Solar cells come in many shapes and sizes, and are manufactured with a variety of materials. The wafer of this octagonal cell is made with the element silicon. The dark areas convert sunlight into electricity while the thick and thin lines are part of the electrical circuit. This “wraparound-contact” cell has two thin parallel circuit-leads running from top to bottom and about 100 smaller leads running crosswise. Each of the four corners has seven lines running crosswise, making a connection to the back of the wafer.
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