A Cost-Effective Solution for Large-Area Transparent Conductive Coatings for Solar Cells

A vertical in-line direct-current (DC) sputtering system with rotary magnetron sputtering source has been designed and developed for the deposition of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) on Gen 5.5 glass substrates. An in-line con-veyorized chemical bath for post-deposition texturing of the AZO films has also been developed. By optimization of the sputtering process parameters and the chemical texturing, substrates suitable for front contact applications have been fabricated. Single junction amorphous silicon solar cells and modules fabricated on the substrates are found to give comparable performance to that of commercial fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates. The details of the processes developed are presented, and other possible applications of the system are outlined.