Selective Ablation of Thin Films with Picosecond-Pulsed Lasers for Solar Cells

Functional thin-films are of high importance in modern electronics for flat panel displays, photovoltaics, flexible and organic electronics. Versatile technologies are required for patterning thin-film materials on rigid and flexible substrates. The large-area applications of thin films such as photovoltaics need high speed and simple to use techniques. Ultra-short laser processing with its flexibility is one of the ways to achieve high quality material etching but optimization of the processes is required to meet specific needs of the applications. Lasers with picosecond pulse duration were applied in selective ablation of conducting, semi-conducting and isolating films in the complex multilayered thin-film solar cells based on amorphous Si and Culn(x)Ga((1-x))Se(2) (CIGS) deposited on glass and polymer substrates. Modeling of energy transition between the layers and temperature evolution was performed to understand the processes. Selection of the right laser wavelength was important to keep the energy coupling in a well defined volume at the interlayer interface. Ultra-short pulses ensured high energy input rate into absorbing material permitting peeling of the layers with no influence on the remaining material. Use of high repetition rate lasers with picosecond pulse duration offers new possibilities for high quality and efficiency patterning of advanced materials for thin-film electronics.