A novel peeling process for thin-film solar cells using graphene layers was demonstrated. We fabricated amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells as substitutes for the undeveloped nanostructured silicon solar cells on graphene layers in order to investigate the solar cell performance after peeling for the first time. The graphene layers functioned as transparent electrodes after the peeling process, even though the series resistance increased after the peeling. Next, we fabricated a silicon nanowire (SiNW) array on graphene layers by a combination of chemical etching and thermal crystallization. Finally, we successfully peeled a SiNW array using graphene layers. (C) 2017 The Japan Society of Applied Physics