Patent ID: 8507786

Claim:
A method for patterning a shaped thin-film photovoltaic device, the method comprising: providing a length of tubular substrate including an electrode layer and an overlying absorber layer having a first thickness; inserting the tubular substrate on a spindle, the spindle being inflated to fasten the tubular substrate; disposing a scribe device including a tip, the scribe device being configured to shift along the length of tubular substrate and configured to apply pressure to the tip, the tip being placed on a first region of the absorber layer; rotating the spindle to cause a rotation of the tubular substrate relative to the scribe device, the scribe device applying a pressure to the tip to form a first pattern into the absorber layer from the first region to extend around the tubular substrate and at least down to the first thickness; forming a window layer having a second thickness overlying the absorber layer including the first pattern; disposing the scribe device including the tip near a second region of the window layer; rotating the spindle to cause a rotation of the tubular substrate relative to the scribe device, the scribe device applying a pressure to the tip to form a second pattern into the window layer and the absorber layer from the second region to extend around the tubular substrate and at least down to the first thickness plus the second thickness; wherein the tip is provided at an angle ranging from about normal to about 15 degrees relative to a surface normal of the absorber layer or window layer.