Controlling shorts in a-Si modules

As amorphous-silicon technology enters the power generation market, the trends will be towards larger-area modules and multi-junction device structures. These changes will make modules more vulnerable to power losses from shorting. The most common source of shorts, pinholes in the a-Si layer, can be controlled by metallizing substrates immediately after a-Si deposition in a continuous fabrication process. A group of modules made this way had about six times fewer shorting-related defects than a control group which were metallized a few days after a-Si deposition. Power losses from shorts can also be minimized by subdividing modules into smaller sections using a laser scribe