Recent Advances on the Deposition of Thin Film Solar Cells

Thin film solar cells have emerged as a promising technology in the field of photovoltaics due to their potential for reduced material usage, flexibility, and lower manufacturing costs compared to traditional crystalline silicon-based solar cells. This chapter provides an overview of thin film solar cell technology, focusing on various types such as amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and organic-inorganic perovskites-based solar cells (PSCs). The various thin film deposition techniques or methods such as vacuum-based magnetron sputtering, vacuum thermal evaporation, various chemical vapor deposition methods, and chemical solution-based methods will be extensively discussed. The focus will be on the importance of process parameters toward achieving high-quality thin films. The advantages and drawbacks of each deposition technique will be highlighted looking at their impact toward advancing thin film solar cell technology.