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

"Triton proposes to develop unique insulating layers for a molybdenum and stainless steel film substrates to produce a thin film copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) photovoltaic (PV) cell. The high efficiency and excellent stability of CIGS thin filmsolar cells will provide for a cost effective solar electricity generation system. Since CIGS deposition requires relatively high processing temperature (600¿C), the device fabrication must take place on substrates such as stainless steel or Molybdenumfoil. This precludes monolithic device integration such as series connection of solar cells and incorporation of bypass and blocking diodes. These later processes are analogous to crystalline solar cell panel and array fabrication and accepted industrypractice, because the device is produced on a conductive substrate and simple etching procedures can not expose an insulating or conductive layer to isolate or interconnect cells with relative ease. The key to implementing monolithic processes isincorporation of an insulating layer between the active cell and the substrate. The proposed program directly addresses this need. During Phase I, Triton will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed insulating materials for CIGS deposition CIGS solarcells can be used for space applications because of their tolerance to high energy irradiation. They can also be used in remote areas for power generation and in power crisis situations as evidenced