Thin Film PV Modules

In contrast to traditional crystalline silicon PV that is cut from solid crystalline material, thin film PV is composed of thin layers of semiconductor materials grown on a glass or flexible substrate and sandwiched between front and back contacts. Our thin film PV is composed of an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer and a microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) layer. The a-Si layer absorbs the blue portion of the electromagnetic spectrum of sunlight. What it does not absorb passes through and is absorbed by the µc-Si layer. In this way, the dual-layer configuration, termed “tandem-junction,” is able to absorb 50%+ more than a single-junction product with much improved stability.

Thin Film Production

The production of thin film is a process that includes the low pressure chemical vapor deposition of TCO front and back contact layers, the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of the amorphous/microcrystalline silicon layers, back reflector application, edge isolation, and lamination. Astronergy’s proprietary expertise and collective experience in thin film process technology combined with Oerlikon’s state-of-the-art equipment make it a global leading manufacturer and innovation center for a-Si/µc-Si thin film.

Advantages of a-Si/µc-Si Technology

Astronergy’s a-Si/µc-Si technology has the dual advantage of using environmentally safe and abundant silicon, and utilizing the tremendous silicon-based manufacturing infrastructure in the semiconductor industry. The end result is that the customer receives a high quality product, manufactured through time-tested methods, for the lowest price.

• Abundance and availability of silicon
• Mass production possible because of existing infrastructure
• Does not require use of scarce raw materials
• Not limited by toxicity issues at site of PV installation
• Has the most mature mass production equipment base
• Long term reliability and performance proven
• Can be used for a wide array of applications
• Effective integration into building interfaces
• Increasing conversion efficiency and stability