CIGS solar cells on the way to mass production: Process statistics of a 30 cm x 30 cm module line

All existing thin-film PV technologies, especially the Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS)-based technology, have a high cost reduction potential at high production volumes. The challenge for the future is to combine high production volumes with high throughput, sufficient yield and superior quality. ZSW has developed in-line processes for all deposition steps for CIGS modules. In several batches average efficiencies of above 11% and a maximum of 12.7% have been achieved. For the next scaling up step Wurth Solar GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture of ZSW, Wurth group, and EnBW AG, a German utility, was founded to commercialise CIGS technology. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.