Laser separation method for manufacture of unit cells for thin film photovoltaic materials

A method for manufacture of unit cells for thin film photovoltaic device, the method comprising:

• providing an optically transparent substrate having a thickness, a back surface region, and a front surface region including one or more grid-line regions;
• forming a layered structure including one or more films of photovoltaic materials overlying a metal layer, the metal layer overlying the front surface region;
• transferring the optically transparent substrate having the layered structure;
• aligning a laser beam from the back surface region through the thickness of the optically transparent substrate to illuminate a first region within the one or more grid-line regions;
• subjecting a portion of the metal layer overlying the first region to absorbed energy from the laser beam to separate a first portion of the layered structure from the first region;
• scanning the laser beam from the first region to a second region along the one or more grid-line regions to cause formation of one or more unit cells of the layered structure;
• and
• providing the one or more unit cells.