Abstract: A thin-film optoelectronic module device (100) and design method comprising at least three monolithically-interconnected cells (104, 106, 108) where at least one monolithically-interconnecting line (250) depicts a spatial periodic or quasi-periodic wave and wherein the optoelectronic surface of said thin-film optoelectronic module device (100) presents at least one set of at least three zones (210, 220, 230) having curves of substantially parallel monolithic interconnect lines. Border zones (210, 230) have a lower front-contact sheet resistance than that of internal zone (220). Said curves of substantially parallel interconnecting lines may comprise peaks of triangular or rounded shape, additional spatial periods that are smaller than a baseline period, and mappings from one curve to the adjacent curve such as in the case of non-rectangular module devices (100).

Abstract: A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ½ and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium.

Abstract: A method (200) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least one alkali metal (235), and forming at least one cavity (236, 610, 612, 613) at the surface of the absorber layer wherein forming of said at least one cavity is by dissolving away from said surface of the absorber layer at least one crystal aggregate comprising at least one alkali crystal comprising at least one alkali metal. The method (200) is advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

Abstract: A method for vias and monolithic interconnects in thin-film optoelectronic devices (100, 200) wherein at least one line segment via hole (163, 165, 165?, 167) is formed by laser drilling and passes through front-contact layers (150, 152, 154, 156, 158) and semiconductive active layer (130), and wherein laser drilling causes forming a CIGS-type wall (132, 134, 136, 138) of electrically conductive permanently metalized copper-rich CIGS-type alloy at the inner surface (135) of the via hole, thereby forming a conductive path between at least a portion of front-contact and a portion of back-contact layers (120, 124, 126, 128, 129), forming a bump-shaped raised portion (155) at the surface of the front-contact layer, forming a raised portion (125, 127, 127?) of the back-contact layer, and optionally forming a raised portion of copper-rich CIGS-type alloy (155?) covering a portion of the front-contact layer (150). A thin-film CIGS device comprises at least one line segment via hole obtainable by the method.

Abstract: A thin-film optoelectronic module device (100) and design method comprising at least three monolithically-interconnected cells (104, 106, 108) where at least one monolithically-interconnecting line (250) depicts a spatial periodic or quasi-periodic wave and wherein the optoelectronic surface of said thin-film optoelectronic module device (100) presents at least one set of at least three zones (210, 220, 230) having curves of substantially parallel monolithic interconnect lines. Border zones (210, 230) have a lower front-contact sheet resistance than that of internal zone (220). Said curves of substantially parallel interconnecting lines may comprise peaks of triangular or rounded shape, additional spatial periods that are smaller than a baseline period, and mappings from one curve to the adjacent curve such as in the case of non-rectangular module devices (100).

Abstract: A method to fabricate thin-film photovoltaic devices including a photovoltaic Cu(In,Ga)Se2 or equivalent ABC absorber layer, such as an ABC2 layer, deposited onto a back-contact layer characterized in that the method includes at least five deposition steps, during which the pair of third and fourth steps are sequentially repeatable, in the presence of at least one C element over one or more steps. In the first step at least one B element is deposited, followed in the second by deposition of A and B elements at a deposition rate ratio Ar/Br, in the third at a ratio Ar/Br lower than the previous, in the fourth at a ratio Ar/Br higher than the previous, and in the fifth depositing only B elements to achieve a final ratio A/B of total deposited elements.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a compound film comprising a substrate and at least one additional layer is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of depositing at least two chemical elements on the substrate and/or on the at least one additional layer using depositions sources, maintaining depositing of the at least two chemical elements while the substrate and the deposition sources are being moved relative to each other, measuring the compound film properties, particularly being compound film thickness, compound-film overall composition, and compound-film composition in one or several positions of the compound film, comparing the predefined values for the compound film properties to the measured compound film properties, and adjusting the deposition of the at least two chemical elements in case the measured compound film properties do not match the predefined compound film properties.

Abstract: A method (200) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least one alkali metal (235), and forming at least one cavity (236, 610, 612, 613) at the surface of the absorber layer wherein forming of said at least one cavity is by dissolving away from said surface of the absorber layer at least one crystal aggregate comprising at least one alkali crystal comprising at least one alkali metal. The method (200) is advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

Abstract: A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ½ and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium.

