Feb 23 2010
International Solar Electric Technology produces solar cells by utilizing the thin film CIGS technology. This technology involves the production of solar cells using CIGS or Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide materials. The cells designed using the CIGS technology possess high conversion efficiency of 19.2 per cent, which is higher in comparison to cells produced using other technologies. These thin film solar cells are fabricated by employing vacuum evaporation techniques. Due to this expensive vacuum evaporation process, International Solar Electric Technology has used non vacuum processes to fabricate CIGS solar cells.
The non vacuuming process utilized for fabricating CIGS solar cells involves the application of the cell on a suitable substrate. Different substrates have been used that include stainless steel, titanium foil, soda lime glass, molybdenum foil and polyamide film. These substrates have an air mass index of 1.5, with varying efficiencies. The stainless steel substrate has an efficiency of 9.6 per cent, while the efficiency of titanium foil substrate is 9.5 per cent.
The efficiency of other substrates such as polyamide film, soda lime glass and molybdenum foil are 10.4 per cent, 13.6 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. A solar cell developed by utilizing the thin film CIGS technology includes different layers containing a top contact layer, ZnO window layer, Cds n-type, CIGS p-type absorber, Mo back contact layer, adhesion interlayer and device substrate onto which cells are fixed. Solar cells produced by utilizing this technology from International Solar Electric Technology can be used for generating power for space and terrestrial applications.