Simulation of optical and mechanical performance of ultrathin sinusoidal c-Si films for highly flexible photovoltaic applications

Flexible ultrathin Silicon solar cells can be widely used in different applications such as wearable electronics and smart roads. Enhancing the light absorption and bendability in Si films are critical for such applications. Here, a novel Si film with a sinusoidal (SIN) design has been simulated by finite element modeling. This film shows a large absorption over a broadband wavelength range and suffers from lower stress compared to the conventional planar (PL) and micro pyramid (MP) structures. Hence, this ultra-thin, lightweight, and highly flexible structure is proposed as an excellent candidate for high-performance solar cells (SCs).