Patent ID: 8330036

Claim:
A method of fabricating a multi junction solar cell on a separable substrate comprising the steps of: a. establishing the separable substrate to have a semiconductive composition; b. forming a sacrificial layer upon said substrate; c. forming a solar cell portion upon said sacrificial layer, said solar cell portion including a plurality of III-V multi-junction layers; d. forming a stabilizing cell layer of semiconductor material on said solar cell portion external to said III-V multi-junction layers, said stabilizing cell layer having a predetermined thickness greater than a thickness of any individual one of said III-V multi-junction layers, wherein said stabilizing cell layer is formed of p-doped and n-doped layers of germanium (Ge) material; e. collectively patterning said solar cell portion and stabilizing cell layer into a plurality of pattern segments separated one from the other by a gap extending transversely therebetween to expose an upper portion of said sacrificial layer; and, f. etching to remove said sacrificial layer for releasing said solar cell portion from said substrate.