conductive arrangement" is understood to be an arrangement of conductive elements (e.g., wires of a conductive material such as copper) configured for receiving an electrostatic charge from a charging source as described herein. Thus, the electrostatic force for fixing the at least one solar cell element on the support element may be provided by the electrically conductive arrangement as described herein.

Referring exemplarily to fig. 12, according to an embodiment that may be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the at least one conductive arrangement 960 may comprise a first busbar 961 and/or a second busbar 962. In particular, the first busbar 961 and/or the second busbar 962 may be arranged parallel to the transport direction 911, as is exemplarily shown in fig. 11. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, first buss bar 961 and/or second buss bar 962 can be made of a conductive material (e.g., copper wire) and configured to transport charge to support element 920. For example, in case of a bipolar configuration of the support device, two

first rollers

901A, 901B and two

second rollers

902A, 902B may be provided, as exemplarily shown in fig. 12. Specifically, a first pair of the first roller 901A and the second roller 902A may be electrically connected by a first bus bar 961 and a second pair of the first roller 901B and the second roller 902B may be electrically connected by a second bus bar 962. In order to supply the electric charges of positive polarity to the first bus bar 961, the first pair of the first roller 901A and the second roller 902A may be provided with an internal rotary joint having sliding contacts for supplying a voltage of +5kV or less, for example +4 kV. Thus, to supply charges of negative polarity to the second busbar 962, the second pair of the first roller 901B and the second roller 902B may be provided with an internal rotary joint having sliding contacts for supplying a voltage of-5 kV or less, for example, -4 kV.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the at least one electrically conductive arrangement 960 may comprise at least one electrode arrangement, e.g. a first electrode arrangement 971 and/or a second electrode arrangement 972, as exemplarily shown in fig. 14A and 14B. For example, the first electrode arrangement 971 may be electrically connected to the first busbar 961 and the second electrode arrangement 972 may be electrically connected to the second busbar 962. According to some embodiments, the first electrode arrangement 971 and/or the second electrode arrangement 972 may be provided in the at least one flexible plate 940, as exemplarily shown in fig. 12, 14A and 14B.

According to embodiments that may be combined with any of the other embodiments described herein, the support element 920 may include a plurality of flexible plates, which may be provided along the length of the support element 920, as exemplarily shown in fig. 12. As shown in fig. 12, a plurality of flexible sheets may be arranged parallel to each other along the length of the support element. Further, the support member 920 may be provided with markings that facilitate mounting of the flexible sheet at preselected locations on the support member.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the first busbar 961 may be arranged in the support element 920 such that a first contact area 965A for providing an electrical contact between the first busbar 961 and the first electrode arrangement 971 is provided. Thus, the second busbar 962 may be arranged in the support element 920 such that a second contact area 965B for providing an electrical contact between the second busbar 962 and the second electrode arrangement 972 is provided. For example, as exemplarily shown in fig. 13, first buss bar 961 and/or second buss bar 962 may be arranged in support element 920 such that first portion 961A of first buss bar 961 and/or first portion 962A of second buss bar 962 is exposed to a surface of support element 920 on which flexible plate 940 may be mounted. Further, first busbar 961 and/or second busbar 962 may be arranged in support element 920 such that second portion 961B of first busbar 961 and/or second portion 962B of second busbar 962 are exposed to a surface of support element 920, which surface is in contact with first roller 901 and/or second roller 902. More specifically, first buss-bars 961 and/or second buss-bars 962 may be arranged in an alternating zigzag pattern in support element 920, as exemplarily shown in fig. 13.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the support element comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of: polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); fiber reinforced polymers, especially carbon fiber reinforced polymers; fiber reinforced glass, polyamide, and other suitable materials. Thus, the support element as described herein is advantageously configured to be flexible and provide mechanical support for the first busbar and/or the second busbar and/or the flexible plate.

