Advanced CIGS Photovoltaic Technology: Annual Technical Report--Phase II, 15 November 2002--14 November 2003

Technical Report · Sat May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/15007603· OSTI ID:15007603

Delahoy, A E; Chen, L

The objective of this subcontract is to develop and integrate the various pieces of new technology that EPV considers enabling for cost-effective production of CIGS modules. EPV has conducted research to help generate a technology base for production of CIGS PV modules using vacuum deposition of CIGS onto glass. This strategy is consistent with the observation that, despite there being several approaches to forming device-quality CIGS, vacuum deposition has maintained the world record for the highest-efficiency CIGS device. A record thin-film solar cell efficiency of 19.2% (with Ni-Al grid and MgF2 ARC) for a 0.41-cm2 device was achieved by NREL in 2003 using vacuum-deposited CIGS. The deposition employed four point sources and detection of the Cu-poor to Cu-rich transition for process control. To extend this type of processing to the realm of large-area substrates, EPV developed vacuum equipment designed for heating and coating 0.43-m2 moving substrates, with a projected further scale up to 0.79 m2. The substrates are typically low-cost, soda-lime glass, and the materials are supplied to the moving substrates using novel linear-source technology developed by EPV. The use of elemental selenium rather than toxic H2Se gas helps make for a safe manufacturing environment. These choices concerning film deposition, substrates, and source materials help to minimize the processing costs of CIGS.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-99-GO10337
• OSTI ID: 15007603
• Report Number(s): NREL/SR-520-35922; ZDJ-2-30630-21; TRN: US200419%%271
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 1 May 2004; Related Information: Prepared by Energy Photovoltaics, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COATINGS
DEPOSITION
DETECTION
EFFICIENCY
GLASS
HEATING
MANUFACTURING
POINT SOURCES
PROCESS CONTROL
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
SELENIUM
SOLAR CELLS
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
SOLAR ENERGY
PV
THIN FILM
SOLAR CELL
VACUUM DEPOSITION
CU(IN
GA)SE2
CIGS
MANUFACTURER
LARGE-SCALE PROCESS
MODULE RELIABILITY
SODA-LIME GLASS
MAGNETRON SPUTTERING
LINEAR-SOURCE TECHNOLOGY
SAFETY
SOLAR ENERGY - PHOTOVOLTAICS