Thermal management and method for large scale processing of CIS and/or CIGS based thin films overlying glass substrates

1. A method for fabricating a thin film photovoltaic solar energy collector film comprising:

providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrates having a copper and indium composite structure;

transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of the plurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined by a number N, wherein N is greater than 5;

introducing a gaseous species including a selenide species and a carrier gas into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature ranging from about 350° C. to about 450° C. to at least initiate formation of a copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indium composite structure on each of the substrates;

maintaining the temperature at about the second temperature for a period of time;

removing at least residual selenide species from the furnace;

introducing a sulfide species into the furnace; and

increasing a temperature to a third temperature, the third temperature ranging from about 500 to 525° C. while the plurality of substrates are maintained in an environment including a sulfur species to extract out one or more selenium species from the copper indium diselenide film;

wherein the carrier gas occupies approximately 70 to 75% of a total volume within the furnace.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indium composite structure comprises a copper layer and an indium layer of material.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a first amount of the selenium is replaced by a second amount of sulfur at the copper indium diselenide film.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first amount is about 5%.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indium composites structure forms a copper indium alloy material in the furnaces.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a gallium layer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a substantially constant pressure of between 600 and 700 torr within the furnace.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrates are stabilized during the period of time.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sputtering the copper material on the substrates.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising evaporating the copper material on the substrates.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second temperature ranges from about 390° C. to about 410° C.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first temperature ranges from room temperature to about 100° C.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second temperature is maintained for about 10 to 60 minutes.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the selenide species comprises H 2 Se gas.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas comprises nitrogen gas.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the sulfide species comprise H 2 S gas.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of substrates is separated by a predetermined distance.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the substrates is maintained in substantially a planar configuration free from warp or damage.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrates further comprises gallium material.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indium composite structure comprises a layer of copper material and a layer of indium material.