Fig. 14A and 14B show a schematic top view of a flexible plate of a support element and a schematic back view of a flexible plate of a support element according to embodiments described herein. As exemplarily shown in fig. 14A and 14B, the at least one conductive arrangement 960 may comprise a first electrode arrangement 971 and/or a second electrode arrangement 972, according to embodiments which may be combined with any other implementation directions described herein. In particular, the first electrode arrangement 971 and/or the second electrode arrangement 972 may comprise a plurality of electrodes extending from a first side 940A of the flexible sheet 940 to an opposite second side 940B of the flexible sheet 940, as exemplarily shown in fig. 4A and 4B. For example, the first electrodes 971A of the first electrode arrangement 971 and the second electrodes 972A of the second electrode arrangement 972 may be arranged in an alternating staggered manner. Accordingly, it is understood that the flexible sheet 940 may include adjacent electrodes that may be provided with opposite charges, as exemplarily indicated in fig. 14A and 14B.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the first electrode 971A and the second electrode 972A can be arranged parallel to each other. For example, the first electrode 971A and the second electrode 972A may be configured as a straight line, as exemplarily shown in fig. 14A and 14B. Alternatively, the first electrode 971A and the second electrode 972A may have different shapes, for example, the first electrode 971A and the second electrode 972A may be configured to have a zigzag pattern, a corrugated pattern, or the like.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the first electrode arrangement 971 and/or the second electrode arrangement 972 are provided in the at least one flexible plate 940, as exemplarily shown in fig. 14A and 14B. In particular, the first electrode arrangement 971 and/or the second electrode arrangement 972 may be at least partially embedded in the material forming the flexible sheet 940. For example, the flexible sheet 940 may be made of a flexible polymer such as polyamide.

More specifically, according to an embodiment which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the top side of the flexible sheet (i.e. the surface of the flexible sheet which can contact the at least one solar cell element when the at least one solar cell element is supported by the support element) is completely covered by the flexible polymer structure 942 (e.g. a polyamide layer). Generally, the flexible polymer structure 942 forms a major portion of a flexible sheet. It is therefore understood that the electrodes of different polarity of the first and second electrode arrangements are integrated inside the flexible sheet. Further, according to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the flexible sheet 940, in particular the opposite backside of the flexible sheet, can comprise adhesive portions 941 configured for attaching the flexible sheet 940 to the support element 920. Specifically, the adhesive portions 941 may be provided by two or more adhesive portions disposed on opposite lateral edges of the flexible board 940, as exemplarily shown in fig. 14B. Generally, the adhesive portion 941 comprises a portion of the first electrode arrangement 971 and/or the second electrode arrangement 972 configured for contacting the first busbar 961 and/or the second busbar 962 when attaching the flexible plate 940 to the support element 920.

Thus, with exemplary reference to fig. 12, 14A and 14B, it is to be understood that at least one flexible sheet 940 may be removably attached to the support element 920 according to embodiments that may be combined with any of the other embodiments described herein. Therefore, the support device 900 for transporting the at least one solar cell element 910 is advantageously provided with a modular and exchangeable flexible plate configured for providing electrostatic forces for fixing the at least one solar cell element on the support element. Thus, embodiments of the support device as described herein advantageously provide for easy maintenance and replacement of the flexible panels of the support device.

In fig. 15, a detailed cross-sectional view of the layer structure of the flexible plate of the support element according to embodiments described herein is shown. In particular, the flex may include a multi-layer structure having a bottom adhesive layer 943, a bottom support layer 944, an intermediate adhesive layer 945, and a cover layer 946, as exemplarily shown in fig. 15. Typically, the first electrode arrangement 971 and/or the second electrode arrangement 972 are arranged between the bottom adhesive layer 943 and the cover layer 946, more particularly between the bottom support layer 944 and the intermediate adhesive layer 945, as exemplarily indicated in fig. 15.

With exemplary reference to fig. 16 and 17, according to an embodiment which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the support element 920 may comprise two or more controllable regions which can be controlled with respect to the electrostatic force for fixing the at least one solar cell element on the support element. In particular, two or more controllable regions may be switched, for example, between an "on" state and an "off state. The "on" state may be a state in which an electrostatic force is generated and the "off state may be a state in which an electrostatic force is not generated. Thus, a controllable support device may advantageously be provided, wherein individual areas of the support element may be selectively controlled to provide local electrostatic forces for fixing the plate-like element, in particular the solar cell element, on the support element.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the support element 920 may comprise a first controllable region Z1, a second controllable region Z2, a third controllable region Z3 and a fourth controllable region Z4, as exemplarily shown in fig. 16. In particular, the controllable regions may be arranged parallel to each other, in particular parallel to the transport direction 911, as exemplarily shown in fig. 16. Each controllable region may include a first buss 961 and a second buss 962 as described herein. Thus, each of the first and second busses of the independently controllable zones Z1-Z4 may have an electrical charge, as exemplarily described with reference to fig. 11 and 12. Further, as exemplarily shown for the first controllable region Z1, at least one flexible sheet 940 may be provided at two or more controllable regions.

