Pathways to improved performance and processing of CdTe and CuInSe<inf>2</inf> based modules

Abstract

CdTe and CulnSe2 based modules have made the transition from pilot scale development to large manufacturing facilities. Production of CdTe modules has validated the cost reduction associated with the high throughput manufacturing process in plants exceeding 100 MW. Similar to development of crystalline Si modules, the next challenges are to improve the performance and processing of the modules. Currently, the module performance of CdTe and CulnSe2 based modules are significantly less than the small area 'champion' laboratory cells.In this presentation, approaches to advance the module performance to 15% and beyond will be discussed along with modification of processing steps to improve manufacturing throughput and materials utilization. For improvements in performance and processing to be effectively translated to a manufacturing environment, analytic/diagnostic tools based on measurable and predictive properties will be needed. This will require advancing the science and engineering fundamentals of the materials, devices and processing.