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Title: Apparatus and processes for the mass production of photovotaic modules

Patent ·
OSTI ID:874613
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. 1205 W. Elizabeth #E164, Fort Collins, CO 80521
  2. 112 Rutgers #203, Fort Collins, CO 80525
  3. 1612 Faraday Cir., Fort Collins, CO 80525
+ Show Author Affiliations

An apparatus and processes for large scale inline manufacturing of CdTe photovoltaic modules in which all steps, including rapid substrate heating, deposition of CdS, deposition of CdTe, CdCl.sub.2 treatment, and ohmic contact formation, are performed within a single vacuum boundary at modest vacuum pressures. A p+ ohmic contact region is formed by subliming a metal salt onto the CdTe layer. A back electrode is formed by way of a low cost spray process, and module scribing is performed by means of abrasive blasting or mechanical brushing through a mask. The vacuum process apparatus facilitates selective heating of substrates and films, exposure of substrates and films to vapor with minimal vapor leakage, deposition of thin films onto a substrate, and stripping thin films from a substrate. A substrate transport apparatus permits the movement of substrates into and out of vacuum during the thin film deposition processes, while preventing the collection of coatings on the substrate transport apparatus itself.

Assignee:
Barth; Kurt L. (1205 W. Elizabeth #E164, Fort Collins, CO 80521); Enzenroth; Robert A. (112 Rutgers #203, Fort Collins, CO 80525); Sampath; Walajabad S. (1612 Faraday Cir., Fort Collins, CO 80525)
Patent Number(s):
US 6423565
Application Number:
09/583,381
OSTI ID:
874613
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (8)

High temperature vapor deposition of thin film CdTe PV modules conference January 1992
RF sputtered back contacts for CdTe/CdS thin film solar cells conference January 1997
Properties of CdS/CdTe Solar Cells with C u 2 T e – A u Contacts journal September 1997
CuInSe sub 2 and CdTe: Scale-up for manufacturing report December 1989
Ceramic Thin Film CdTe Solar Cell journal November 1976
RF sputtered films of Cu-doped and N-doped ZnTe
  • Bohn, R. G.; Tabory, C. N.; Deak, C.
  • Proceedings of 1994 IEEE 1st World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion - WCPEC (A Joint Conference of PVSC, PVSEC and PSEC) https://doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.1994.519974
conference January 1994
THE CdTe THIN FILM SOLAR CELL - AN OVERVIEW journal January 1992
High-rate deposition of high-quality CdTe films for high-efficiency solar cells conference January 1991

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Related Subjects

apparatus
processes
massproduction
photovotaic
modules
scale
inline
manufacturing
cdte
photovoltaic
steps
including
rapid
substrate
heating
deposition
cds
cdclsub2
treatment
ohmic
contact
formation
performed
single
vacuum
boundary
modest
pressures
region
formed
subliming
metal
salt
layer
electrode
cost
spray
process
module
scribing
means
abrasive
blasting
mechanical
brushing
mask
facilitates
selective
substrates
films
exposure
vapor
minimal
leakage
stripping
transport
permits
movement
film
preventing
collection
coatings
metal salt
deposition processes
/438/136/