| 摘要 |
<p>987,887. Photo-electric cells. WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. Inc. March 1 1962 [March 14, 1961], No. 7963/62. Heading H1K. A solar cell assembly consists of an array of partially overlapping photovoltaic semiconductor cells 12 (Fig. 1) rigidly bonded together at the points of overlap and mounted on a ceramic base plate 11 by means of metal foil hinges 23 (Fig. 2) each attached at one limb to one of the cells and at the other to the base plate. This arrangement allows differential thermal expansion between the cells and base plate. In the embodiment shown each cell is a silicon wafer containing a PN junction parallel and close to its upper surface and is attached to adjoining wafers by lead-tinantimony solder. The hinges, which are looped to allow the aforementioned differential expansion, are of silver and are soldered at 22 to the wafers, and to metallized areas on the ceramic. An interleaf of aluminium catches any solder dropping from 22. Protection against bombarding electrons and small meteorites is provided by a series of transparent monocrystalline alumina or sapphire plates 14 held in a platinum frame 15 soft soldered to plate 11. The window assembly is preformed by clamping the plates and frame together with three intervening layers of silver, zirconium and silver respectively and heating 960-970‹ C. in dry nitrogen. The assembly and other similar assemblies electrically in series with it are held to the casing of an artificial satellite by metal tabs 18 through intermediate layers of mica 30 and epoxy resin 31.</p> |
