XsunX CIGS Manufacturing Commercialization Program
XsunX thin film CIGS technologists and manufacturing experts have begun working jointly with a leading producer of manufacturing equipment utilized in the hard disc market to create a unique and proprietary process of coupling small area deposition (approximately 5X5 inch squares), material control, and material transport technologies from the disk drive industry for use in the production of thin film CIGS solar cells.
Our development program plan includes establishing a Creative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL). We have begun the process of establishing the CRADA and have begun working with NREL to assist XsunX in validating the properties and suitability of each of the CIGS cell layers we are producing that are necessary for the production of high efficiency CIGS solar cells. In addition to commercialization assistance we will use NREL for third party validation of our integrated CIGS solar cell efficiencies and the quality and suitability of each of the individual CIGS device layers.
Development Efforts and Periodic Results
We have begun fine tuning process recipes and design work associated with the adaptation of manufacturing components necessary to produce the CIGS solar cell. While we can not share all aspects of our work we will make efforts to share progress over the balance of the 2009 year.
| Backside Contact Layer | NREL Small Area CIGS Working Device Samples |
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Sample 125mm stainless steel substrate. This sample depicts the flexibility of the stainless steel wafer format and development the backside contact Chrome Molly process (First Layer below). This work is being done to demonstrate the adaptation of high rate deposition techniques utilizing HDD equipment. |
We intend to initially scale similar small area deposition techniques utilized by NREL to create the high efficiency CIGS devices shown above to the 125mm format. Scaling initially to this wafer format will allow us to better control the deposition environments and statistically introduce fewer variables into the overall process while maintaining high efficiencies. |
CIGS Solar Device Cross Section
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