METHOD FOR FORMING VIA HOLE SEGMENTS IN A THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE

A method for vias and monolithic interconnects in thin-film optoelectronic devices (100, 200) wherein at least one line segment via hole (163, 165, 165', 167) is formed by laser drilling and passes through front-contact layers (150, 152, 154, 156, 158) and semiconductive active layer (130), and wherein laser drilling causes forming a CIGS-type wall (132, 134, 136, 138) of electrically conductive permanently metalized copper-rich CIGS-type alloy at the inner surface (135) of the via hole, thereby forming a conductive path between at least a portion of front-contact and a portion of back-contact layers (120, 124, 126, 128, 129), forming a bump-shaped raised portion (155) at the surface of the front-contact layer, forming a raised portion (125, 127, 127') of the back-contact layer, and optionally forming a raised portion of copper-rich CIGS-type alloy (155') covering a portion of the front-contact layer (150). A thin-film CIGS device comprises at least one line segment via hole obtainable by the method.