STRUCTURE AND PROCESS FOR SOLAR CELL ELECTRODES

Methods and devices are described for thin film solar cell manufacturing. In one embodiment, the method includes displacing the residual insulator in vias with the pins of the present invention, which may greatly reduce the amount of material to be removed and hence make the laser more cost-effective. It is still desirable to use a laser or other device to completely clear the bottom of the via of residual material (to prepare for making a good electrical connection) but the film remaining under the pins would be microns in thickness, compared to the hundreds of microns of via depth.