Patent ID: 8741689
Filing Date: 2014-06-03
Classification: H01L,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for fabricating a thin film solar cell, the method comprising: providing a soda lime glass substrate having a surface region; treating the surface region with an aqueous solution containing an acid to remove contaminants; subsequently forming a lower electrode layer including a conductive metal over the surface region; performing a thermal treatment process on the soda lime glass substrate and the lower electrode layer to remove residual water species such that there is substantially less than a monolayer of water species on the soda lime glass substrate and the overlying lower electrode layer, wherein the thermal treatment process comprises heating the soda lime glass substrate to less than 90 degrees Celsius; transferring the soda lime glass substrate while still in a heated state to a deposition chamber; forming a layer of photovoltaic material over the lower electrode layer within the deposition chamber; and forming a first zinc oxide layer over the layer of photovoltaic material.