Photovoltaic Research in AIST

Koichi Sakuta
Research Center for Photovoltaics, AIST
 Progress of PV R&D in Japan
Road Map
R&D Items PV2030
“New Sunshine” Project Completed 2004　
2000　
Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells (140 JPY/W)

<Hybrid TF-Si Solar Cells >

Low Cost SOG-Si Production Process
<BIPV module>
1997　
<CIS solar Cells> Low Cost mc-Silicon Solar Cells Production Technology
(Efficiency = 17.2%, 189 JPY/W)
<TF-Si Solar Cells >
<III-V high eff. Solar cells>
“New Sunshine” Project initiated 1993　 Technology for a-Si Solar Cells Production

<PV System Demonstration >

Residential PV System Technology R&D Results
<1MW Demonstrate PV plant> 4000
1MW PV Power Plant
3500
<Grid Connected
　　　　　PV System> 500 KW Pilot Production- Line for 3000
mc-Si Solar Cells
<Amorphous Silicon 2500
Solar Cells> 1980　 Establishment of NEDO
2000

<II-VI compound 1500

Solar cells> 　 Basic Technology for Silicon
1000
<Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells (wafer, cell-process)
　　　Solar Cells> 500

1974　 “Sunshine” Project initiated 0

199091 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
 World PV Module Production
4000

3500

3000
Others
USA
Producton (MW)

2500
Europe
Japan
2000

1500

1000

500

0
93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
Year (Source: PV News)
 “PV2030” – Long-term Roadmap for PV R&D and Introduction
１ＧＷ ４．８ＧＷ ３５ＧＷ １０２ＧＷ
2002 2007 2010 2020 2030
~50 Yen/kW h
Grid-Connected <<System Tech>>>
with Higher Degree Less-dependent to Grid
Electricity Cost

of Autonomy from Individual to Clustered

30 Yen/ kW h
Rechargeable Battery
Bulk Si & Back up system Large System Active
Thin Film Si/ Long Life BOS Grid Control
Compound 23 Yen/kW h
Emergence of
14 Yen/kW h New Material
Very-Thin Cell/
<<Cell Technology>> Multi-junction
Cost Reduction by Tech. 7 Yen/kW h
Generation Change New Material/ Structure
Ex.: Dye-sensitized

[PV System Deployment Images ] (Examples)

Residential Conventional Grid-Connected
Community PV- Clusterd
Broader Area Clusterd PV
Industrial Renewable Energy Network
In-Factory High Voltage-Connected/ Captive Load/Building Integrated PV
Hydrogen Production
Overseas Solar Home System (SHS)
Very Large Scale PV (VLS-PV)
Mission and Policy Statement of RCPV
(1) R&D for new materials and devices
　　Cost reduction, lower environmental impacts
(2) Characterization, testing, standardization
　　Infrastructure for industry
(3) System operation, evaluation
　　Infra technology for energy source
(4) International cooperation
　　Collaboration and competition

- Rapid technology transfer using integrating platform

- Impartial evaluation and advice to policymakers
 Organization Chart of RCPV

Advanced Crystalline Needs

Novel Silicon Silicon
Materials
Strategic
Thin Film Industrialization
Compound
semiconductor

Characterization, Testing and System

Advanced Organic
Material

Seeds Infra for Industries

 Advanced Crystalline Silicon Team

Crystalline Silicon Cells

Thinner Cells < 100μm
Æ Plasma Slicing
Sliced silicon ingot
(kerf loss: 120μm ditch depth: 8.2mm)

High efficiency thin substrate cells

Æ　Hetero junction cells, Light trapping structure
200 m 100 m
Single -crystalline
(5X5cm, 2X2cm)

150 m 120 m 100 m

Poly-crystalline
(2X2cm)
Commercial cells
HIT
50 μm cell １５０ １００
２００
Cell thickness ( μm )
 Novel Silicon Materials Team
Triple Tandem Solar Cell
a-Si:H μc-Si:H μc-Si1-xGex:H

