Thin-film and emerging photovoltaics

CSEM provides the industry with a high level of expertise regarding customized PV cells for product integration. It also makes available its know-how in coatings for optoelectronics applications for the solution of diverse industrial challenges. The synergetic team applies laser patterning, thin-film deposition, printing methods, and device technology to design and produce cells that meet the most challenging demands, thanks to top-level facilities and latest-generation equipment.

At the same time CSEM prepares the future of PV, with new materials and cell architectures from the forefront of academic research. In this aspect of its activity, CSEM explores more efficient and cheaper solar cells in collaboration with world-leading institutes and universities.

These two parts of the activity tackle challenges in the following fields—

Customized PV

  • Series production of customized solar cells
  • Development of flexible solar cells (based on OPV and thin-film silicon technologies)
  • Integration of PV cells into final products (thin-film, III?V, crystalline silicon, OPV)
  • Development of complete energy harvesting systems
  • Benchmarking of cell technologies for various applications

Thin-film coatings and patterning

  • State-of-the art transparent conductive coatings and electrodes for smart sensing and detectors
  • Light management, and microstructured substrates, films, and foils
  • Materials and processes for opto-electronics (LED, OLED, TFT, sensors, smart windows, and PV)
  • Multifunctional coatings and layers for decorative, lubricating, and/or electronics applications

Emerging PV

  • Development of advanced cell concepts and PV materials with printable PV
  • High efficiency perovskite solar cells, IR transparent perovskites, and multi-junction cells

Our applications have been demonstrated in the field of energy harvesting, for different products ranging from watches to smart farming. The activity is complemented by a network of CSEM professionals who combine our energy-harvesting solutions with ultra-low-power designs to make the Internet of Things and wearables fully autonomous. In CSEM, our customers find a one-stop-shop for their most demanding projects, and a reliable partner who can help them turn their ideas into successful products.