Abstract: Recycling process for CdTe/CdS thin film-solar cell modules in which the modules are mechanically disintegrated into module fragments, the module fragments are exposed to an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature of at least 300° C. causing a pyrolysis of adhesive material contained in the module fragments in form of a hydrocarbon based plastics material and the gaseous decomposition products that are generated during the pyrolysis are discharged, and, afterwards, the module fragments freed from the adhesive means are exposed to a chlorine-containing gas atmosphere at a temperature of more than 400° C. causing an etching process wherein the CdCl2 and TeCl4 that are generated in the etching process are made to condense and precipitate by cooling.

Abstract: Process and separating device for the production of a thin film solar module (10) comprising a plurality of solar cells (11) arranged side-by-side on a common substrate (12), which are produced by employing a plurality of layer deposition steps and layer separating steps during the course of cell production and which are electrically interconnected with one another, wherein after the application of a first contact layer (14) on substrate (12) and the cell-wise separation thereof a pn double layer (16) is applied on a contact layer and, thereafter, is mechanically separated in that a scraping cutting tool serving as separating device scrapes, by a relative movement to the coated substrate, a cell structure into said pn double layer, wherein said cutting tool slides, preferably without being raised or rotated, with a plane sliding surface of a flattened tip on said first contact layer (14) which has a higher hardness than said pn double layer (16).

Abstract: In a method of activating CdTe thin-film solar cells, substrates provided with a CdS layer and the CdTe layer are exposed to a gas mixture containing HCl, oxygen and nitrogen at an elevated temperature and at a total pressure below atmospheric pressure, the HCl partial pressure of the gas mixture being set at levels between 0.002 % and 0.2 % of the total gas pressure.

Abstract: Recycling process for CdTe/CdS thin film-solar cell modules in which the modules are mechanically disintegrated into module fragments, the module fragments are exposed to an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature of at least 300° C. causing a pyrolysis of adhesive material contained in the module fragments in form of a hydrocarbon based plastics material and the gaseous decomposition products that are generated during the pyrolysis are discharged, and, afterwards, the module fragments freed from the adhesive means are exposed to a chlorine-containing gas atmosphere at a temperature of more than 400° C. causing an etching process wherein the CdCl2 and TeCl4 that are generated in the etching process are made to condense and precipitate by cooling.

Abstract: Process and separating means for the production of a thin film solar module (10) comprising a plurality of solar cells (11) arranged side-by-side on a common substrate (12), which are produced by employing a plurality of layer deposition steps and layer separating steps during the course of cell production and which are electrically interconnected with one another, wherein after the application of a first contact layer (14) on substrate (12) and the cell-wise separation thereof a pn double layer (16) is applied on a contact layer and, thereafter, is mechanically separated in that a scraping cutting tool serving as separating means scrapes, by a relative movement to the coated substrate, a cell structure into said pn double layer, wherein said cutting tool slides, preferably without being raised or rotated, with a plane sliding surface of a flattened tip on said first contact layer (14) which has a higher hardness than said pn double layer (16).

Abstract: A method of making pn CdTe/CdS thin film solar cells, in which a transparent TCO layer is deposited as a front contact on a transparent substrate in the form of inexpensive soda-lime glass, and is preferably provided with an ultra-thin indium layer, which is in turn coated with the CdS layer, wherein the thus coated substrate is brought to the CdTe coating at a temperature between 480.degree. C. and 520.degree. C., which is maintained during the ensuing rapid CdTe deposition using the close-spaced sublimation method with a preferred rate of deposition of 5 to 15 .mu.m/min in an inert atmosphere. The indium layer dissolves during this deposition and effects the necessary n-doping of the CdS layer, without an additional method step. Solar cells can be made in this way with high efficiency in an inexpensive method, suitable for mass production.

Abstract: A method of producing an absorber layer for solar cells by electrolytic dispersion deposition.