ABSTRACT
Cost-effective production of polymer solar modules is ensured by fast, large-area printing techniques in roll-to-roll processes. With these processes each necessary layer of a polymer solar cell module can be applied on a flexible substrate. Nevertheless, further steps are required for efficient mass production of polymer solar modules. At first, an efficient module design that maximizes power generation and minimizes power losses on a given area is required. To translate the theoretical specification into real applications, structuring processes have to be applied that enable structuring widths within the range of ∼100 μm. Finally, an efficient characterization of the produced modules has to be applied in order to evaluate their quality and stability. With regard to fast in-line inspection during production, optical imaging methods are currently of interest. This chapter will give a comprehensive overview, from basics to advanced concepts, on polymer solar module design, fabrication challenges, and postproduction characterization techniques.
