IBM partners to produce thin-film solar cells | Green Tech - CNET News

IBM partners to produce thin-film solar cells | Green Tech - CNET News


Materials technology developed at IBM's research labs is inching closer to commercial solar panels. Japanese manufacturer Solar Frontier said yesterday it has signed a deal to develop thin-film solar cells originally designed by IBM. IBM researchers improved the efficiency of thin-film solar cells made from relatively abundant materials--copper, tin, zinc, and sulfur.

IBM researchers last year showed they were able to improve the efficiency of solar cells made from a combination of copper, zinc, tin, sulfur and selenium (CZTS), hitting an efficiency mark of 9.6 percent in the lab. Although they are generally less efficient than silicon, thin-film solar cells promise to be cheaper because less material is needed.

Solar cells made from other thin-film materials have shown better efficiency in labs. But making cells from CZTS would have an advantage over other materials in that they are made from relatively abundant elements. There is growing discussion about the availability of different materials for solar cells and other green-technology products. A number of companies are making cells with a combination of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS), but some people have raised concern over the supply and cost of indium, for example.