Amorphous Si
p p
i
μc-Si
p
μc-Si
Microcrystalline Si
i
a -Si i 1-xGe x
n
n
n
Small absorption coefficient in
infrared region

Microcrystalline Si1-xGex
AM1.5G
Higher IR response with
QE (a .u.)

a -S i

μc-S i
narrower Eg material

μc-S i1-xGe x
double　η=12-13%　→　triple　η= 16%

Jsc(SiGe) >>30 mA/cm2

400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Wa ve le ngth (nm)
 Thin Film Compound Semiconductor Team

CIGS Cell
18.1% Wide-gap Cell Flexible Cell

17.7%

Integrated Sub-module

10cm x 10cm 15.9%

 Advanced Organic Material Team

Polymer Cell (P3HT:PCBM) Sub-module and Flexible Cell

C 6 H13 C 6 H13

S S
S S
n
C 6 H13 C 6 H13
-2
Current density / mA cm

Light
10 Dark

-10
ITO電極 有機層 金属電極 乾燥剤 封止ガラス
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
Voltage / V
ガラス基板

PCE = 3.8 % @ 1cm2 太陽光

JSC = 9.68 mA cm-2 モジュール構造

VOC = 0.62 V, FF = 0.64

 Strategic Industrialization Team

Rapid transfer of basic technologies

Practice of “Open Innovation”

Flexible solar-cell substrates Example of Apparatus

consortium

NIPPON GOHSEI
Processing

Films

Machines
Observer: Industrial Research Inst of Ishikawa, PV manufacturer
First Phase: 2006.6.1 - 2008.3.31

Plasma CVD apparatus for thin-film

silicon solar cells with a substrate size of
310 mm × 410 mm.
 Characterization, Testing and System Team 分光感度補正例

SR measurements of each cell in a module

Calibration System for

Primary Reference Cell

校正証明書

AIST
Long term reliability test of PV modules

Accredited for primary reference

cell calibrations required by
ISO/IEC17025 in global MRA

Combined stresses
acceleration test
equipment
 Characterization, Testing and System Team
Energy Rating of PV Systems Estimation of PV Introduction Potential
Base power + PV < Power Demand
1.1 90 PV
Daily Irradiation: Base power
1.0 OKE, Fine 2
80 power demand
7.6 [kWh/m ]

PV Module Temperature [ C]
0.9 70
PV Module Temp.*

o
0.8 o 60
43.7 [ C]
Irradiance [kW/m ]
2

0.7 50
0.6 40
0.5 30
0.4 20
0.3 10
0.2 0 Minimum power of coal
0.1 -10 power of geothermal
power of hydro
0.0 -20
power of nuclear
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24
Hour Time [hour]

Performance Diagnostic of PV Systems

Detection of failure by
Separation of problem
“Passive Diagnostic”
( PCS / PV Array )
(compare mes. vs calc.)

Identify failure point and type

by “Active Diagnostic”
In case of PV array problem
‘‘Mega-SolarTown’
Mega-SolarTown’
 Mega-SolarTown: 　　Overview
Start operation: April 2004
Total capacity
– DC: 869kWp (approx. 5,600 PV modules)
– AC: 844kW (211 units of 4kW power conditioner)
First MW-scale PV in Japan (including existing 150kW PV systems)
Commercial PV modules / systems showcase
– Mono-crystalline Si, poly-crystalline Si, amorphous Si and hetero
junction Si modules
– Aggregation of 4kW residential PV systems
Power generation:
106kWh / year = 0.8% of total demand in the area
= 300 tons of CO2 reduction / year
Key Innovative Energy Technologies toward “Cool Earth 50”
Efficiency improvement Low carbon Tech
Oil LNG Coal Nuclear Power Biomass Solar Wind
Supply side

Power Efficient coal-fired Innovative Advanced

Power Photovoltaics nuclear power
generation/
generation/ power plant
transmission
transmission CCS
Efficient Superconducting
LNG-fired plants power transmission
Transport ITS FCV PHEV/EV Biofuel
Transport
Demand side

