Patent ID: 7544884

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising: passing a web substrate from an input module to an output module through a plurality of independently isolated, connected process modules at the same time such that the web substrate continuously extends from the input module to the output module while passing through the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules; depositing a conductive film on a surface of the substrate; depositing at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer on the conductive film, wherein the p-type semiconductor absorber layer includes a copper indium diselenide (CIS) based alloy material, and wherein the deposition of the p-type semiconductor absorber layer includes sputtering the CIS based alloy material from a pair of conductive targets; depositing an n-type semiconductor layer on the p-type semiconductor absorber layer to form a p-n junction; and depositing a transparent electrically conductive top contact layer on the n-type semiconductor layer; wherein each of the conductive film, the at least one p-type semiconductor absorber layer, the n-type semiconductor layer and the transparent electrically conductive top contact layer are deposited at the same time on the web substrate in a respective one of the plurality of the independently isolated, connected process modules.