Thin silicon wafers, because of its size and thickness, can be used in various applications and devices, including microchips, solar cells, and other high-speed devices. The use of thin silicon wafers in solar cells started in the 1970s, but it was only until the 1980s when it was fully appreciated for its benefits. Thin silicon wafers are known for their high-speed and high-power abilities. In this article, we discuss the development of thin silicon wafers in solar cells.
The development of thin silicon wafers in solar cells started in the 1970s, but it was only during the 1980s when silicon thin-film solar cells had a big breakthrough. The thickness of the silicon crystal used in a thin-film solar cell is only about 5-50 mm. That's why it is often combined with sub-silicon materials, glass, ceramic, or graphite so that it can be an acceptable substrate. Less silicon material is used in this type of photovoltaic cells, because of the short distance of conduction between holes and electrons, which helps reduce its cost. Silicon thin-film solar cells use the concept of optical hysteresis in its design to boost the light absorption rate since silicon doesn't have a high absorption rate compared to other semiconductor materials.
Sadly, none of these methods can be used in the semiconductor industry for mass production. Silicon thin-film solar cells have 21% optical efficiency at the optimum laboratory level. But it is only available in the market with a 13.4% optical efficiency through Astropower.
Silicon thin-film solar cells might be the future of photovoltaic cells. Get high-quality thin silicon wafers from Wafer World! We offer a wide range of wafers at a reasonable price. Contact us for inquires!