With exemplary reference to fig. 17, according to embodiments that may be combined with any of the other embodiments described herein, the support element 920 may be configured such that the individual flexible sheets may be controlled separately from each other. In particular, the individual flexible plates may be controlled such that the flexible plates may be switched from an "on" state, in which an electrostatic force is generated, to an "off" state, in which no electrostatic force is present. Accordingly, the support element 920 may be configured such that two or more flexible plates as described herein may be provided with an electrical charge. For example, the support element 920 may include four first busbars 961A-961D and four second busbars 962A-962D arranged such that, for example, four flexible sheets Z1-Z4 as described herein may be independently provided with charges that are separated from one another.

With respect to embodiments of electrostatic support devices as described in the present disclosure, it is understood that embodiments of electrostatic support devices are particularly suitable for fixing thin sheet-like elements, such as solar cell elements, in particular photovoltaic panel elements, using an electrostatic attraction between the thin sheet-like elements and the supporting electrostatic device. For example, the electrostatic support device can advantageously be used for fixing and transporting the photovoltaic panel elements during production (e.g. during drying or screen processes). More specifically, the electrostatic support device may be particularly advantageous for transporting sheet-like elements between different processing stations by using a conveyor belt moving in a continuous mode to transport the sheet-like elements. Further, providing a support element comprising modular flexible sheets as described herein allows for an easy maintenance and replacement process.

Further, according to an embodiment which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, a method for transporting at least one solar cell element in a transport direction is provided. In particular, the method comprises providing an electrical charge to a support element configured for supporting at least one solar cell element; fixing the at least one solar element by electrostatic force; and moving the at least one solar element in the transport direction.

For example, providing an electrical charge to a support element may include employing a support element according to embodiments described herein. Thus, fixing the at least one solar element by electrostatic forces may comprise using an electrical arrangement as described herein. It is therefore to be understood that the method for transporting at least one solar cell element may be performed by employing a support device as described herein.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, a support device 900 for transporting at least one solar cell element 910 in a transport direction 911 is provided. The support arrangement comprises a support element 920 configured for supporting the at least one solar cell element and an electrical arrangement 950 configured for providing an electrostatic force for fixing the at least one solar cell element on the support element.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the electrical arrangement 950 comprises a charging source 951 configured for providing an electrostatic charge to the support element 920.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the electrical arrangement 950 comprises at least one conductive arrangement 960 configured for receiving an electrostatic charge from a charging source 951.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the at least one conductive arrangement 960 is configured for providing an electrostatic force for securing the at least one solar cell element 910 on the support element 920.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the at least one conductive arrangement 960 comprises a first busbar 961 and/or a second busbar 962.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the at least one electrically conductive arrangement 960 comprises a first electrode arrangement 971 and/or a second electrode arrangement 972.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the first electrode arrangement 971 and/or the second electrode arrangement 972 is provided in the at least one flexible plate 940.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any of the other embodiments described herein, the flexible sheet 940 is removably attached to the support element 920.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the flexible plate 940 comprises an adhesive portion 941 configured for attaching the flexible plate to the support element 920.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the supporting device 900 further comprises at least a first roller 901 and a second roller 902, which are configured for moving the supporting element 920 in the transport direction 911.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the electrical arrangement 950 comprises an electrical ground for grounding the support element 920.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the electrical ground is provided by at least one of the first roller 901 and the second roller 902.

According to embodiments, which may be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the electrical ground is provided by a grounding roller 903 configured for grounding the support element.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the support element is a belt conveyor.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, the support element comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of: polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); fiber reinforced polymers, especially carbon fiber reinforced polymers; fiber reinforced glass, polyamide, and other suitable materials.

