Yield and performance of amorphous silicon based solar cells using roll-to-roll deposition

A manufacturing plant for producing thin-film amorphous silicon alloy based solar cells using roll-to-toll deposition is being operated by Sovonics Solar Systems in Troy, Michigan, USA. The authors detail the performance of solar cells produced at this plant. Roll-to-roll deposition on stainless steel has been shown to be a viable method of producing high-quality thin-film solar cell materials. Various thin-film depositions are made on 1000-foot-long rolls of 14-inch-wide, thin stainless steel in the deposition facility. The rolls are then cut into appropriate sizes for module fabrication. Quality analysis, in situ deposition monitoring, and post deposition measurements have enabled a detailed analysis of production run data, including such parameters as layer thickness, adhesion, conversion efficiency, yield, etc. These and other properties of the photovoltaic materials and devices have been monitored and studied in order to optimize the roll-to-roll deposition process.