Masdar PV and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin partner to accelerate development of next generation thin film crystalline silicon PV technology
• HZB’s first milestone achieved by succeeding in depositing a thin, crystalline 10μm layer of silicon on glass utilizing laser-crystallization
MASDAR PV and HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM Berlin have strengthened their R&D partnership, focusing resources on development of next generation thin film Si technology. After successful cooperation in the development of Masdar PV´s first and second generation thin film silicon based solar cells, Masdar and HZB/PVcomB are now moving ahead to accelerate deployment of a new generation of thin film crystalline silicon based PV.
HZB has achieved the first milestone on this technology roadmap by succeeding in depositing a thin, crystalline 10μm layer of silicon on glass utilizing laser-crystallization. “Thin film crystalline silicon based PV can achieve high efficiency with low material cost”, explains Prof Bernd Rech. “Thus, it combines the advantages of incumbent, wafer-based crystalline silicon PV and thin film Si technology. Moreover, thin film crystalline silicon uses only abundantly available materials. We are confident to reach efficiencies comparable to wafer based crystalline silicon technology. On a long-term basis we are aiming for 20 % and beyond with thin film Si technology.”
Recent developments at HZB on crystalline thin film Si solar cells have triggered the interest of MASDAR PV to invest in related R&D. HZB researchers demonstrated a world record value for the open-circuit voltage of 582 mV for c-Si on glass. This break-through result, the excellent material properties of thin film crystalline silicon created by Liquid Phase Crystallization as well as promising processability of the material initiated the shift in R&D focus now announced by Masdar PV and HZB / PVcomB. “We expect that thin film crystalline silicon solar cells can achieve 14% efficiency cells in the short to mid-term”, says Prof. Rutger Schlatmann, leader of the technology transfer unit PVcomB at the HZB, “and we are confident that rapid technological progress is possible in this field”.
Masdar PV is aiming to transfer this technology into its existing production facilities and therefore deliver this new technology on modules up to full size (5.7m²).
“Investing in the R&D of this next generation technology of thin film silicon on glass to produce PV panels could enable us to better compete with existing crystalline PV producers who rely on economies of scale rather than significant technology improvements”, says Masdar PV’s MD Tushita Ranchan.
About Masdar PV GmbH
Masdar PV GmbH develops and produces innovative thin-film solar products and solutions. The company is a 100 % subsidiary of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s multifaceted initiative for innovative renewable energy technologies, launched and owned by Mubadala Development Company.
The selection of module sizes that customers can choose from and the products’ advantageous cost-benefit ratio ensure that the high-tech modules from Masdar PV are ideally suited for ground-mounted installations and large-area rooftop systems. Transparent and colored modules allow architects to build futuristic, façade- and roof-integrated PV installations.
Please visit our website for additional information: www.masdarpv.com
- Humboldt-Fellow at HZB-Institute for Solar Fuels: Alexander R. UhlAlexander R. Uhl, UBC Okanagan School of Engineering in Kelowna, Canada, aims to develop with Roel van de Krol from the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels an efficient and inexpensive photoelectrolyser for producing hydrogen using sunlight. His stay is being funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
- MXene for energy storage: More versatile than expectedMXene materials are promising candidates for a new energy storage technology. However, the processes by which the charge storage takes place were not yet fully understood. A team at HZB has examined, for the first time, individual MXene flakes to explore these processes in detail. Using the in situ Scanning transmission X-ray microscope 'MYSTIIC' at BESSY II, the scientists mapped the chemical states of Titanium atoms on the MXene flake surfaces. The results revealed two distinct redox reactions, depending on the electrolyte. This lays the groundwork for understanding charge transfer processes at the nanoscale and provides a basis for future research aimed at optimising pseudocapacitive energy storage devices.
- Bernd Rech elected to the BR50 Board of DirectorsThe Scientific Director at Helmholt-Zentrum Berlin is the new face behind the "Natural Sciences" unit at Berlin Research 50 (BR50). Following the election in December 2025, the constituent meeting of the new BR50 Board of Directors took place on 22 January 2026.
Its members are Michael Hintermüller (Weierstrass Institute, WIAS), Noa K. Ha (German Centre for Integration and Migration Research, DeZIM), Volker Haucke (Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, FMP), Uta Bielfeldt (German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, DRFZ) and Bernd Rech (HZB).