Wedged channel vertical junction silicon solar cell

Claim 1

A vertical junction solar cell comprising: a. a semiconductor substrate of predetermined thickness having substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces: b. a plurality of spaced, electrically conducting strips on said upper surface and separating said upper surface into a plurality of distinct active areas, and an electrical header strip joining said conducting strips to provide a first electrical contact for said cell; c. a second electrical contact on said lower surface; and d. a multiplicity of channels formed in each of said active areas, said channels having a depth substantially less than said substrate thickness and being arranged along the lengths thereof in substantially parallel rows, each row comprising a plurality of said channels defined by a plurality of thin vertical ribs of said substrate between adjacent rows which include the vertical junctions of said cell, and by a plurality of regions of said substrate between proximate ends of said channels in each row, each of said channels in each row having adjacent thereto and near its midpoint at least one said region of an adjacent row, whereby each of said channels in each row is offset with respect to corresponding channels in the adjacent rows.