Featured in Cracking the code – 03-2011

Getting more out of the sun

Laser technology: Thin film cells can be manufactured quicker than crystalline modules, with about a third of the initial investment needed in comparison. With the advent of laser technology, the positive statistics can be further enhanced. Jan Wieduwilt of Trumpf explains the pros of laser.

A thin film solar cell typically consists of a stack of micrometer-thin layers on a substrate, usually glass. Depending on the type of solar cell, the active layers consist of silicon, cadmium telluride or CIGS (copper, indium, gallium and selenium). A CIGS stack, for example, is sandwiched between two electrically conductive layers: made of molybdenum …

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