Flexible solar cells have a wide range of applications in fields such as mobile communication, in vehicle mobile energy, and aerospace. Recently, a research team from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a high flexibility and toughness monocrystalline silicon solar cell that can bend like paper and is not easily broken. This achievement was published in the international academic journal Nature on the evening of May 24th Beijing time. At the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, researchers showed reporters their developed high flexibility and toughness monocrystalline silicon solar cells, which can be bent at a large angle in the hands of researchers, just like a piece of paper we usually see. Liu Zhengxin, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that common photovoltaic solar cells nowadays are made of monocrystalline silicon. Monocrystalline silicon is a brittle material that is easy to break when we apply stress to it, especially when we make it cheaper. When the thickness is reduced, it is easier to break. It was almost impossible to bend silicon wafers at large angles without damage in the past, mainly because the mechanical characteristics of silicon wafers limited their flexibility. Liu Wenzhu, an associate researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that through analysis, the research team found that under bending stress, the fracture of silicon wafers always occurs from the sharp and small groove areas around the silicon wafer. Based on such a discovery, the research team developed a method for smoothing the edges of silicon wafers, which involves treating the sharp "V" shaped grooves on the surface and sides of the wafer edges into smooth "U" shaped grooves, thereby changing the microstructure and mechanical properties of the wafer edges. This enhances the flexibility of the wafer while not affecting its ability to absorb light. At present, the research team has been able to reduce the thickness of silicon wafers to 50 to 60 microns. Compared with traditional solar cells, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of flexible monocrystalline silicon solar cells produced based on this technology remains basically unchanged. Di Zengfeng, Deputy Director of Shanghai Institute of Microsystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that flexible solar cells will greatly expand the application scenarios of solar photovoltaic, and will better serve the national major projects and the national "carbon peak carbon neutrality" strategy. (New News Agency)