Abstract: A monolithic integrated solar module with edge reflection enhancement includes a plurality of thin-film photovoltaic cells formed overlying a surface region of a glass substrate except in vicinities of peripheral edge regions. The solar module further includes a mask tape applied on a conductor bar disposed within the peripheral edge regions and coupled with the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic cells and an edge seal material disposed within the peripheral edge regions in a vicinity of the mask tape and an end region of the glass substrate. Additionally, the solar module includes a top glass panel disposed overlying the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic cells, the mask tape, and the edge seal material. Moreover, the solar module includes a reflector structure comprising one or more angled surfaces being configured to facilitate scattering of incoming sunlight from the vicinities of the peripheral edge regions partially to the plurality of thin-film photovoltaic cells.

Abstract: A multi-terminal photovoltaic module includes an upper photovoltaic device which has a first upper electrode, an overlying upper absorber layer, an overlying upper window layer, and a second upper electrode. The upper absorber layer has an upper band gap in a first band gap range. The module also includes a lower photovoltaic device which has a first lower electrode, an overlying lower absorber layer, an overlying lower window layer, and a second lower electrode. The lower absorber layer has a lower band gap in a second band gap range. The module also includes a bonding material coupling the second upper electrode and the first lower electrode. Moreover, the module includes a first upper terminal coupling the first upper electrode and a second upper terminal coupling the second upper electrode. The module further includes a first lower terminal coupling the first lower electrode and a second lower terminal coupling the second lower electrode.

Abstract: A tandem photovoltaic cell device is disclosed including an upper and lower cell. The lower cell may comprise a glass substrate and overlying layers that may include an electrode, absorber, window layer, and a transparent conductive oxide layer. The upper cell may comprise an intermediate glass substrate and overlying layers that may include a transparent conductor, an absorber, a window layer, a second conductive oxide layer, and an upper glass material. The cells may be coupled with an optical coupling material, and edge sealing material may be disposed between the glass substrates for both the upper and lower cells.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a substrate comprising an absorber layer and an overlying window layer. The substrate is loaded into a chamber and subjected to a vacuum environment. The vacuum environment is at a pressure ranging from 0.1 Torr to about 0.02 Torr. In a specific embodiment, a mixture of reactant species derived from diethylzinc species, water species and a carrier gas is introduced into the chamber. The method further introduces a diborane species using a selected flow rate into the mixture of reactant species. A zinc oxide film is formed overlying the window layer to define a transparent conductive oxide using the selected flow rate to provide a resistivity of about 2.5 milliohm-cm and less and an average grain size of about 3000 to 5000 Angstroms.

Abstract: A system for large scale manufacture of thin film photovoltaic cells includes a chamber comprising a plurality of compartments in a common vacuum ambient therein. Additionally, the system includes one or more shutter screens removably separating each of the plurality of compartments. The system further includes one or more transfer tools configured to transfer a substrate from one compartment to another without breaking the common vacuum ambient. The substrate is optically transparent and is characterized by a lateral dimension of about 1 meter or greater for a solar module. Embodiments of the invention provide compartments configured to subject the substrate to one or more thin film processes to form a Cu-rich Cu—In composite material overlying the substrate and at least one of the plurality of compartments is configured to subject the Cu-rich Cu—In composite material to a thermal process to form a chalcogenide structured material.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a shaped thin-film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a shaped substrate member including a surface region and forming a first electrode layer overlying the surface region. Additionally, the method includes forming an absorber comprising copper species, indium species, and selenide species overlying the first electrode layer. The method further includes scribing through the absorber using a mechanical tip to form a first pattern. Furthermore, the method includes forming a window layer comprising cadmium sulfide species overlying the absorber including the first pattern. Moreover, the method includes scribing through the window layer and the absorber using the mechanical tip to form a second pattern. The second pattern is separated a distance from the first pattern.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region. A first electrode layer is formed overlying the surface region. A copper layer is formed overlying the first electrode layer and an indium layer is formed overlying the copper layer to form a multi-layered structure. The method subjects at least the multi-layered structure to a thermal treatment process in an environment containing a sulfur bearing species to form a copper indium disulfide material and a thickness of substantially copper sulfide material. The thickness of the copper sulfide material is removed to expose a surface region having a copper poor surface comprising a copper to indium atomic ratio of less than about 0.95:1. The method subjects the copper poor surface to a copper species to convert the copper poor surface from an n-type semiconductor characteristic to a p-type semiconductor characteristic.

Abstract: A method for large scale manufacture of photovoltaic devices includes loading a substrate into a load lock station and transferring the substrate in a controlled ambient to a first process station. The method includes formation of a first conductor layer overlying the surface region of the substrate. The method includes transferring the substrate to a second process station, and forming a second layer overlying the surface region of the substrate. The method further includes repeating the transferring and processing until all thin film materials of the photovoltaic devices are formed. In an embodiment, the invention also provides a method for large scale manufacture of photovoltaic devices including feed forward control. That is, the method includes in-situ monitoring of the physical, electrical, and optical properties of the thin films. These properties are used to determine and adjust process conditions for subsequent processes.

Abstract: A thin-film photovoltaic devices includes transparent conductive oxide which has embedded within it nanowires at less than 2% nominal shadowing area. The nanowires enhance the electrical conductivity of the conductive oxide.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region, forming a first electrode layer overlying the surface region, forming a copper layer overlying the first electrode layer and forming an indium layer overlying the copper layer to form a multi-layered structure. The multi-layered structure is subjected to a thermal treatment process in an environment containing a sulfur bearing species to forming a copper indium disulfide material. The copper indium disulfide material comprising a copper-to-indium atomic ratio ranging from about 1.2:1 to about 2:1 and a thickness of substantially copper sulfide material having a copper sulfide surface region. The thickness of the copper sulfide material is selectively removed to expose a surface region having a copper poor surface comprising a copper to indium atomic ratio of less than about 0.95:1.

