Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 June 2013
For the first time, thin-film CIGS solar cells have been fabricated by co-evaporation on specially developed non-conducting perlite (an aluminum potassium sodium silicate natural mineral of volcanic origin) glass-ceramic substrates to develop a fully integrated photovoltaic and building element. Such glass-ceramic material can meet the physical requirements to solar cells substrates as well as the cost goals. The preliminary data presented show that CIGS solar cells deposited on ceramic substrates can exhibit efficiency higher than 10%.