Abstract: The present invention provides a method for removing metal and/or metal oxide contamination from the interior of a vacuum coating reactor, the method comprising the steps of: a) performing an idle coating step by depositing a coating layer, wherein the coating layer comprises silicon; b) at least partly removing the deposited coating layer. The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for cleaning reactors in the context of solar cell manufacturing. The method is time saving and cost saving.

Abstract: The invention discloses a contacting device for a thin film solar cell, comprising a positioning plane for positioning the solar cell thereon, a contact element for electrically contacting the solar cell and a suction element, wherein the solar cell is arrangeable on the top side of the positioning plane, the contact element is arranged slideably in a direction orthogonal to the positioning plane and arranged slideably through an opening of the positioning plane, and the suction element is arranged on the bottom side of the positioning plane for sucking air through the opening. The contacting device allows for obtaining improved measurement accuracy.

Abstract: For avoiding the metallic inner surface of a PECVD reactor to influence thickness uniformity and quality uniformity of a ?c-Si layer (19) deposited on a large-surface substrate, (15) before each substrate is single treated at least parts of the addressed wall are precoated with a dielectric layer (13).