According to an embodiment, which can be combined with any other embodiment described herein, a method for transporting at least one solar cell element 910 in a transport direction 911 is provided. The method comprises providing an electrical charge to a support element configured for supporting at least one solar cell element; fixing the at least one solar element by electrostatic force; and moving the at least one solar element in the transport direction.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements is provided. The apparatus comprises: a separating device configured to separate the first solar cell into two or more first solar cell pieces. The apparatus comprises at least one positioning device configured for positioning at least one first solar cell piece of the two or more first solar cell pieces on a support device so as to form a first solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements, and for positioning at least one other first solar cell piece of the two or more first solar cell pieces on the support device so as to form a second solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the at least one positioning device may be configured to arrange a plurality of solar cell pieces including the at least one first solar cell piece on the support device with adjacent solar cell pieces partially overlapping each other to form the first solar cell arrangement, and may be configured to arrange a plurality of other solar cell pieces including the at least one other first solar cell piece on the support device with adjacent solar cell pieces partially overlapping each other to form the second solar cell arrangement.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the separating device may be configured for dividing the second solar cell into two or more second solar cell pieces, wherein the positioning device may be configured for positioning at least one second solar cell piece of the one or more second solar cell pieces on the support device so as to form the first solar cell arrangement together with the at least one first solar cell piece, and may be configured for positioning at least one other second solar cell piece of the two or more second solar cell pieces on the support device so as to form the second solar cell arrangement together with the at least one other first solar cell piece.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the separation device may be configured to sequentially or simultaneously divide the first solar cell and the second solar cell into the two or more first solar cell pieces and the two or more second solar cell pieces, respectively.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the separating device may include a first cutting device configured to divide the first solar cell into the two or more first solar cell pieces and a second cutting device configured to divide the second solar cell into the two or more second solar cell pieces.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the separation device may include at least one solar cell perforation device.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the at least one solar cell perforation device may comprise a laser.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the apparatus may be configured to assign each of the two or more first solar cell pieces to the first solar cell arrangement or the second solar cell arrangement based on one or more properties of the respective solar cell piece of the two or more first solar cell pieces.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the apparatus may include at least one of a first inspection device, a second inspection device, and a third inspection device, wherein the first inspection device may be configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of the first solar cell prior to dividing the solar cell into the two or more first solar cell pieces, wherein the second inspection device may be configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of the two or more first pieces of solar cell of the first solar cell after the solar cell has been divided into the two or more first pieces of solar cell, and wherein the third inspection device may be configured to measure and/or determine one or more properties of the first solar cell arrangement and/or the second solar cell arrangement.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more properties may be selected from the group consisting of: geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, print quality, and any combination thereof.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the supporting device may include at least one of an electrostatic chuck and a vacuum chuck.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the support device may comprise at least a belt conveyor, wherein the at least belt conveyor is configured to support, fix and transport the first and second solar cell arrangements.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the movement of the belt conveyor and the movement of the at least one positioning device may be synchronized with each other.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the at least belt conveyor may comprise a first belt conveyor configured to support the first solar cell arrangement and a second belt conveyor spaced apart from the first belt conveyor and configured to support the second solar cell arrangement.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further comprise a heating device located at the support device, wherein the heating device is configured to heat at least one of the first solar cell arrangement and the second solar cell arrangement.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include an adhesive applying device configured to apply an adhesive to the first solar cell or the two or more first pieces before positioning the two or more first pieces on the supporting device.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further comprise a sorting device configured for sorting the first and second solar cell arrangements based on a quality determination of the first and second solar cell arrangements.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the at least one positioning device may comprise a vacuum gripper for gripping the two or more first solar cell pieces.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system for fabricating at least two tiled solar cells is provided. The system comprises an apparatus for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements as described herein. The system includes a production tool for manufacturing a plurality of solar cells including a first solar cell as described herein, wherein the plurality of solar cells are input to the device.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the production tool may comprise one or more printing devices configured for printing one or more wires on a solar cell substrate for manufacturing the plurality of solar cells, wherein the one or more wires are selected from fingers and busbars.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more printing devices may be configured for dual printing of at least one of the fingers and busbars.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements is provided. The method includes dividing each solar cell of the one or more solar cells into two or more solar cells. The method comprises forming at least a first and a second solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements from the two or more solar cells, wherein each solar cell of the two or more solar cells is assigned to the first or the second solar cell arrangement based on one or more geometric and/or physical properties of the solar cell.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more geometric and/or physical properties may be selected from the group consisting of: geometry, electrical properties, optical properties, and any combination thereof.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the method may include: determining the one or more geometric and/or physical properties at least one of before separating the individual solar cells and after forming the first and second solar cell arrangements.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, individual solar cells of the one or more solar cells may be divided into two, three, four, five, six, or more pieces of solar cells.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more solar cells may be selected from the group consisting of: full square solar cells and pseudo-square solar cells.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the method may include: clamping the two or more solar cells; and positioning the two or more solar cell pieces on a support device to form the first and second solar cell arrangements.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the method may include: applying an adhesive to the two or more pieces of solar cell before positioning the two or more pieces of solar cell on the support device.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the method may include: drying the adhesive while securing the two or more solar cell pieces to the support device.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a solar cell piece of the two or more solar cell pieces corresponding to a predetermined geometric shape may be assigned to the first solar cell arrangement or the second solar cell arrangement.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a support device for transporting at least one solar cell element in a transport direction is provided. The support device includes: a support element configured for supporting the at least one solar cell element; and an electrical arrangement configured for providing an electrostatic force for fixing the at least one solar cell element on the support element.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a method for transporting at least one solar cell element in a transport direction is provided. The method comprises the following steps: providing an electrical charge to a support element configured for supporting at least one solar cell element; fixing the at least one solar element by electrostatic force; and moving the at least one solar element in the transport direction.