Abstract: A method of supporting a plurality of planar substrates in a tube shaped furnace for conducting a thermal treatment process is disclosed. The method uses a boat fixture having a base frame including two length portions and a first width portion, a second width portion, and one or more middle members connected between the two length portions. Additionally, the method includes mounting a removable first grooved rod respectively on the first width portion, the second width portion, and each of the one or more middle members, each first grooved rod having a first plurality of grooves characterized by a first spatial configuration. The method further includes inserting one or two substrates of a plurality of planar substrates into each groove in the boat fixture separated by a distance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solar module formed using a powder coating and thermal treatment process. The solar module includes a substrate having a surface region and a photovoltaic material overlying the surface region. The solar module further includes a barrier material overlying the photovoltaic material. Moreover, the solar module includes a coating overlying the barrier material and enclosing the photovoltaic material to mechanically protect the photovoltaic material. In certain embodiments, photovoltaic material is a thin film photovoltaic cell and the coating is provided by a powder coating substantially free of bubbles formed by electrostatic spraying and cured with a thermal treatment process.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region and forming a first electrode layer overlying the surface region. The method forms a bulk copper indium disulfide material from a multi-layered structure comprising a copper species, an indium species, and a sulfur species overlying the first electrode layer. The bulk copper indium disulfide material comprises one or more portions of a copper poor copper indium disulfide material, a copper poor surface regions, and one or more portions of a sulfur deficient copper indium disulfide material characterized by at least a CuInS2-x species, where 0<x<2. The copper poor surface and one or more portions of the copper poor copper indium disulfide material are subjected to a sodium species derived from a sodium sulfide material to convert the copper poor surface from an n-type characteristic to a p-type characteristic.

Abstract: A method for processing a thin-film absorber material with enhanced photovoltaic efficiency includes forming a barrier layer on a soda lime glass substrate followed by formation of a stack structure of precursor layers. The method further includes subjecting the soda-lime glass substrate with the stack structure to a thermal treatment process with at least H2Se gas species at a temperature above 400° C. to cause formation of an absorber material. By positioning the substrates close together, during the process sodium from an adjoining substrate in the furnace also is incorporated into the absorber layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device having patterned electrode films includes providing a soda lime glass substrate with an overlying lower electrode layer comprising a molybdenum material. The method further includes subjecting the lower electrode layer with one or more pulses of electromagnetic radiation from a laser source to ablate one or more patterns associated with one or more berm structures from the lower electrode layer. Furthermore, the method includes processing the lower electrode layer comprising the one or more patterns using a mechanical brush device to remove the one or more berm structures followed by treating the lower electrode layer comprising the one or more patterns free from the one or more berm structures. The method further includes forming a layer of photovoltaic material overlying the lower electrode layer and forming a first zinc oxide layer overlying the layer of photovoltaic material.

Abstract: A method of processing a photovoltaic materials using a sputtering process including providing at least one transparent substrate having an overlying first electrode layer. The method further including forming an overlying copper and gallium layer using a first sputtering process within a first chamber from a first target including a copper species and a gallium species. Additionally, the method includes forming an indium layer overlying the copper and the gallium layer using a second sputtering process within the first chamber from a second target including an indium species. The method further includes forming a sodium bearing layer overlying the indium layer using a third sputtering process within the first chamber, thereby forming a composite film including the copper and gallium layer, the indium layer, and the sodium bearing layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for reactive thermal treatment of thin film photovoltaic devices includes a furnace tube including an inner wall extended from a first end to a second end. The apparatus further includes a gas supply device coupled to the second end and configured to fill one or more working gases into the furnace tube. Additionally, the apparatus includes a cover configured to seal the furnace tube at the first end and serve as a heat sink for the one or more working gases. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a fixture mechanically attached to the cover. The fixture is configured to load an array of substrates into the furnace tube as the cover seals the furnace tube. Moreover, the apparatus includes a crescent shaped baffle member disposed seamlessly at a lower portion of the inner wall for blocking a convection current of the one or more working gases cooled by the cover.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region. A first electrode layer is formed overlying the surface region. A copper layer is formed overlying the first electrode layer and an indium layer is formed overlying the copper layer to form a multi-layered structure. The method subjects at least the multi-layered structure to a thermal treatment process in an environment containing a sulfur bearing species to form a copper indium disulfide material. The copper indium disulfide material comprising a copper-to-indium atomic ratio ranging from about 1.2:1 to about 2:1 and a thickness of substantially copper sulfide material. The thickness of the copper sulfide material is removed to expose a surface region having a copper poor surface comprising a copper to indium atomic ratio of less than about 0.95:1.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic material. The method includes providing a plurality of substrates. Each of the substrates has a surface region, an overlying first electrode material, an absorber material including at least a copper species, an indium species, and a selenium species. The method immerses the plurality of substrates in an aqueous solution including an ammonia species, a cadmium species, and a organosulfur (for example, thiourea) species in a bath to form a cadmium sulfide window material having a thickness of less than about 200 Angstroms overlying the absorber material. The aqueous solution is maintained at a temperature ranging from about 50 to about 60 Degrees Celsius. The plurality of substrates having at least the absorber material and the window layer are removed from the aqueous solution. The aqueous solution is further subjected to a filter process to substantially remove one or more particles greater than about 5 microns.