Roll-to-roll CIGS Solar Cell Fabrication via Bonded Substrate Debonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The commercial mass production of CIGS thin film solar cells is hindered by complex and costly conventional methods that result in low yield rates, high production costs, and challenges in achieving uniformity and large-area deposition, particularly due to issues with stoichiometry control and impurity enrichment.
Innovation Solution
A roll-to-roll high-yield solution process is developed, involving bonded substrates with metal contacts, multiple precursor solutions of metal chalcogenides dissolved in solvents, and dip-coating or electro-deposition in an inert environment to form a chalcopyrite absorber layer, allowing for uniform deposition on both sides of the substrate and subsequent debonding using wet chemical adhesive removers, enabling low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell fabrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If vacuum vapor deposition methods are used to prepare CIGS thin films, then film quality and photoelectric conversion efficiency are improved, but manufacturing complexity and production cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental processing parameters by transitioning from vacuum-based physical vapor deposition to solution-based chemical deposition. This involves using liquid precursor solutions containing metal salts dissolved in solvents, deposited via dip-coating or electro-deposition, followed by low-temperature annealing. This parameter change simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining film quality through controlled chemical reactions that form uniform CIGS absorber layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical vacuum deposition system with a chemical solution processing system. Instead of using vacuum chambers, heating elements for thermal evaporation, or magnetron sputtering equipment, the process uses liquid precursor solutions, dip-coating mechanisms, and low-temperature thermal treatment. This substitution dramatically reduces equipment complexity and production cost while achieving comparable film quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional complex processes are used for CIGS fabrication, then film quality is achieved, but productivity and yield rate decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a continuous roll-to-roll processing system where substrates are continuously fed through the deposition and annealing stages. The dip-coating or electro-deposition can operate continuously on moving substrates, and the low-temperature annealing proceeds rapidly, enabling high-volume production with high yield rates while maintaining film quality through controlled chemical reactions.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional fabrication methods are used, then solar cell efficiency is achieved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses inexpensive liquid precursor solutions containing metal salts dissolved in common solvents, which can be easily prepared and disposed of. The substrates themselves can be flexible, low-cost materials processed in a roll-to-roll manner. This eliminates the need for expensive vacuum chambers, high-purity metal sources, and complex equipment maintenance, dramatically reducing production cost while maintaining photoelectric conversion efficiency through controlled solution chemistry.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves high throughput, large-area uniformity, and cost reduction by using a continuous roll-to-roll process, reducing thermal budget and impurity presence, resulting in high-quality, pinhole-free films with improved composition and thickness uniformity, facilitating the industrialization of CIGS thin film solar cells.
Implementation Method 1
dip-coating or electro-deposition in an inert environment to form a metal chalcogenide on both sides of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
dip-coating or electro-deposition in an inert environment to form a metal chalcogenide on both sides of the substrate
Implementation Method 3
The substrate is then debonded using a wet chemical adhesive remover
Data Source
AI summary
A method for fabricating a solar cell commences by bonding a first metal-coated substrate to a second metal-coated substrate to provide a bonded substrate. The bonded substrate is then coated with a first precursor solution to provide a coated bonded substrate. Finally, the procedure de-bonds the coated bonded substrate to provide a first solar cell device and a second solar cell device. A system for fabricating the solar cell comprises a first precursor solution deposition system containing a first precursor solution for deposition on a substrate, a first heating element for heating the substrate after deposition of the first precursor solution, a second precursor solution deposition system containing a second precursor solution for deposition on the substrate, and a second heating element for heating the substrate after deposition of the second precursor solution.