ASSEMBLY LINE FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES

1 . A method for the production of a thin-film photovoltaic device, comprising the steps of:

a) Providing at least one substrate comprising a front contact;

b) Depositing at least a first semiconductor stack onto the substrate to produce a photo-voltaic device;

and comprising at least two of the steps of:

c) Applying a back contact to the photovoltaic device;

d) Contacting of the photovoltaic device;

e) Removal of unnecessary material from the edge regions of the photovoltaic device;

f) Encapsulation of the photovoltaic device;

g) Cross-contacting the photovoltaic device; and/or

h) Framing of the photovoltaic device,

wherein the substrate is continuously or semi-continuously moved from one step of the method to the next step of the method, and a plurality of substrates is simultaneously moved by means of a container.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thin-film photovoltaic device is a tandem thin-film photovoltaic device and at least a first and a second semiconductor stack are de-posited in step b), wherein the first semiconductor stack is an amorphous semiconductor stack and the second semiconductor stack is a microcrystalline semiconductor stack.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the container is provided as a cassette.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the container is automobile, comprises docking means providing a defined interface and/or comprises means for the protection of the substrate.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step a) further comprises an optional deposition of a dielectric and the deposition of at least one textured transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer to provide a front contact.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein n>1 TCO layers are discontinuously deposited in n separate steps.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the TCO layer is deposited at a rate of 2-4 nm/s.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the back contact in step c) is a TCO layer or a metallic back contact.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the back contact is a TCO layer, further comprising applying a back reflector.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the front contact of step a), the at least first semiconductor stack of step b) and/or the back contact of step c) is patterned by use of a laser.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the laser treatment is carried out at ambient temperature.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation of step f) is carried out by application of a sealing foil and/or application of a back glass.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a cleaning step of the substrate and/or the photovoltaic device is carried out before and/or after any of the steps a) through h).

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate and/or photovoltaic device is subjected to a quality check before and/or after any of the steps a) through h).

15 . A system for the production of a thin-film photovoltaic device according to the method of claim 1 , comprising:

a) Means for the deposition of at least a first semiconductor stack onto a substrate to produce a photovoltaic device;

and optionally further comprising:

b) Means for applying a back contact to the photovoltaic device;

c) Means for contacting the photovoltaic device;

d) Means for the removal of unnecessary material from the edge regions of the photovoltaic device;

e) Means for the encapsulation of the photovoltaic device;

f) Means for cross-contacting the photovoltaic device; and/or

g) Means for framing of the photovoltaic device,

wherein the system further comprises means for the continuous or semi-continuous movement of the substrate from one means of the system to the next means of the system, and a plurality of substrates is simultaneously moved by means of a container.