PlateCell

The PlateCell consortium has an internationally strong competence in electroplating and will be able to pro-duce homogeneous films of CZTS (CuZnSnS). DTU Fotonik and Nanolab have been working for almost 10 years with characterization of CZTS films and fabrication of solar cells with three different techniques.

The objectives of the PlateCell project are
1) To produce well-characterized, active solar cells with CZTS as absorbers on flexible substrates with electrodeposition with an efficiency of at least 8 %, and
2) Demonstrate that CZTS cells produced with electrodeposition in general (on non-flexible substrates) can achieve efficiencies comparable with the best values value obtained with other techniques, 11.0 %.

The project will lead to the exploitation of leading positions of Danish researchers in the thin film solar cell technology of the future (CZTS) produced by electroplating. This is a process of technological strength position in Denmark (leading actors IPU and Elplatek) with low cost production, high throughput, roll-to-roll compatibility etc. Be teaming up with Austrian based Sunplugged a full solar cell production can be realized with the active solar cell material, CZTS, produced by electroplating in Denmark by a process developed and expected patented by the project team. After the project, it will lead to production of Danish process equip-ment based on electroplating for the thin-film solar cell industry, and partly processed solar cells in Denmark.

Ultimately, a whole thin-film solar cell CZTS production will be commercialized based in Denmark, licensing core technology from Sunplugged to ensure the flexibility in geometrical design that can fit product-integrated photovoltaics as well as building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).