# Presentation: 504256

## Progress at AVA Technologies LLC

- National CdTe Team Meeting
- April 5 and 6, 2005
- Kurt L. Barth, Robert A. Enzenroth and W. S. Sampath
- Materials Engineering Laboratory,
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- and
- AVA Technologies LLC
- Fort Collins, Colorado

## AVA Technologies LLC

**I.  AVA Technologies LLC: **
**	****Advance CdTe thin film PV manufacturing**
- Since 1997, working with DOE since 3/2001
- Conflict of interest fully disclosed to CSU
- Principals:  Barth, Enzenroth and Sampath (equal stake)

## Production Prototype Development

**DOE I & I Project with AVA Tech:   **
- System for semiconductor processing: nominal 2 MW/yr.
- Modules installed for beta testing
- Participants
- - Colorado State University Engineering is a subcontractor
- - NSC/Acheson is partner
- - CSU Facilities:  system engineering, beta testing
- K. Barth: PI,
- 		(Sampath will discuss technical results in "short presentations" )

-  By 2006: demonstrate nominal 2 MW/yr. prototype production semiconductor processing system and install modules for beta testing.

## NSC Partnership

**I. NSC/Acheson**** **
- Specialty electronic coatings = electrode for our  PV devices supplied by Acheson Ind. part of National Starch and Chemical (NSC)
-  NSC is the US subsidiary of the approx.  $10 Billion/yr, ICI Group
- Tremendous experience in polymers/coatings technology
-  **II. I and I  partnership**
- Provide 50% cost share
- Engineer and develop electrode application system

## Production Prototype Development

**Production Prototype Development**

**CdTe PV Module Processing Line Schematic**
- 	(1) Laser scribe and substrate cleaning
- 	**(2) Semiconductor fabrication **
- 	(3) Laser scribe
- 	**(4, 5) ****Back electrode application:  carbon and Ni**
- 	(6) Scribe of back electrode to provide series interconnection
- 	(7) Lamination and encapsulation

***By end of I & I project: ***
***Steps 2,4 and 5 at a nominal 2 MW/yr throughput, other ***
***processing steps performed at lower throughput by outside vendors***

## Completion Production Prototype 

**Category 2:  demonstrated the ability to scale process. **
-  only 1/3 vacuum chamber needed for full  device fab.
-   2 process heads completed

## Recent Advances on Production Prototype 

**Recent Advances on Production Prototype **

- Automated load locks

## Project Outline 

| Milestone  | Technical Milestones | Approximate Time Frame for Completion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Design  | Finalize the design of the back-contact subsystem for the production prototype, design electrode application system  | Summer 2005 |
| Fabrication  | Fabrication of the back contact subsystem and electrode application systems | Fall 2005  |
| Assembly  | Integrate and assemble the full production line and preliminary testing | Summer 2006 |
| Operation and Testing | Run the production prototype in the production mode (equivalent of 2 MW/year).  Test modules outdoors and also under accelerated test.  Supply modules for beta test | Fall 2006 |

**I & I Cat 3: Complete and operate full system, demo 2 MW/yr potential **

**Based on progress to date, no difficulty is anticipated in achieving successful completion of I & I project. **** **

**Beta testing at CSU Facilities, and Everitt Companies locations**

## Slide 9