Embodiments of the present disclosure separate (e.g., cut) solar cells into smaller pieces that are then assigned to at least two different solar cell arrangements. For example, each piece may be assigned to a respective solar cell arrangement based on one or more geometric and/or physical properties of the piece. The solar cell arrangement may thus be made of solar cell elements having similar characteristics and/or quality, and the overall efficiency of the solar cell arrangement may be improved. The module efficiency of a solar cell module with a solar cell arrangement can be increased, in particular since the occurrence of "bottlenecks" can be avoided.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. An apparatus (100,300,400,500) for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements, the apparatus comprising:

a separation device (110,310,530) configured for separating a first solar cell (10) into two or more first solar cell pieces; and

at least one positioning device (120,220,320,420,455,540) configured for positioning at least one first solar cell piece (11) of the two or more first solar cell pieces on a support device (130,330,430,550) so as to form a first solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements and for positioning at least one other first solar cell piece (12) of the two or more first solar cell pieces on the support device so as to form a second solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements,

wherein the at least one positioning device comprises one or more grippers,

wherein each gripper (222) of the one or more grippers comprises two or more gripper elements (224) and is configured for simultaneously fixing and moving two or more solar cells (11, 12).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each gripper of the one or more grippers comprises three, four, five, or six gripper elements (224).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more grippers is selected from the group consisting of: vacuum grippers, mechanical grippers, electrostatic grippers, motorized grippers, and any combination thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the one or more grippers is selected from the group consisting of: vacuum grippers, mechanical grippers, electrostatic grippers, motorized grippers, and any combination thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gripper element of each gripper is a suction cup configured to provide a negative pressure at a surface of a piece of solar cell to secure the piece of solar cell.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gripper element of each gripper is a suction cup configured to provide a negative pressure at a surface of a piece of solar cell to secure the piece of solar cell.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the gripper element of each gripper is a suction cup configured to provide a negative pressure at a surface of a piece of solar cell to secure the piece of solar cell.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning device further comprises a moving device configured to move the solar cell piece laterally.

9. A method for manufacturing at least two solar cell arrangements, the method comprising:

dividing each solar cell of the one or more solar cells into two or more solar cells; and

forming at least a first and a second solar cell arrangement of the at least two solar cell arrangements from the two or more solar cell pieces, wherein individual solar cell pieces of the two or more solar cell pieces are assigned to the first or the second solar cell arrangement based on one or more geometrical and/or physical properties of the solar cell pieces,

wherein the method further comprises:

clamping the two or more solar cells; and

positioning the two or more solar cell pieces on a support device to form the first and second solar cell arrangements,

wherein the method comprises

Two or more first solar cell pieces (11,12) are fixed and moved simultaneously using a gripper (222).

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising laterally moving the two or more first solar cells.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the gripper comprises two or more gripper elements (224).

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the gripper comprises three, four, five or six gripper elements (224).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the gripper element is a suction cup configured to provide a negative pressure at a surface of a piece of solar cell to secure the piece of solar cell.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the gripper element is a suction cup configured to provide a negative pressure at a surface of a piece of solar cell to secure the piece of solar cell.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the gripper is selected from the group consisting of: vacuum grippers, mechanical grippers, electrostatic grippers, motorized grippers, and any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the gripper is selected from the group consisting of: vacuum grippers, mechanical grippers, electrostatic grippers, motorized grippers, and any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the gripper is selected from the group consisting of: vacuum grippers, mechanical grippers, electrostatic grippers, motorized grippers, and any combination thereof.