THINNOVATION
The next big thing in solar cell technology? Thin-film photovoltaics. And VPT is right in the thick of solar cell thin-film innovation.
VPT has developed an innovative, low-cost solution to produce thin-film photovoltaic cells, that use commercially available materials, by separating the source into high and low-pressure compartments.
Thinnovation in Solar
As the demand for solar energy grows, so does the demand for higher-efficiency cells at lower cost. And while thin-film coatings offer very promising possibilities, there are hurdles—a coating system has to accommodate both the high deposition rates and high temperatures required for solar applications.
Thin-film solar cells are coated with materials like copper and silicon. Their melting/evaporation temperatures—as high as 1500° K—have traditionally limited the choice of materials that could be used to construct the evaporation source and even the chamber itself.
But VPT has developed an innovative, low-cost solution that uses commercially available materials. VPT’s “secret” is to separate the source into high and low-pressure compartments. Designed to meet the six-day running cycle required in industrial production, the source can be serviced quickly and material can be easily replenished.
This simple, robust design is available exclusively in our turnkey in-line coating systems.