Design and experimental implementation of an effective control system for thin film Cu(InGa)Se2 production via rapid thermal processing

Our two-fold approach to the unique temperature control challenges involves the design and implementation of (i) a first-principles, model-based observer to estimate the desired surface temperature; and (ii) a specialized controller to enable effective tracking of the desired linear temperature ramp set point. Our experimental results demonstrate that the control system is effective in tracking rapid temperature ramps accurately, with performance limited only by the physical constraints of the experimental system.