Peel-and-stick process boosts potential of thin-film solar cells

Unlike standard thin-film solar cells, the peel-and-stick version from Stanford does not require any direct fabrication on the final carrier substrate. The breakthrough is described in a paper in the 20 December issue of Scientific Reports.

According to a statement, all the challenges associated with putting solar cells on unconventional materials are avoided with the new process, thereby expanding the potential applications of solar technology.

Thin-film photovoltaic cells are traditionally fixed on rigid silicon and glass substrates, greatly limiting their uses, said Chi Hwan Lee, lead author of the paper and a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering.

While the development of thin-film solar cells promised to inject some flexibility into the technology, scientists found that the use of alternative substrates was problematic, said Xiaolin Zheng, a Stanford assistant professor of mechanical engineering and senior author of the paper.

‘Non-conventional or “universal” substrates are difficult to use for photovoltaics because they typically have irregular surfaces and they don’t do well with the thermal and chemical processing necessary to produce today’s solar cells,’ Zheng said. ‘We got around these problems by developing this peel-and-stick process, which gives thin-film solar cells flexibility and attachment potential we’ve never seen before and also reduces their general cost and weight.’