Roll-To-Roll PVD System and Method to Manufacture Group IBIIIAVIA Photovoltaics

A roll-to-roll PVD deposition system for depositing a plurality of films of Group IA and Group VIA materials on a front surface of a continuous sheet shaped workpiece that is advanced in a process direction, comprising:

• a process housing through which the continuous sheet shaped workpiece is advanced between an entrance opening and an exit opening of the process housing, the process housing including a first process section located by a horizontal peripheral wall of the process housing and a second process section located by a vertical peripheral wall of the process housing, wherein the first process section is associated with a horizontally disposed portion of the continuous sheet shaped workpiece and the second process section is associated with a vertically disposed portion of the continuous sheet shaped workpiece;
• a workpiece tensioning and drive assembly for advancing the continuous sheet shaped workpiece in the process direction between the entrance opening and the exit opening of the process housing;
• a first PVD unit disposed at the first process section to continuously deposit a first film onto the horizontally disposed portion of the continuous sheet shaped workpiece by vertically directing a first material toward the first process section as the continuous sheet shaped workpiece is advanced through the at least first PVD unit;
• and
• a second PVD unit disposed at the second process section to continuously deposit a second film that is different from the first film onto the vertically disposed portion of the continuous sheet shaped workpiece by horizontally directing a second material toward the second process section as the continuous sheet shaped workpiece is advanced through the at least second PVD unit;
• wherein one of the first and second PVD units deposits one of the first and second respective materials directly onto a front surface portion of the continuous sheet shaped workpiece to obtain a new front surface portion, wherein the workpiece tensioning and drive assembly includes a plurality of rollers, wherein different portions of only a backside of the continuous sheet shaped workpiece rests on the plurality of rollers, and wherein each of the first and second PVD units continuously vapor deposit toward a frontside of the continuous sheet shaped workpiece and the other of the first and second PVD units deposits the other of the first and second respective material onto the new front surface portion.