A monolithically integrated high‐efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ mini‐module structured solely by laser

Abstract Monolithically integrated Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 mini‐modules were fabricated in order to reduce the width of patterning related dead area. The Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 layers were prepared on soda‐lime glasses using the multistage process at low substrate temperature below 500 °C. A picosecond laser with a wavelength of 532 nm was used for all of the structuring processes (P1, P2, and P3) for the monolithic integration. A “lift‐off” type structuring was applied for P1 and P3, and an “ablation” type was for P2. The laser structuring was optimized to be minimizing the dead area width, and the width of about 70 µm was successfully achieved. A mini‐module, in which the optimized structuring processes were applied for the integration, demonstrated a certified efficiency of 16.6%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.