Broadened Capabilities in Electrostatic Bonding for Solar Cell Cover Glasses.

This report describes the first 12 months of a program aimed at furthering the development of electrostatic bonding techniques, so that integral glass covers can be attached to a variety of solar cell types, including those with multiple-layer antireflection MLAR coatings, the vertical junction cell, and texture etched cells. The electrostatic bonding facility is described. Tests of electron darkening of cover glasses are discussed. Detailed results of efforts to apply integral covers to various groups of MLAR coated cells are given. Variations upon the program baseline cell are to be tested to determine their compatibility with the electrostatic bonding process. Variations in contact metallization tested to date are discussed. Other variations include junction depth, dimensions both lateral and thickness, and inclusion of back surface fields and wraparound contacts.