Patent ID: 8871076

Claim:
A method for producing solar cells, the method comprising: providing silicon containing vitreous substrates, each substrate having a thickness between 50 μm and 300 μm and being provided with an electrically conductive material on at least one side thereof; successively transporting at least a portion of each substrate along a path through an electrolytic solution that is present in an electrolytic bath, wherein each substrate is freely suspended from a conveyor element that conveys each substrate through the electrolytic solution, wherein during the transporting of each substrate, each substrate enters the electrolytic bath and leaves the electrolytic bath via a sloping slot provided in a wall of the electrolytic bath that slopes in a direction opposed to a direction of the transport direction, wherein at least one panel with holes provided therein is provided on a side of the path followed by each of the substrates through the electrolytic bath; and connecting the electrically conductive material to act as a cathode during the transport of each of the substrates through the electrolytic bath to electrodeposit material from the electrolytic solution onto the electrically conductive material during the transport, wherein the provided electrically conductive material is applied to at least one side of the substrates in the form of at least one track, wherein each substrate is clamped in at an upper edge thereof during the transport by at least one clamping element that forms part of the conveyor element, and wherein the at least one track extends vertically and the at least one clamping element engages each substrate at an upper end of the at least one track for connecting the track as the cathode.