DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The amendment of April 12, 2026 is considered herein.
Claims 1 and 4 have been amended.
Claims 3, 5, and 6 have been cancelled.
Claims 1, 2, 4, and 7-14 are pending, with claims 10, and 12-14 are withdrawn.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 7-9, and 11 are considered on the merits herein.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 8, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HAN et al (CN110335920A, wherein the English machine translation attached herein is utilized for citations within the rejections), in view of CHUNG (US PG PUB 2011/0300664A1).
Regarding claim 1, HAN et al teaches photovoltaic module comprising at least a string (figures 8 and 9) comprising at least a first and a second photovoltaic cell (center stack of figure 8 and left most stack of figure 8) and a connector (120) that electrically couples the first and the second photovoltaic cell (connection via 120 to electrodes (103/104, see example 1 for connectivity), each of the first and second photovoltaic cell comprising:
- a respective photovoltaic conversion region (108) delimited by a respective main front surface (top side of 108) and a respective main rear surface (bottom side of 108) opposite to each other; and
- a respective first electrode structure (103) and a respective second electrode structure (104), which are formed of conductive material (obvious as they function as electrodes) and extend respectively on the main front surface (top side) and on the main rear surface (bottom side);
characterized in that the connector (120) is formed a single element (120, see figure 8) formed entirely of a composite material (“conductive paste” or “conductive adhesive”) comprising a support matrix (resin matrix, 1st paragraph of page 9) and electrically conductive particles (1st paragraph of page 9); and wherein the connector (120) comprises a respective first end portion (that over component 103) and a respective second end portion (that over component 104), which respectively contact the second electrode structure (104) of the first photovoltaic cell (center cell of figure 8) and the first electrode structure (103) of the second photovoltaic cell (left most cell of figure 8); wherein the first and the second end portions (areas over 103/104)) are in direct contact respectively with the second electrode structure of the first photovoltaic cell and the first electrode structure of the second photovoltaic cell (see figure 8).
While HAN et al teaches the use of a flowable, then cured (1st paragraph of page 9 and steps 9 and 10 of example 2) conductive adhesive (glue) comprising resin matrix with conductive adhesive (1st paragraph of page 9), HAN et al is silent to the composite material comprising a thermoplastic polymer and expressly teaching electrically conductive particles which are dispersed in the thermoplastic polymer support matrix.
CHUNG teaches solar cell interconnection into a panel utilizing melt flowable electrically conductive adhesive, abstract, just as in HAN et al. CHUNG further teaches the electrically conductive adhesive to comprise thermoplastic materials with electrically conductive particles embedded therein (paragraph 0050]) by flowing the adhesive into the desired area then curing (paragraph [0082]). Paragraph [0115] teaches the thermoplastic adhesives are preferred due to their lack of crosslinking needed for strength and minimized heat time.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to utilize the conductive thermoplastic adhesive of CHUNG for the conductive adhesive of HAN et al because the conductive adhesive of CHUNG allows for minimized heat time needed, while still achieving the desired strength and connection.
Regarding claim 2, CHUNG teaches the support matrix (thermoplastic material) has a fusion temperature lower than 220°C (paragraph [0055]).
Regarding claim 7, CHUNG teaches the electrically conductive particles are formed of at least one conductive material chosen from: silver and copper in paragraph [0050].
Regarding claim 8, modified HAN et al teaches further comprising an encapsulant region (step 10, page 12 of HAN et al, “encapsulated” solar cells in the abstract of CHUNG), inside which the first and second photovoltaic cell (figure 8 HAN et al, 400 of CHUNG figure 5) are arranged, coplanar with each other (see figures 8 HAN et al and 5 of CHUNG); and wherein the connector (120) further comprises a coupling portion (vertical portion of connection 120 of HAN et al) that connects the first and the second end portion (horizontal portions of connection 120 of HAN et al) and that extends into a portion of the encapsulant region interposed between the first and the second photovoltaic cell (figure 2, paragraph [0049] of CHUNG).
Regarding claim 11, modified HAN et al teaches the first and the second photovoltaic cell are heterojunction photovoltaic cells (claim 5 of HAN et al).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HAN et al, in view of CHUNG and SUZUKI (EP2749620A1).
Regarding claim 4, both HAN et al and CHUNG teach generic recitations of resin or thermoplastic polymers of use in the adhesive and therefore fail to teach the thermoplastic polymer matrix is formed of at least a material selected from: a polystyrene-based material; the copolymer acrylonitrile-styrene; polymethylmethacrylate; polycarbonate; polylactic acid; a natural polymer; a natural rubber; a vulcanized rubber; a chloroprene rubber; an epichlorohydrin rubber; a fluoroelastomer rubber; a hydrogenated nitrile rubber; a nitrile rubber; a perfluoroelastomer rubber; a polyacrylic rubber; a silicone rubber comprising polymers of: styrene; butadiene; olefins; esters; amides; urethane.
SUZUKI et al teaches a conductive adhesive film (20) with a thermoplastic matrix and electroconductive particles (“conductive particles, paragraph [0017]) for connection of adjacent solar cells in figure 3, just as in modified HAN et al. SUZUKI et al further teaches the use of PMMA or acrylic resin in paragraphs [0013] and [0014] of use as the support matrix to sufficiently hold and support the particles.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the PMMA or acrylic materials of SUZUKI for the thermoplastic matrix of modified HAN et al because the use of the specific material of SUZUKI will provide the same desired and predicted result within the adhesive of modified HAN et al of conductive particle carrying.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HAN et al, in view of CHUNG and HISHIDA et al (US PG PUB 20080121265).
