Patrick Y. Maeda

Micro chiplet printer for micro-scale photovoltaic system assembly

The micro-CPV concept uses an array of micro unit cells (or elements) such that the material usage, weight, and the required structural strength can all be scaled down favorably. Unfortunately, one of the essential unfavorable scaling factors is the assembly cost due to the many micro scale components that must be deposited, positioned, oriented, and connected over large areas. By using a dynamic electric field template, we successfully demonstrate chiplet printing - assembling a desired solar cell chip at a designated location with well controlled orientation. Xerographic printing systems utilizing this method can be extended to provide high-throughput, on-demand heterogeneous assembly of micro-CPV systems.