By fabricating “peel-and-stick” solar cells, scientists make an attempt broaden the thin-film photovoltaic cells’ uses.
Researchers at Stanford University have created what they claim to be the first flexible, reusable decal-like solar panels that can attach to almost any surface. In other words, it is possible to attach these Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSCs) to paper, plastic and glass without direct fabrication. The adhesive comes off with some room-temperature water.
Thin-film solar cells (TFSCs), such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), are generally made with rigid silicon and glass structures to maintain their form, according to a paper by lead investigator Chi Hwan Lee, a mechanical engineering doctoral candidate, and the study’s contributors in the Dec. 20 issue of Scientific Reports.
Peel-Off Solar Cells,Stanford University
