Novel Inline Deposition System for High Performance CIGS Solar Cells

CIG(铜铟镓硒)太阳能电池结构已被确定为对下一代太阳能发电具有重要技术意义。它们的优点是生产成本大大低于晶体器件，并提供比其他非晶态光伏材料更高的效率。目前，CIGS太阳能电池通常使用三个独立的沉积系统生产--两个用于电接触，一个用于CIGS层。该项目旨在通过将所有进程合并为一个系统来消除对三个独立系统的需求。这提供了两个重要的优势，最终将提高该工艺的竞争力；初始资本设备成本将低于三个单独的真空沉积系统，并且该系统的内嵌性质将允许比传统批处理系统更高的生产能力。该系统还将演示轧辊涂布和连续生产量系统的概念验证。除了上述制造优势外，该系统还将被CREST(可再生能源系统中心)经验丰富的CIGS开发团队广泛使用，拉夫堡大学还将开发新型高效CIGS电池结构/进一步提高CIGS技术与主流能源相比的竞争力。高性能CIGS的工艺开发将通过拉夫堡PI的现有专业知识及其通过集成真空沉积系统方法标准化商业CIGS程序的经验丰富的团队来建立。设备不同材料层的沉积和表征是另一个重要方面，它也将通过位于拉夫堡的现有材料表征设施在其开发的不同阶段进行。最后，将使用CREST的现有设备对小面积和大面积(最小模块)CIGS设备进行性能测试，以测试系统产生的成品设备的性能，其中激光划片以及标准的大面积模块测试太阳能模拟器均可就地使用。

CIGS (copper indium gallium sellenide) solar cell structures have been identified as technologically important for the next generation of solar power production. They offer the advantages of being substantially less expensive to produce than crystalline devices and offer higher efficiencies than other non-crystalline photovoltaic materials. Currently, CIGS solar cells are typically produced using three separate deposition systems - two for the electrical contacts and one for the CIGS layer. The project aims to eliminate the requirement for three separate systems by combining all the processes into one system. This offers two important advantages that will ultimately result in the improved competitiveness of the process; the initial capital equipment cost will be lower than for three individual vacuum deposition systems and the inline nature of the system will allow higher throughput than conventional batch systems. The system will also demonstrate the proof of concept for roll-to-roll coating and continuous throughput systems. In addition to the manufacturing advantages described above the system will be used extensively by the experienced CIGS development team at CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems), Loughborough University will develop novel high efficiency CIGS cell structures / further increasing the competitiveness of CIGS technology in comparison to mainstream energy sources. The process developement for high performance CIGS would be established through the available expertise with the PI at Loughborough along with its experienced team in standardising the procedure for commercial CIGS production through an integrated vaccum deposition system approach. The depostion and characterisation of different material layers of the device is another important aspect that will also be done at various stages of its development through the existing materials characterisation facilities at Loughborough. Finally the finished device resulting out of the system will be tested for its performance using the existing faciltities at CREST on small as well as large area (minimodule) CIGS devices, for which laser scribing as well standard large area module testing Solar simulators are available at place.