Regarding claim 9, modified HAN et al teaches a pair of electrodes on each side of the electrode structures, but fails to elaborate on their structure consistent with the claim scope.
HISHIDA et al teaches a solar module comprising a first (11a/11b/21a/21b) and second electrode structure (rear side, paragraph [0028]) utilizing a connector (2/13, connector interpreted to include the adhesive 13) to connect adjacent cells within a string (as shown in figures 1, 2a and 2b), just as in HAN et al and CHUNG. HISHIDA et al further teaches the first electrode structure (top side of 10a or 10b shown in figure 2B) comprising
-at least a respective first and a respective second front group of first front electrodes (21a/21b, wherein the groups of finger electrodes of HISHIDA et al are randomly selected (such as group 1 being the finger electrodes on an edge of module 10b and group 2 being finger electrodes of between component 11b)) having elongated shapes parallel to a first direction (wherein extension toward the top of the page is interpreted as the Y axis and first direction) and arranged on the main front surface (10a/10b), the first front electrodes of each of the first and second front group being offset parallel to a second direction (second direction being across the page horizontally, offset shown in figure 2B), the first and the second front group being offset parallel to the first direction (the finger electrodes of each section are separated from each other in the vertical direction of figure 2b, moreover, the finger electrode structure looks identical in HISHIDA et al to that of the instant application);
- at least a respective pair of second front electrodes (11a/11b) having elongated shapes parallel to the second direction (extending across the page, second direction) and arranged on the main front surface (10a/10b), the pair of second front electrodes (11a/11b) being interposed between the first and the second front group (shown in figure 2B to separate the two groups detailed above) of first front electrodes (21a/21b), so that each second front electrode (11a/11b) contacts a corresponding group of said first and second front group of first front electrodes (21a/21b, see figure 2B), the pair of second front electrodes (11a/11b) laterally delimiting a corresponding front cavity (23), which is further delimited by a corresponding exposed portion of the main front surface (10a)(see figure 3);
and wherein each second electrode structure (wherein paragraph [0028] teaches the front and back to have the same structure. The citations below are made to the front surface components, but understood based on the above citation, to be reflective of the components on the rear side) comprises:
- at least one respective first and one respective second rear group of first rear electrodes (21a/21b, wherein the groups of finger electrodes of HISHIDA et al are randomly selected (such as group 1 being the finger electrodes on an edge of module 10b and group 2 being finger electrodes of between component 11b)) having elongated shapes parallel to the first direction (wherein extension toward the top of the page is interpreted as the Y axis and first direction) and arranged on the main rear surface (10a/10b, but on the rear side), the first rear electrodes (21a/21b) of each of the first and the second rear group being offset parallel to the second direction (second direction being across the page horizontally, offset shown in figure 2B), the first and the second rear group being offset parallel to the first direction (the finger electrodes of each section are separated from each other in the vertical direction of figure 2b, moreover, the finger electrode structure looks identical in HISHIDA et al to that of the instant application);
- at least one respective pair of second rear electrodes (11a/11b) having elongated shapes parallel to the second direction (extending across the page, second direction) and arranged on the main rear surface (10a/10b, per paragraph [0028]), the pair of second front electrodes (11a/11b) being interposed between the first and the second rear group of first rear electrodes (21a/21b), so that each second rear electrode (11a/11b) contacts a corresponding group of said first and second rear group of first rear electrodes (21a/21b, see figure 2B), the pair of second rear electrodes (11a/11b) laterally delimiting a corresponding rear cavity (23), which is further delimited by a corresponding exposed portion of the main rear surface (10a/10b);
wherein the first end portion of the connector (portion of 2/13 under the second cell in figure 1) extends into the rear cavity (23) of the first photovoltaic cell (1b per figure 1, see figure 3 for extension into the cavity), in contact with the corresponding second rear electrodes (11b) and with the corresponding exposed portion of the main rear surface (10a of figure 3) of the first photovoltaic cell (1b of figure 1) (per figures 2b/3) (to be clear, the figures show the arrangement per the front side, but discuss the presence of this structure on the rear as well in paragraph [0028]);
and wherein the second end portion of the connector (portion of 2/13 over the left cell of figure 1) extends into the front cavity (23) of the second photovoltaic cell (1a per figure 1, see figure 3 for extension into cavity), in contact with the corresponding second front electrodes (11a) and with the corresponding exposed portion of the main front surface (10a) of the second photovoltaic cell (1a of figure 1). Paragraph [0059] teaches the use of the openings within the bus bar electrodes to allow direction connection between the connector (2/13) and semiconductor substrate (10) to increase adhesive strength and increase surfaces for the connector to adhere to the substrate (increasing adhesion). Moreover, paragraph [0028] details the use of a full back face electrode or the finger/busbar layout are reasonable arrangements for the rear electrode.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute the finger/busbar back contact arrangement of HISHIDA et al for that of the generic electrode teaching of HAN et al, because the use of either will render the same predictable result of electrical collection. Moreover, the substitution of the specific finger electrode and bus bar combination with openings of HISHIDA et al for the electrodes of modified HAN et al would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art because it allows for increased adhesion between the connectors and substrates.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and its dependents have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/KOURTNEY R S CARLSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 6/20/2026
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