Commercialization of CIS-Based Thin-Film PV: Phase I Annual Technical Report, August 1998--August 1999

Outstanding progress toward reaching NREL/DOE goals was achieved during this subcontract: 1) Siemens Solar Industries (SSI) introduced two new CIS products to the SSI ST family of products, including an approximately 1-ft X 4-ft, 40-Wp module; 2) Process data for the production of circuit plates for the CIS family of products demonstrates improved efficiency and exhibits generally good controlfor extended periods; 3) The first subcontract milestone and the deliverables for this subcontract phase were met by delivering product samples that are larger and of higher efficiency than originally promised for this subcontract phase; 4) Capacity has been increased while also increasing the average efficiency of 1-ft X 4-ft circuit plates from 10.8% to 11.2%; 5) Yield improvements have beenmade by implementing improvements in processes and manufacturing protocols; 6) FM and UL approval was obtained for the ST series of products; 7) Long-term outdoor stability has been demonstrated at NREL, where~30-cm x 30-cm and~30-cm x 120-cm modules have undergone testing for more than 11 years; 8) SSI is addressing near-term and longer-term R&D topics through SSI's participation in NREL CISNational Team activities; 9) NREL confirmed a world-record 12.1% conversion efficiency large-area (3651 cm2) CIS module; 10) R&D Magazine awarded the prestigious R&D 100 Award to SSI, NREL, and the California Energy Commission for the SSI family of CIS modules. CIS has demonstrated the prerequisites for a commitment to large-scale commercialization - high efficiency, long-term outdoor stability,and attractive cost projections. Remaining R&D challenges are to: scale the processes to even larger areas, reach higher production capacity, demonstrate in-service durability over even longer times, and advance the fundamental understanding of CIS-based materials and devices, with the goal of further efficiency improvements for future products.