Abstract: A photovoltaic device comprising a photovoltaic layer between a substrate and a cover plate, which cover plate is transparent in an area above the photovoltaic layer, wherein the cover plate overlaps the photovoltaic layer, and wherein the cover, in an area adjacent to the photovoltaic layer, is opaque; a method of encapsulating a photovoltaic device with such a cover plate, and the use of such a cover plate for encapsulating a photovoltaic device, for protecting polymeric sealant material present adjacent the photovoltaic layer from light induced degradation and/or for protecting the encapsulated photovoltaic device from thermal stress during due to light irradiation.

Abstract: A process for annealing large-area multilayer bodies by supplying a quantity of energy at an annealing rate of at least 1° C./s. To suppress temperature inhomogeneities during the annealing, different partial quantities of the quantity of energy are supplied to the layers of the multilayer body with a local and temporal resolution. The multilayer body is annealed in a container which has a base and a cover made from glass-ceramic. The process is used to produce a thin-film solar module.

Abstract: An appliance for the simultaneous tempering and processing of a plurality of process items with the aid of electromagnetic radiation. The appliance is a stack oven, the process items and the energy sources being arranged on one another in such a way that a process item is present between two energy sources and an energy source is present between two process items. The appliance is particularly suitable for tempering the process items in the presence of a process gas. Using the appliance, a variable heating and cooling profile with variable process parameters is possible. In particular, reliable tempering of a process item in the form of a large-area multilayer body with layers of different physical properties is possible.

Abstract: A process for annealing large-area multilayer bodies by supplying a quantity of energy at an annealing rate of at least 1° C./s. To suppress temperature inhomogeneities during the annealing, different partial quantities of the quantity of energy are supplied to the layers of the multilayer body with a local and temporal resolution. The multilayer body is annealed in a container which has a base and a cover made from glass-ceramic. The process is used to produce a thin-film solar module.

Abstract: A process for annealing large-area multilayer bodies by supplying a quantity of energy at an annealing rate of at least 1° C./s. To suppress temperature inhomogeneities during the annealing, different partial quantities of the quantity of energy are supplied to the layers of the multilayer body with a local and temporal resolution. The multilayer body is annealed in a container which has a base and a cover made from glass-ceramic. The process is used to produce a thin-film solar module.

Abstract: A method and for heat-treating at least one material being processed (3) under a specific process-gas atmosphere (111) of at least one process gas (4) with the aid of a heat-treatment unit (6). The heat-treatment unit has at least one energy source (5) for making the material being processed (3) take up an amount of energy, a heat-treatment container (11) with a heat-treatment space (16) for keeping the material being processed (3) under the process-gas atmosphere (111) during the heat treatment, a heat-treatment chamber (13), in which the heat-treatment container (11) is arranged at a distance (18) from the heat-treatment chamber (13), so that there is an intermediate space (14) between the heat-treatment container (11) and the heat-treatment chamber (13), and an element (19, 191) for producing in the intermediate space (14) a further gas atmosphere (141) of a further gas, different from the process-gas atmosphere (111).

Abstract: A solar cell has a chalcopyrite absorber layer that is applied on the substrate side over an adhesive layer which is chosen from chromium, titanium, tantalum, and titanium nitride.

Abstract: A substrate-independent manufacturing method for a solar cell with chalcopyrite absorber layer (4, 5) is proposed wherein a desired alkali content is obtained in the finished absorber layer by dosed addition of Na, K, or Li during the manufacturing process. An additional drive-in of alkali ions from a potentially alkali-containing substrate (1) is prevented by providing a diffusion barrier layer (2) between substrate and absorber layer.

Abstract: To produce a polycrystalline, single-phase compound semiconductor layer of the chalcopyrite type ABC.sub.2, it is proposed to deposit, on a substrate, a layer structure which comprises a plurality of layers and which contains the components in elemental form, as an interelemental compound or as an alloy, the component C being present in stoichiometric excess. In a rapid annealing process with a heating rate of at least 10.degree. C./s to a processing temperature of at least 350.degree. C., the layer structure is converted into the compound semiconductor ABC.sub.2 even after a few seconds, the gas exchange being limited by encapsulation of the layer structure, with the result that an evaporation of the most volatile components is prevented. Highly efficient solar cells can be produced from the semiconductor.