The use of solar technology for the production of energy is becoming more important as we strive to become less dependent upon diminishing supplies of fossil fuels. As the production levels of solar cells increase so too does the use of lasers. The attributes of non-contact processing, flexible beam delivery and precise control make the laser the ideal tool for processing these fragile components. With a number of different micro-machining processes to be performed during the production of mono and polycrystalline solar cells, it is essential that the most appropriate laser source is used.