Industry
Industry Innovative materials/ Steel-making process with
manufacturing process hydrogen
Residence
Residence Efficient Efficient Fuel cells for
lighting
/Building houses/bldgs.
/Building residential use
Super Low energy IT
heat pumps devices/networks HEMS/BEMS/Regional EMS
Cross-
Cross-
sectoral Hydrogen production/
sectoral Power storage Power electronics storage/transport
 Overview of NEDO’s PV R&D program
Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Short term

PV Sys. Advanced PV sys.

program

PV Sys. Adv. Promoted

Manufacturing
Practical Tech. Practical
Technology Tech.

Advanced Solar Cell Tech.

Mid-Long term

(target at 2010) R&D for

program

Next Generation PV
Sys.　(target at 2030)
Innovative PV Tech.
(target at 2020, 2030)
R&D on Innovative Solar Cells
（for 2050)
Connection

Grid-interconnection of clustered
Photovoltaic Power Generation
Grid

Verification of Grid Stabilization

with Large-scale PV Power
Generation Systems
 R&D on Innovative Solar Cells
(International COE Program)
Period: FY2008 - FY2014 (7 years)
Budget: 2.2 billion yen / 14 million euro (FY2008)
Objective:
To achieve a photovoltaic power generation with a
conversion efficiency of more than 40% and an electricity
generation cost of 7 JPY/kWh or less in around 2050.

Scheme:
Three Core Research Centers were selected (July 2008).
1. RC for Adv. Sci. & Tech., The University of Tokyo
2. RC for Photovoltaics, AIST
3. Tokyo Institute of Technology
 R&D on Innovative Solar Cells
(FY2008-2014)
Univ. Tokyo Group: Prof. Y. Nakano
“Post-silicon solar cells for ultra-high efficiencies ”
Multi Junction, High concentrator, III-V Compounds, Intermediate Band,
Quantum dots, New Concepts, New Materials

AIST Group: Dr. M. Kondo

“Exploring novel thin multi-junction solar cells with highly-ordered structure ”
Multi Junction, No concentrator, Thin (μ)c-Si(Ge), CIS, Light Management and
TCO, Quantum dots, New Concepts, New Materials

Tokyo Tech Group: Prof. M. Konagai

“Thin film full spectrum solar cells with low concentration ratios”
Multi Junction, Low concentrator, Thin Films, Light Management and TCO,
Quantum dots, New Concepts, New Materials
AIST Group: Dr. M. Kondo
“Exploring novel thin multi-junction solar cells with highly-ordered structure ”
Multi Junction, No concentrator, Thin (μ)c-Si(Ge), CIS, Light Management and
TCO, Quantum dots, New Concepts, New Materials

Target
Solar cells with efficiency over 40% and
Solar cells with cost below 7 yen/kWh
by 2050 with international collaboration.
Target
Over 25% efficiencies in 2015
for Si-based triple-junction and compound-semiconductor-based
four-junction thin-film solar cells
10% efficiencies in 2015
for single-junction solar cells using new concepts.
Usefulness of light-management technologies
will be shown by fabricating solar cells.
 Smart stack structure

Mechanical stack Monolithic (lattice matching)

TCO Mechanically
Optically
Top cell Electrically
Intermediate bonded hν> 1.8 eV
substrate
bonding
middle cell
1.8 >hν> 1eV

bonding
bottom cell
1 >hν> 0.7 eV
Back contact
Materials Component cells Stacked cell

smart stack structure
22
 Structure of project

①　Si-based 3J cells
Wide and narrow-gap
materials

④ Advanced light ③Novel concepts

management and materials
　　

②　CIS-based 4Jcells
 Scenario for industrialization
Wafer base c-Si
Feedback to current technology
Wafer
This project base MJ

Thin film (Si, CIGS, CdTe)

Thin film
base MJ
New comers

Before c-Si
1954 2003 2014 2030 2050

B.C. 1st Gen. 2nd Gen. 3.1 Gen. 3.2 Gen. X