A Novel Insulating Thin Film for high Efficiency Photovoltaics Utilizing Metallic Substrates

Triton Systems, Inc proposes a Phase II program to develop, fabricate and validate a continuous large area insulated substrate production process. This substrate was shown in Phase I to be suitable for monolithic integration of copper indium galliumdiselenide (CIGS) photovoltaic (PV) solar cells into large area arrays. The Phase I program made significant progress and established a benchmark for depositing pinhole free insulated film on thin foil substrates. The Phase II program will produce a smallCIGS monolithically-integrated array on continuously processed substrate and demonstrate the array's efficient function. This innovation will define a new manufacturing paradigm for fabricating lightweight, high performance and cost effective PV modulesfor space satellites and high temperature semiconductor devices and highly efficient solar cells and modules for commercial applications. Cost analysis of the developed process will compare it to other solar array technologies and identify the specificterrestrial and aerospace markets for appropriate commercialization of the substrate product or technology. Thin film PV cells also offer the advantage of high power to weight ratio in addition to low cost. This factor makes it attractive for spacesatellite and portable device applications.