Small- and large-area CIGS modules by co-evaporation

A system for large-area deposition of Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ by co-evaporation has been built and taken into operation. The system is designed after a patented approach, to use the kind of in-line process we are using in our small-area research work. Small-area laboratory cells have been made from CuInSe/sub 2/ and Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ films fabricated by the in-line process reaching active area efficiencies as high as 15.4% (CuInSe/sub 2/) and 17.6% (Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/). Our Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ module technology is described and the best results are reported. Best obtained aperture area efficiency for small modules (15 cm/sup 2/) is 12.4% made on Cu(In,Ga)Se, films from our small-area deposition system. The large-area deposition system has produced CuInSe/sub 2/ from which small-area cells with conversion efficiencies of 8.3% have been obtained so far.