Abstract: A method to fabricate monolithically-integrated optoelectronic module apparatuses (100) comprising at least two series-interconnected optoelectronic components (104, 106, 108). The method includes deposition and scribing on an insulating substrate or superstate (110) of a 3-layer stack in order (a, b, c) or (c, b, a) comprising: (a) back-contact electrodes (122, 124, 126, 128), (b) semiconductive layer (130), and (c) front-contact components (152, 154, 156, 158). Via holes (153, 155, 157) are drilled so that heat of the drilling process causes a metallization at the surface of said via holes that renders conductive the semi-conductive layer's surface (132, 134, 136, 138) of said via holes, thereby establishing series-interconnecting electrical paths between optoelectronic components (104, 106, 108) by connecting first front-contact components (154, 156) to second back-contact electrodes (124, 126).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a compound film comprising a substrate and at least one additional layer is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of depositing at least two chemical elements on the substrate and/or on the at least one additional layer using depositions sources, maintaining depositing of the at least two chemical elements while the substrate and the deposition sources are being moved relative to each other, measuring the compound film properties, particularly being compound film thickness, compound-film overall composition, and compound-film composition in one or several positions of the compound film, comparing the predefined values for the compound film properties to the measured compound film properties, and adjusting the deposition of the at least two chemical elements in case the measured compound film properties do not match the predefined compound film properties.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a compound film comprising a substrate and at least one additional layer is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of depositing at least two chemical elements on the substrate and/or on the at least one additional layer using depositions sources, maintaining depositing of the at least two chemical elements while the substrate and the deposition sources are being moved relative to each other, measuring the compound film properties, particularly being compound film thickness, compound-film overall composition, and compound-film composition in one or several positions of the compound film, comparing the predefined values for the compound film properties to the measured compound film properties, and adjusting the deposition of the at least two chemical elements in case the measured compound film properties do not match the predefined compound film properties.

Abstract: A method to fabricate thin-film photovoltaic devices (100) comprising a photovoltaic Cu(In,Ga)Se2 or equivalent ABC absorber layer (130), such as an ABC2 layer, deposited onto a back-contact layer (120) characterized in that said method comprises at least five deposition steps, wherein the pair of third and fourth steps are sequentially repeatable, in the presence of at least one C element over one or more steps. In the first step at least one B element is deposited, followed in the second by deposition of A and B elements at a deposition rate ratio Ar/Br, in the third at a ratio Ar/Br lower than the previous, in the fourth at a ratio Ar/Br higher than the previous, and in the fifth depositing only B elements to achieve a final ratio A/B of total deposited elements.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a compound film comprising a substrate and at least one additional layer is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of depositing at least two chemical elements on the substrate and/or on the at least one additional layer using depositions sources, maintaining depositing of the at least two chemical elements while the substrate and the deposition sources are being moved relative to each other, measuring the compound film properties, particularly being compound film thickness, compound-film overall composition, and compound-film composition in one or several positions of the compound film, comparing the predefined values for the compound film properties to the measured compound film properties, and adjusting the deposition of the at least two chemical elements in case the measured compound film properties do not match the predefined compound film properties.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for laser beam processing of an element (12) that has a total transmittance for light of at least 10?5, comprising a laser unit (1) for generating a laser beam on one side of the to-be-processed element (12), an illumination unit (7), an imaging system (10) comprising a sensor unit on the one side of the to-be-processed element (12), the sensor unit recording residual light that results from light of the illumination unit (7), a scanning unit (2) for adjusting the laser beam processing position, and a control unit. The control unit is operatively connected to the laser unit (1), the imaging system (10) and the scanning unit (2), and the illumination unit (7) is positioned on the other side of the to-be-processed element (12) in relation to the laser unit (1). Since the to-be-processed element (12) allows light to pass through an otherwise opaque or almost opaque layer, a good contrast is obtained that is used to determine the position of the laser beam with high precision.

Abstract: A method to fabricate monolithically-integrated optoelectronic module apparatuses (100) comprising at least two series-interconnected optoelectronic components (104, 106, 108). The method includes deposition and scribing on an insulating substrate or superstate (110) of a 3-layer stack in order (a, b, c) or (c, b, a) comprising: (a) back-contact electrodes (122, 124, 126, 128), (b) semiconductive layer (130), and (c) front-contact components (152, 154, 156, 158). Via holes (153, 155, 157) are drilled so that heat of the drilling process causes a metallization at the surface of said via holes that renders conductive the semi-conductive layer's surface (132, 134, 136, 138) of said via holes, thereby establishing series-interconnecting electrical paths between optoelectronic components (104, 106, 108) by connecting first front-contact components (154, 156) to second back-contact electrodes (124, 126).