The throughput and production costs associated with commercial-scale deposition of amorphous silcon solar-cell active layers have been examined. A methodology was developed to isolate and compare the economics of glow discharge deposition, sputter deposition, and conventional and low pressure chemical vapor deposition on a self-consistent basis. The imposition of restrictive assumptions was avoided by leaving key parameters as variables. We conclude that the largest cost differences between deposition processes are most likely to occur in the categories of equipment capital cost and silicon feedstock costs.

Date Published: 8 September 1983
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 0407, Photovoltaics for Solar Energy Applications II, (8 September 1983); doi: 10.1117/12.935689

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0407:
Photovoltaics for Solar Energy Applications II
David Adler, Editor(s)