Technology Support for High-Throughput Processing of Thin-Film CdTe PV Modules Annual Technical Report, Phase II
- First Solar, L.L.C.
Results and conclusions from Phase II of a three-year subcontract are presented. The subcontract, entitled Technology Support for High-Throughput Processing of Thin-Film CdTe PV Modules, is First Solar's portion of the Thin-Film Photovoltaic Partnership Program. The research effort of this subcontract is divided into four areas of effort: (1) process and equipment development, (2) efficiency improvement, (3) characterization and analysis, and (4) environmental, health, and safety. As part of the process and equipment development effort, a new semiconductor deposition system with a throughput of 3 m2/min was completed, and a production line in a new 75,000 ft2 facility was started and is near completion. As part of the efficiency-improvement task, research was done on cells and modules with thin CdS and buffer layers as way to increase photocurrent with no loss in the other photovoltaic characteristics. A number of activities were part of the characterization and analysis task, including developing a new admittance spectroscopy system, with a range of 0.001 Hz to 100 kHz, to characterize cells. As part of the environmental, health, and safety task, the methanol-based CdCl2 process was replaced with aqueous-CdCl2. This change enabled the retention of a De Minimus level of emissions for the manufacturing plant, so no permitting is required.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-99GO10337
- OSTI ID:
- 776185
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/SR-520-29618
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
BUFFERS
CDCL2
CDS
CHARACTERIZATION AND ANALYSIS
DEPOSITION
EFFICIENCY
EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
HIGH-THROUGHPUT PROCESSING
MANUFACTURING
PHOTOCURRENTS
PHOTOVOLTAICS
PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCTION
PV MODULES
RETENTION
SAFETY
SEMICONDUCTOR DEPOSITION SYSTEM
SPECTROSCOPY
THIN-FILM CDTE