New research led by a team of Chinese scientists has achieved the thinnest silicon solar cells ever – a flexible, paper-like material that converts light into electricity without sacrificing efficiency.

Silicon solar cells are the backbone of the world’s solar-generated electricity, accounting for about 95 per cent of the solar cells in the photovoltaic market. As manufacturing and power generation costs have declined, solar cells have gained wider use in ground-mounted solar farms and distributed photovoltaics.