Multifunctional back electrical contact for flexible thin film solar cells

• Research unit: INNOSUISSE
• Project number: 10245.1;11 PFNM-NM

Short description (English)

Multifunctional back electrical contact for flexible thin film solar cells

Abstract (English)

Production of flexible thin film solar cells and modules with roll-to-roll deposition methods offer several advantages for potentially low cost manufacturing, however suitable equipment for web (roll-to-roll) coating relevant processes are not commercially available. Appropriate web coating equipment together with a base-line deposition process is essential to facilitate manufacturing of next generation of high performance Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (called CIGS) thin film solar modules. The project will demonstrate development of next generation of high efficiency CIGS flexible thin film solar cells and monolithically interconnected modules based on 'alternative multilayer electrical back contact' that provides multi-functionality and overcomes the problems of conventionally used electrical back contact. Sputtering processes will be used to grow these stacked layers and based on a specific process know-how a proprietary design will be developed to configure a roll-to-roll coating system with rotatable cylindrical magnetron sputtering targets appropriate for cost-effective industrial production in future.