Pilot line preindustrial reactor installation for applied research in vacuum deposition techniques for the preparation and characterization of photovoltaic cells

Abstract

The Solar Energy and New Energies Research Institute (IRESEN), founded in February 2011, is a Moroccan institute for applied solar energy and new energy research which is positioned at the applied research and technology to strengthen the link between industry and universities, engineering schools and research centers. The institute set-up an international test and research platform for renewable energies and especially for solar energy, the Green Energy Park (GEP). A cornerstone of the silicon solar cell R&D at GEP is a pilot line preindustrial reactor for applied research in vacuum deposition techniques for the preparation and characterization of photovoltaic cells. GEP has worked closely with the Korean industrial equipment vendor TES to build and install a preindustrial reactor that combines the flexibility required for R&D with the throughputs and process robustness required for small-scale production, by utilizing industrial equipment, GEP is able to conduct industry relevant research with a direct roadmap to production, by rapid prototyping of novel solar cells [1]. The pilot line preindustrial reactor aim to improve the current performance of thin layers in desert conditions, develop the national expertise in the field of thin film technologies, encourage industrial integration, and develop specific applications to the Moroccan context.