1st vs. 2nd Generation Solar Cells

I get so frustrated with Press Releases that use jargon. Here is one about 2nd Generation Solar Cells - Sharp to deliver second-generation solar cells in U.S.

So what is a first generation solar cell and how is a second generation different? The key is the use of the world thin film I would guess.

The press release, oops I mean article, states the first generation uses 560 x 925 mm verses second generation that uses 1,000 x 1,400, which means the second generation is cheaper. I am not sure if the 9% efficiency is part of the second generation, of what. First generation is closer to 33% efficiency, but at a much higher cost.

This is the best explanation I have found so far of the difference between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation solar cells. Correction, a better one - Solar Genealogy: On Three Generations of Solar Cells.