TECHNOLOGY
Silicon based Thin Film
Amorphous silicon (a-Si) and microcrystalline (µc-Si) use vapor deposition techniques onto rigid (e.g. glass) or flexible (e.g. polymer) substrates.
The best performing Si based thin film solar cells are tandem ones, where a-Si constitutes the upper cell and µc-Si the lower cell. Together form a multijunction or micromorph cells, which captures larger part of the light spectrum.
Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin Layer-HIT
HIT solar cells use a single thin monocrystalline silicon layer coated both sides with ultra-thin amorphous-silicon layers, which allow them to perform better at higher temperatures.
While not necessarily a thin film strictly speaking, HIT cells are more efficient than conventional Si based cells. They minimize losses due to inhomogeneous crystals structures and increase the overall module performance.
Cadmium Telluride Thin Film (CdTe)
CdTe modules offer one of the best cost/performance ratio in the industry, they have production costs well below a US dollar.
CdTe panels have relatively better performance in high temperatures and in low-light environments. They stand among the lowest carbon footprint in the PV industry.
