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A wafer is a thin disc, either circular or square, less than a millimetre thick. In photovoltaics, this wafer is often made of silicon and forms the basis for electricity generation as the photoelectric effect takes place within the wafer. This effect is responsible for converting solar energy into electricity.

There are two types of wafer used in photovoltaics: polycrystalline and monocrystalline. Both types are cut from semiconductor blocks called ingots. Monocrystalline wafers are cut from cylindrical ingots, while polycrystalline wafers are cut from rectangular ingots. The wafers are then further processed, cleaned and polished to form the solar cell.