Production Technologies of Film Solar Cell
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0910-A25-04
Production Technologies of Film Solar Cell Akihiro Takano1,2, Katsuya Tabuchi2, Masayoshi Uno2, Masayuki Tanda2, Takehito Wada1, Makoto Shimosawa2, Yasushi Sakakibara2, Shinji Kiyofuji2, Hironori Nishihara2, Hirofumi Enomoto2, and Tomoyoshi Kamoshita1,2 1 Fuji Electric Advanced Technology Co., Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 240-0194, Japan 2 Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 240-0194, Japan ABSTRACT Light-weight, large-area and flexible solar cells and modules were developed. Roll-to-roll processes including an improved film deposition process named “Stepping-roll process” are used to fabricate large-area hydrogenated amorphous silicon-based solar cells in succession on plastic film substrates. A unique device having through-hole contacts was developed and applied to simplify the production processes and to generate high voltage using connection in series. Production technologies, such as (1) light-weight and large area module fabrication, (2) plasma condition controlled chemical vapor deposition, (3) low substrate temperature selective reactive sputtering, and (4) large-area uniform transparent conductive oxide film deposition are reviewed.
INTRODUCTION Fuji Electric has developed production technologies of flexible thin film solar cells and modules. (Fig.1) Roll-to-roll based processes including film depositions, through hole connection formation, laser scribing, laminating, and I-V measurement are employed for mass production. We have already shipped our modules for large-area rooftop market, such as school
Fig.1 Flexible modules using thin film solar cells formed on plastic films.
rooftops. (Figs. 2 and 3) A typical product of 4m-long steel based module (0.5 m wide, 4 m long and 2 mm thick) weighs 16 kg without terminal boxes, in which the weight of solar cells is only 2 kg. Nominal power, voltage at maximum-power point and current at maximum-power point of the module are 96W, DC 320V and 0.3A, respectively. Production cost reduction through roll-to-roll mass production and creating new concepts of modules are necessary to compete with conventional crystalline silicon and glass substrate thin film solar modules and find a niche market. The improved roll-to-roll film deposition apparatus named “stepping-roll apparatus” deposits large-area hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), a-Si:H-related materials, transparent conductive oxide and metal electrodes on flexible plastic film substrates in succession. It gives higher throughput and reproducibility because the whole cell structure can be deposited in a common vacuum chamber without exposure to air, and the deposition reactor can be maintained under a vacuum until the completion of roll processing [1,2] Further increase in throughput is needed to
Fig.2 Steel plate based 4m-long building-integrated modules using film solar cells.
Fig.3 An installation example of light-weight modules. (EXPO in Japan, 2005)
decrease production cost. We developed a deposition technique which can increase the deposition rate of intrinsic a-Si:H layer
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