Germanium wafer based solar cells provide high efficiency .However raw germanium costs $680 per pound and further more their fabrication leads to lot of material being wasted since germanium is highly brittle.A new wafer slicing method may provide for means to reduce the wastage of material.The new method for slicing solar cell wafers christened as Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) – wastes less germanium and produces more wafers by cutting thin wafers with less waste and cracking . As compared to silicon based solar cells , germanium layered solar cells may used in conjunction with solar concentrators, can provide an efficiency of 40% (nealry double).Translated even a small reduction in fabrication costs of germanium based solar cells can lead to a significant value proposition.
