Patent attributes
A photovoltaic cell has electrodes, p- and n-junctions, and a heat sink. The heat sink is on a side of the cell opposite to the light-receiving side of the photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell may also have heat-conducting channels within an interior of the photovoltaic cell that conduct heat from the interior of the photovoltaic cell to the heat sink. The heat sink can remove heat caused by light absorbed by the photovoltaic cell but not converted to electricity as well as heat generated by resistance to high current passing through electrodes of the photovoltaic cell. A module formed of such cells can exhibit greater energy conversion efficiency as a result of the ability to dissipate the heat. A method of making a solar cell or module involves e.g. laminating a heat sink to a photovoltaic cell as described above.
