Thin-film solar cell
type of second-generation solar cell
Thin-film solar cells are a type of solar cell made by depositing thin layers of photovoltaic material onto a glass, plastic or metal substrate. Thin-film solar cells are typically much thinner than the wafers used in conventional crystalline silicon based solar cells. Thin-film solar cells are commercially made with one of several materials including cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and amorphous thin-film silicon (a-Si, TF-Si).
Solar cells are often classified into generations based on the kinds of light-absorbing layers used to make them. The most well-established or first-generation solar cells are made of single- or multi-crystalline silicon. This is the dominant technology currently used in most solar PV systems. Most types of thin-film solar cells are classified as second generation, made using thin layers of materials like amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), or gallium arsenide (GaAs). Solar cells made with newer, less established materials are classified as third-generation or emerging solar cells. This includes some innovative thin-film technologies, such as perovskite, dye-sensitized, quantum dot, organic, and CZTS thin-film solar cells.
Thin-film cells have several advantages over first-generation silicon solar cells, including being lighter and more flexible due to their thin construction.
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