OSI - One Step Interconnect for Thin Film PV Modules

The market for photovoltaic (PV) modules has expanded dramatically from 6.4GW in 2009 to 37GW in 2013. PV demand is
poised for explosive growth to reach 49GW in 2014, and is forecast to reach up to 100GW by 2018. This end-market
growth is projected to increase annual PV module revenues, which are forecast to reach US$50 billion in 2018. Despite
being severely hampered by overcapacity and declining operating margins during 2012 and 2013, the PV industry still grew
34% over this two-year period. Thin film PV has approximately a 10% market share and has inherent cost advantages,
especially in the development of utility scale installations. As part of the manufacturing process, it is necessary to
interconnect gridded areas of the PV module to form long series connected PV regions. In this project, the interconnect will
be achieved using a new laser ablation/inkjet process that works at speeds of up to 3m/sec. This will radically change the
way modules are produced by reducing complexity and cost of manufacture. The sales target for this new process is
>$10m per annum with attractive ongoing sales of specialist inks. The primary objective is to develop the OSI process and
materials for semi-transparent perovskite for Building Integrated PV glazing applications, a very promising market. The
secondary and tertiary objectives are to develop the process and materials for CIGS and CZTS, respectively.

The immediate beneficiaries will be the collaborators. M-solv has a proven track record of supplying sophisticated laser
machines for industrial production in Asia and functional inkjet machines for R&D/pilot production. It is well connected to
the PV industry and well placed to market machines. CREST is a major UK centre for PV research. CREST has world class
facilities for thin film deposition, materials characterisation, performance testing and environmental durability. Crucially for
testing laser ablation processes, the magnetron sputtering tools at CREST can create the various thickness of layers used
in thin film fabrication by the various module manufacturers. Intrinsiq develops inks using nano-particles produced in a
unique vacuum deposition process. The development of OSI for use with transparent inks will aid Oxford Photovoltaics
Ltd to use perovskite PV for power producing glazing products. The project has a range of wider beneficiaries because
lower cost renewable energy has clear environmental benefits reducing carbon emissions. This project will create more
than 20 new "green jobs" in the industrial partners.
M-Solv has 5 published patents on OSI with four already granted. Intrinsiq and Oxford Photovoltaics also have strong
patent portfolios. M-solv and Loughborough have presented three papers at the IEEE PVSC conferences in the USA in
June 2013 and 2014 attracting interest from all the major thin from module manufacturers (CdTe, GIGS and a-Si). M-solv
was awarded the 'SOLAR' award for process innovation for 2013. The commercial exploitation is the responsibility of the
three industrial partners. MSolv will market their OSI process to the thin film photovoltaics manufacturing sector and
Intrinsiq will market its inks to M-solv customers thereby creating a UK based supply chain. The OSI process will enable
Oxford Photovoltaics to demonstrate their perovskite PV at module level. CREST will assist this through its worldwide
network of contacts in the solar module in the solar module industry.