Abstract: Solar cells are glassed mechanically to form solar cell stacks, each having a protective coverslide adhesively bonded to the active face of a solar cell, by relative movement of assembly fixtures past a solar cell dispenser which places a solar cell on each fixture, a following adhesive dispenser which applies adhesive to the active face of each cell, and a final coverslide dispenser which applies a coverslide to each cell to form an adhesively bonded cell stack. The preferred adhesive is a liquid adhesive which is applied to a central region only of each active cell face, then spreads over the entire cell face by capillary flow following application of the cell coverslide, and is finally cured by relative movement of the cell stack through an oven or the like.

Abstract: A method for forming a solar array strip including the steps of depositing solder pads on printed circuitry deposited on flexible substrate storing the resulting substrate on a drum, withdrawing the substrate from the drum and incrementally advancing it along a linear path, serially transporting solderless solar cells into engagement with the pads and thereafter heating the pads for thus attaching the cells to the printed circuitry, cleaning excess flux from the solar cells, encapsulating the cells in a protective coating and thereafter spirally winding the resulting array on a drum.

Abstract: A machine for attaching solar cells to a flexible substrate having printed circuitry deposited thereon. The strip is fed through a first station in which solar cells are elevated into engagement with solder pads for the printed circuitry and thereafter heated by an infrared lamp, a second station at which flux and solder residue is removed, a third station at which electrical performance of the soldered cells is determined, a fourth station at which an encapsulating resin is deposited on the cells, a fifth station at which the encapsulated solar cells are examined for electrical performance and a final station at which the resulting array is wound on a take-up drum.

Abstract: Providing printed circuitry in a sandwiched relation with a pair of flexible layers of non-conductive material, depositing solder pads on the printed circuitry and storing the resulting substrate on a drum, withdrawing the substrate from the drum and incrementally advancing it along a linear path, serially transporting solderless solar cells into engagement with the pads and thereafter heating the pads for thus attaching the cells to the circuitry, cleaning excess flux from the solar cells, encapsulating the cells in a protective coating and thereafter spirally winding the resulting array on a drum.

Abstract: A grid pattern for a solar cell of the type including a semiconductive layer doped to a first polarity and a top counter-doped layer. The grid pattern comprises a plurality of concentric conductive grids of selected geometric shapes which are centered about the center of the exposed active surface of the counter-doped layer. Connected to the grids is one or more conductors which extend to the cell's periphery. For the pattern area, the grids and conductors are arranged in the pattern to minimize the maximum distance which any injected majority carriers have to travel to reach any of the grids or conductors. The pattern has a multi-axes symmetry with respect to the cell center to minimize the maximum temperature differentials between points on the cell surface and to provide a more uniform temperature distribution across the cell face.