title: Transfer printing methods for flexible thin film solar cells: basic concepts and working principles.
abstract: Fabricating thin film solar cells (TFSCs) on flexible substrates will not only broaden the applications of solar cells, but also potentially reduce the installation cost. However, a critical challenge for fabricating flexible TFSCs on flexible substrates is the incompatibility issues between the thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties of these substrates and the fabrication conditions. Transfer printing methods, which use conventional substrates for the fabrication and then deliver the TFSCs onto flexible substrates, play a key role to overcome these challenges. In this review, we discuss the basic concepts and working principles of four major transfer printing methods associated with (1) transfer by sacrificial layers, (2) transfer by porous Si layer, (3) transfer by controlled crack, and (4) transfer by water-assisted thin film delamination. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities for implementing these methods for practical solar cell manufacture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Chi Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Rip
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
keywords: controlled spalling method; epitaxial layer transfer method; epitaxial lift-off method; flexible solar cells; peel-and-stick method; thin film solar cells; transfer printing methods