On-Line CVD of TCO-coatings for the thin-film PV industry

David Strickler, Timothy McKittrick, Stephen Weidner
Pilkington North America

In recent years, the photovoltaic (PV) market has been increasing at an annual growth rate of >30%. Although thin film modules are a small percentage of the total PV market, the growth in the thin film segment is expected to be even higher. Of the three types of thin film PV technology, two types use transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) as the first layer of the PV device. This presentation will review the electrical, optical, and morphological requirements for TCO-coated glass in the thin film silicon and cadmium telluride technology segments. In addition to these basic requirements, the TCO coating must durable enough to withstand the downstream processes used for deposition of the semiconductor layers. Finally, the capability of on-line CVD to deposit additional layers (e.g. index matching layers) will be discussed.

Full Text Article [65 KB]

The Authors