Amorphous Si Solar cells
Amorphous Photosensors

Amorphous Si Solar cells:

Features

1. Solar cells with a variety of voltages can be created: Since, unlike the fabrication technique used with crystalline solar cells in which cells cut apart and then connected, multiple cells can be connected in series at the same time as the cells are formed, it is easy to create batteries with a variety of voltages. (This series connection idea is the same as that used with regular batteries.)
2. Solar cells with a variety of shapes can be created: The methods used to form amorphous films have special features that allow other substrates, such as stainless steel or plastic films, to be used in place of the usual glass substrate. This means that previously unknown solar cells, solar cells that are round, square, or any complex shape, or solar cells that can be bent, can be created.
It is also possible to create areas in these solar cells that consist of just transparent glass by etching.
3. High sensitivity in the visible light region: The human eye is sensitive to light with wavelengths from about 400 nm to 700 nm.
Since amorphous silicon solar cells are sensitive to light with essentially the same wavelengths, in addition to solar cells, they can also be used as visible light sensors.

Substrate	Feature	Place used
Glass	Low price (basic substrate)	Indoors/Outdoors
Stainless steel	Thin, light weight, unbreakable, can easily be formed in arbitrary shapes, highly precise dimensions	Indoors/Outdoors
Film	Thin, light weight, unbreakable, bendable, can easily be formed in arbitrary shapes	Indoors/Outdoors