Patent ID: 8476097

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell, comprising the steps of providing a first conducting layer on a substrate, wherein the substrate has an area at least 0.75 m 2 and the first conducting layer is located in a deposition portion of the area; applying an ultraviolet laser beam through a lens to the first conducting layer and scribing portions of the first conducting layer through to the substrate to form a trench through the first conducting layer, wherein the lens focuses the ultraviolet laser beam and has a focal length that is greater than 100 mm, wherein the focused ultraviolet laser beam includes an effective portion that is effective for the scribing and an ineffective portion that is ineffective for the scribing, and wherein the substrate sags such that the portions of the first conducting layer that are scribed during the step of applying are located within the effective portion of the focused ultraviolet laser beam when scribed; providing one or more active layers on the first conducting layer; and providing a second conducting layer on the one or more active layers.