Manufacturing method for large-scale production of thin-film solar cells
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising:
- passing a web substrate from an input module to an output module through a plurality of independently isolated, connected process modules at the same time such that the web substrate continuously extends from the input module to the output module while passing through the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules;
depositing a conductive film on a surface of the substrate;
depositing at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer on the conductive film, wherein the p-type semiconductor absorber layer includes a copper indium diselenide (CIS) based alloy material, and wherein the deposition of the p-type semiconductor absorber layer includes sputtering the CIS based alloy material from a pair of conductive targets;
depositing an n-type semiconductor layer on the p-type semiconductor absorber layer to form a p-n junction; and
depositing a transparent electrically conductive top contact layer on the n-type semiconductor layer;
wherein each of the conductive film, the at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer, the n-type semiconductor layer and the transparent electrically conductive top contact layer are deposited at the same time on the web substrate in a respective one of the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of manufacturing improved thin-film solar cells entirely by sputtering includes a high efficiency back contact/reflecting multi-layer containing at least one barrier layer consisting of a transition metal nitride. A copper indium gallium diselenide (Cu(InxGa1-x)Se2) absorber layer (X ranging from 1 to approximately 0.7) is co-sputtered from specially prepared electrically conductive targets using dual cylindrical rotary magnetron technology. The band gap of the absorber layer can be graded by varying the gallium content, and by replacing the gallium partially or totally with aluminum. Alternately the absorber layer is reactively sputtered from metal alloy targets in the presence of hydrogen selenide gas. RF sputtering is used to deposit a non-cadmium containing window layer of ZnS. The top transparent electrode is reactively sputtered aluminum doped ZnO. A unique modular vacuum roll-to-roll sputtering machine is described. The machine is adapted to incorporate dual cylindrical rotary magnetron technology to manufacture the improved solar cell material in a single pass.
153 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising:
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passing a web substrate from an input module to an output module through a plurality of independently isolated, connected process modules at the same time such that the web substrate continuously extends from the input module to the output module while passing through the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules; depositing a conductive film on a surface of the substrate; depositing at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer on the conductive film, wherein the p-type semiconductor absorber layer includes a copper indium diselenide (CIS) based alloy material, and wherein the deposition of the p-type semiconductor absorber layer includes sputtering the CIS based alloy material from a pair of conductive targets; depositing an n-type semiconductor layer on the p-type semiconductor absorber layer to form a p-n junction; and depositing a transparent electrically conductive top contact layer on the n-type semiconductor layer; wherein each of the conductive film, the at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer, the n-type semiconductor layer and the transparent electrically conductive top contact layer are deposited at the same time on the web substrate in a respective one of the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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14. A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising:
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passing a metallic web substrate from an input module to an output module through a plurality of independently isolated, connected process modules at the same time such that the web substrate continuously extends from the input module to the output module while passing though the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules; sputtering a conductive film on a surface of the substrate in a first process module; sputtering at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer on the conductive film in a second process module, wherein the p-type semiconductor absorber layer includes a copper indium diselenide (CIS) based alloy material; sputtering an n-type semiconductor layer on the p-type semiconductor absorber in a third process module layer to form a p-n junction; and sputtering a transparent electrically conductive top contact layer on the n-type semiconductor layer in a fourth process module; wherein each of the conductive film, the at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer, the n-type semiconductor layer and the transparent electrically conductive top contact layer are deposited at the same time on the web substrate in a respective one of the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification