News

19 October 2010

 

XsunX produces CIGSolar cells surpassing 14% efficiency

XsunX Inc of Aliso Viejo, CA, USA, which is developing thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) solar cell technologies and manufacturing processes, has fabricated cells based on its copper indium gallium diselenide CIGSolar technology that surpass 14% energy conversion efficiency. The firm says that this supports its assertion that small-area, co-evaporation production provides the best platform to deliver the highest-efficiency CIGS-based solar cells necessary to compete with and potentially replace silicon PV technologies.

“In only a few short months since adding our new co-evaporation capability and control approach to our CIGS process development, we've achieved efficiencies of over 14% [with excellent efficiency distribution],” says chief technology officer Robert G. Wendt. “In addition to achieving high efficiency levels, we demonstrated excellent cell voltage in the range of 620–660mV, clearly demonstrating the incorporation of gallium near the junction in the cell structure, which is necessary for producing high efficiencies,” he adds. “We are working hard to further improve on this rapid success so that we can deliver the best possible CIGS technology to the market.”

Deposition of the CIGS cell layers was conducted on full-size 125mm square substrates. Test configurations used to measure efficiency are identical to those used by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and XsunX test equipment is calibrated to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards.

XsunX is pioneering a proprietary manufacturing process to produce low-cost, high-efficiency thin-film CIGS solar cells through the combination of thin-film photovoltaic process knowledge with select magnetic-media thin-film manufacturing technologies pioneered in the hard disc drive industry. The firm believes that leveraging small-area and high-rate production methods will reduce the processing defects plaguing large-scale production processes currently implemented in the marketplace.

The CIGS production technology is being designed as a turn-key solution to either enable upgrades to existing infrastructure or to establish new large-scale solar manufacturing capacity for producing CIGS solar cells. XsunX plans to offer joint venture manufacturing opportunities for the technology to regional partners in a number of industry types and solar applications.

See related items:

XsunX completes CIGS co-evaporation processing chamber design

XsunX completes fully functional hybrid CIGS thin-film PV device

Search: XsunX CIGS solar cell CIGS

Visit: www.xsunx.com

For more: Latest issue of Semiconductor Today