Flexible and rollable photovoltaic cell having enhanced properties of mechanical impact absorption

A flexible and rollable Photovoltaic (PV) cell having enhanced properties of mechanical impact absorption, the PV cell comprising:

• a semiconductor body comprised at least partially of a semiconductor material with a formfactor including a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one sidewall;
• a set of non-transcending gaps within said semiconductor body of said semiconductor material, wherein portions of semiconductor material on opposite sides of a respective non-transcending gap become movable relative to one another while a thin layer of said semiconductor body of said semiconductor material remains beneath said non-transcending gaps and is sufficiently thin to flex, and due to physical displacement dissipate mechanical stresses and absorb mechanical impacts applied to said semiconductor body;
• wherein said set of non-transcending gaps within said semiconductor body acts as crack propagation inhibitor;
• wherein said PV cell is flexible and rollable, and is freestanding and has enhanced properties of mechanical impact absorption due to having said set of gaps in the semiconductor material;
• wherein said flexible and rollable PV cell is comprised of a single semiconductor substrate which is segmented into segments by said set of non-transcending gaps which are placed only at one side of the semiconductor body;
• wherein at least some of said non-transcending gaps, that are only at one side of the semiconductor body, contain a gap filler material having force absorption properties and material toughening properties, which provides mechanical shock absorption, and which is formed of a material that provides chemical durability, thermal durability, and mechanical durability.