Large area, low voltage, high current photovoltaic modules and method of fabricating same

A method of fabricating a large area, high current, low voltage photovoltaic module, said photovoltaic module including:

• a common, conductive lower electrode;
• a photovoltaic body formed by a plurality of superposed, continuous layers of semiconductor alloy material deposited atop the electrode;
• and a continuous, transparent, electrically conductive, upper electrode deposited atop the photovoltaic body;
• the method including the sequential or non-sequential steps of:
• providing a common, conductive lower electrode;
• depositing the photovoltaic body on said lower electrode;
• depositing the transparent conductive upper electrode on said body;
• passivating short circuit defects in the semiconductor alloy material from which said body is fabricated;
• said passivating step operative to alter the stoichiometry of the transparent conductive electrode to a higher electrical resistivity form in the regions proximate said defects;
• providing means adapted to collect and transport photogenerated current to positive and negative module terminals;
• forming a positive module terminal;
• forming a negative module terminal;
• and
• connecting said collection and transporting means to said positive and negative terminals, whereby the large area photovoltaic body is electrically connected so as to photogenerate a high current and low voltage output when exposed to incident radiation.