POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON-FILM(TM) THIN-FILM SOLAR-CELLS - ADVANCED PRODUCTS

Thin-film polycrystalline silicon has the potential to achieve the cos t reduction and performance improvement necessary for large-scale elec tricity markets. Reduced cost is achieved by capitalizing on the benef its of thin films grown on low-cost, large-area substrates. Improved e fficiency, is realized, in spite of reduced material quality, by incor porating enhanced optical absorption and back-surface passivation. The cornerstone of Astro Power's thin-film solar cell technology, is the Silicon-Film(TM) process: a method for the manufacture of solar cell-q uality, polycrystalline films of silicon on a variety of low-cost, sup porting substrates. Three thin-film solar cell designs, based on this technology, are currently under development. This paper presents the h ey design features of these three products and briefly reviews the cur rent status of the development of the key, technologies that comprise the advanced thin-film solar cell products.